Big Lagoon State Park is notable for being a gateway to the Great Florida Birding Trail, with a large observation tower overlooking the vast sweep of the namesake lagoon
Climb a mountain this weekend
Hobe Mountain, that is … the highest point in Florida south of Lake Okeechobee, if you don’t count the mountainous landfills seen along Florida’s Turnpike. Okay, make that the highest natural landform in South Florida. And to top it off … a tower. Check out this short walk with a fabulous view at Jonathan Dickinson …
Cool down in the Blackwater River
Enjoy a cool dip in the Blackwater River at Blackwater River State Park near Milton. The Florida Trail runs right through the park, crossing Deaton Bridge, but your best access to the least-busy broad sandy beach on a river bend is along the Chain of Lakes Trail, an interpretive trail that follows old oxbows left …
E.G. Simmons Park
E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin offers a campground along with its beaches and mazy mangrove-lined waterways for paddlers and anglers along Tampa Bay.
Fourth of July Fireworks from the Florida Trail
Dueling fireworks – Winter Springs and Oviedo – were visible from the Florida Trail the other night if you knew where to look! The Cross Seminole Trail bridge over SR 434 makes a great viewing platform.
Gator rumble at Green Cay Wetlands
One alligator attacks another in a surprise wildlife encounter filmed safely from the boardwalk at Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach.
Hikes between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale
Recommendations made for mild to medium hiking and backpacking opportunities in Central and South Florida between Orlando and Ft Lauderdale
Lake Mills Park a quiet retreat
Lake Mills Park in Chuluota has a little bit of everything outdoorsy, from ancient trees to picnic tables by the lake to a nice campground in a scrub forest.
More walks in the Everglades
Last month, I had the opportunity to revisit Everglades National Park while working on a new project that will be launching soon. While doing the drive down Main Park Road with my friend Kathy, we took the opportunity to visit and walk many of the short trails en route to Flamingo. We were fortunate that …
Osprey watching at Honeymoon Island
It’s an easy walk out to the osprey nesting grounds on Honeymoon Island, and an unforgettable experience.
Panama City pines yield liquid gold
In the early days of Florida’s European settlement, one of the most important products along our coasts were naval stores – the tapping of slash pines for turpentine and other spirits used in the upkeep of wooden ships. Now it’s often along Floida’s trails that I’ll spy a tree with a catface, a carved slash …
Pensacola Dunes a beauty spot
Sugary-white sand and emerald water are counterpoints on a hike that leads you through nearly 4 miles of pristine dunes – up and over and down, a true roller-coaster of a hike – at the UWF Dunes Preserve in Pensacola Beach