Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Along with his wife Chelsey, Chris Stevens produces the blog Sunshine State Seekers. An avid hiker and camper, Chris serves as a Trailmaster for the Florida Trail Association.
Weaving across rolling sandhills and along the tannic waters of the Withlacoochee River, the River Road to Richloam Loop section is an exceptionally scenic destination along the western corridor of the Florida Trail.
Crossing scenic karst landscapes alongside sinkholes and around its namesake spring, the Holton Creek section of the Florida Trail provides botanical and geologic immersion.
An exceptionally scenic hike, the Hutton section of the Florida Trail navigates distinctive landscapes though clayhills, ravines, and pitcher plant bogs, encompassed in thick stands of pine.
5.1 miles. History is on display along this segment of the abandoned Cross Florida Barge Canal, from a town demolished nearly a century ago to agricultural land undergoing habitat restoration.
8.5 miles. Winding through picturesque prairies and primordial oak hammocks, the Florida Trail showcases the best of Three Lakes WMA south of the Prairie Lakes Unit.
Protecting uplands immediately east of Tampa Bay, Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve immerses hikers within oak scrub habitat along a sandy loop trail.
Creating a 5.2 mile loop on the west side of Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve, the Red and Yellow Trails reveal a diversity of habitats.
A short and scenic loop trail on easy terrain, the Gordon Smith Memorial Trail showcases mesic flatwoods, a predominant ecosystem in Myakka State Forest.
Strongly influenced by nearby Tampa Bay, Terra Ceia Preserve State Park protects unique landscapes where marine and terrestrial ecosystems blend seamlessly.
Showcasing an impressive variety of habitats within a relatively small preserve, a mile long loop trail provides exceptional natural scenery along an easy, well-maintained path.
A forested escape north of Tampa, Lake Conservation Park features a network of trails where you can loop nearly four miles around a series of small lakes.
Two loop trails explore cypress domes and expansive pine flatwoods, while a side trail leads to a sturdy fishing dock over Lake Dan.
