With the hot temperatures and sudden thunderstorms we’ve been having of late, it’s a reminder that Florida’s hiking season is NOT summertime. Granted, you can go out into the swamps of South Florida and enjoy yourself, or hit the trail in our northerly areas early, but summer doldrums are at their peak right now, with […]
Archives for August 2011
Day hikes near Sea World and Universal Studios
Hikes near Orlando theme parks, by reader request. The area between Sea World and Universal Studios is both heavily populated and heavily commercial, so you have to drive beyond the Orlando International Airport to find the wild places. These suggestions are a mix of places I’ve visited and places I plan to visit. Even though […]
Hiking Basics for Florida
How to hike in Florida – the basics of what you need to know for hiking in Florida, whether you’re day hiking or backpacking.
How to identify a coral snake
Coral snake or king snake? Their coloration is similar so it’s tough to tell, but remember the rhyme, “red touch yellow, kill a fellow.” Don’t pick snakes up!
How to pack for a Florida hike
The Ten Essentials and more: a checklist for items you’ll want to bring with you for day hiking and backpacking in Florida. Florida’s climate and weather are unlike most of the rest of the United States, so your selections take some planning.
How to tent camp in Florida
What should you do when you’re tent camping in Florida? Here’s a how-to checklist to get prepared and make sure you have a comfortable time.
New Apalachicola NERR HQ Grand Opening
August 17 will mark the grand opening of the new Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Research & Education Headquarters. Formerly located near the marina in Apalachicola, it has moved to a new facility in neighboring Eastpoint near the end of the bridge to St. George Island. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held next Wednesday, August […]
New trails at CREW Marsh
Encompassing the northwestern edge of the Big Cypress Swamp – CREW, or Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed – protects more than 60,000 acres of wetlands between Estero and Immokalee. While they’ve had access for years to a trail system showcasing pine flatwoods and marsh ecosystems off CR 850, they’ve recently unveiled a brand-new trail system leading […]
Steflik Preserve a birder’s delight
Imagine passing by a preserve dozens of times over the years and never seeing it. That’s what I’d done here in Flagler Beach, rumbling across the SR 100 bridge for the past decade, never noticing that there were natural lands with trails just below. It took a visit earlier this year – and a mention […]
Why Hike in Florida?
Why hike in Florida? It’s not about the challenge of mountains, but the incredible natural diversity in habitats and flora found across the sweep of our state.