February 28th, 2007 Sandra Friend
Earlier this week, I had an email from Chris, a Central Florida father who wants to take his son on his first backpacking trip. In part, his email said:
My son and I are looking for our first hike and camp (one overnight trip). We live in Orlando, FL and I so far Lake Louisa State Park with their primitive hike/camp sections, are the best I can come up with. Other than this state park, my son and I are looking for a starting trip which might include a hike/camp overnight trip, varying nature scenes, a good camping site, swimming optional as we would like to do this in March, maybe good star gazing, near water, and/or fire ring?
I checked with Chris, and it sounded like his son is young enough that a short starter backpacking trip of about 3 miles to camp is in order. While there are a lot of options for backpacking in Central Florida, hitting those high points for a first-timer - ease of hike, high interest level, good campsite, fire ring - is important! I’ve come up with a handful of options to help Chris, and other parents out there, have a great first-time out with the kids. In no particular order…
1. Geneva Wilderness Area
Although it requires a permit, this Seminole County natural land preserve offers one of the easiest places to ease into backpacking, with the campsite (offering a privy, potable water, and benches) less than a mile in.
2. Lake Kissimmee State Park
Lake Kissimmee offers the best of all worlds. There’s a traditional campground if you don’t feel like backpacking, and two different, very beautiful loop trails (Buster Island Loop and North Loop / Gobbler Ridge Trails) to hike, each with its own primitive campsite under the live oaks. No water or privy at camp, but fire rings and picnic tables make it fun. I’ve spotted lots of wildlife here. More than anywhere else I’ve hiked, in fact!
3. Little Manatee River Hiking Trail
South of Tampa, this is one of my favorites in Central Florida due to the diversity of habitats you see along the 6.5-mile loop. The backpacking campsite, while primitive, is very pretty, and you can take a paddling trip down the river after you finish your hike.
4. Fort Drum Marsh
A kind of offbeat place for hiking, this conservation area has two places to camp, both on islands - one surrounded by a dredged pond, the other by the marshes that are the headwaters of the St. Johns River. Fire rings and benches are the amenities. Hunting is permitted, so check ahead to avoid conflicts.
5. Flat Island Preserve
This island in the Okahumpa Marsh has funky fungi and gigantic trees. The loop is only 3.7 miles, and this is a popular place to take beginning backpackers. You can borrow a canoe and explore the marsh after your hike, too. Fire ring, benches, and a pitcher pump at the campsite. Permit required, but it’s free.
6. Hal Scott Preserve
Another pretty primitive campsite with benches and fire ring sits along a 5 mile loop that takes you through several significant habitats, including vast, open prairie with pitcher plant bogs.
If you subscribe to Backpacker magazine, there is a nice section in the current issue on hiking with the family. Check it out for some excellent background on dos and don’ts for various ages, and have fun out there!
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February 27th, 2007 Sandra Friend
If you love Florida’s outdoors as much as I do, you’ll want to make tracks to Florida’s only real hiking festival, the annual Florida Trail Conference. Like last year, this year’s long weekend is at the Florida Elks Youth Camp, a rambling ranch sitting on the county line in Umatilla, Florida. Things kick off on Friday March 16 with workshops and guided walks and a slide show by my co-author and buddy Johnny Molloy on his Florida Trail thru-hike last year. Saturday, there are more than 20 activities and workshops to choose from, from Nature Photography to Beginning Birding. There will be quite a few authors besides myself and we’ll all sign books around lunchtime, for those of you who collect hiking books (and we thank you that you do!).
Why mention it now? If you register before March 1, it only costs $15 for the weekend (kids under 12 are free, and there will be plenty for them to do). Meals must be ordered by March 1 and cost $35 for the full package (catered by local restaurants that I can vouch for being worthy of my travel guides). Or you can bring your own camp food. Tent camping is $2 per night per person, or bunkhouse for $20 per night. Hope to see you there … stop in at the “Orange Blaze Mercantile” to pick up a signed copy of my travel guides and hiking guides! Register online now, or learn more at this link.
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February 25th, 2007 Sandra Friend
Rob and I roamed North Florida this weekend, combining two special events with scouting nature trails around the Jacksonville area for my botanical wonders project … and finding some interesting new parks in the process. The weekend kicked off early with the Florida Trail Gateway Community celebration at White Springs. With over 60 people in attendance, I’d say it was a successful event! A short hike through Stephen Foster State Park followed. I’ll post this weekend’s hikes soon, after I get prepped to answer an email from Chris asking for where best to take a youngster for his first backpacking trip. Meanwhile, here are the newest hikes on the site since last weekend:
NORTH FLORIDA
Big Shoals State Park, White Springs
CENTRAL FLORIDA
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, Titusville
Flat Island Preserve, Leesburg
Hal Scott Preserve, Bithlo
Lyonia Preserve, Deltona
I’m off to Rice Creek in the morning, and expect to return with an interesting tale to share!
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February 21st, 2007 Sandra Friend
I’ll be up along the Suwannee River this Friday for a special celebration honoring one of my favorite Florida places, the town of White Springs. They were the first to sign on as a Florida Trail Gateway Community, and what better a community to be a gateway to hiking! Okay, okay, there are others. BUT … the Florida Trail runs right through the middle of White Springs, and there are plenty of other trail options nearby, from several trails within Big Shoals State Park to the always-fun Disappearing Creek Loop at Camp Branch Conservation Area, the Swift Creek and Gar Pond Conservation Areas (singletrack, yes, but excellent hiking if you go when there are few bikers), the waterfall at Falling Creek Falls, and the entire Osceola National Forest just a half hour away. Not to mention hikes in Lake City! When I canvassed this region for 50 Hikes in North Florida, I spent a whole week at it. C’mon up to White Springs on Friday and enjoy a guided hike on the Florida Trail at Stephen Foster State Park. See you there!
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February 18th, 2007 Sandra Friend
I spent yesterday canvassing Polk County for guidebook research and will have some Polk County hikes to add this upcoming week. Meanwhile, here’s what’s new in the past week. I’ve added quite a few new links to the Resources section (for county natural lands and parks), and posted these hikes:
CENTRAL FLORIDA
White Loop, Kratzert, Osteen
Palm Island Park, Mt. Dora
Jenkins Trail, Tiger Creek Preserve, Frostproof
SOUTH FLORIDA
Collier Seminole Hiking Trail, east of Naples
Also, all hikes on the site now have UTM coordinates for your GPS and links to the coordinates on Google Maps, so you can print out directions and find your way. It sure wasn’t this easy when I was trying to find places to hike!
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