Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Articles by Sandra Friend

Rookery Bay NERR

Protecting vast mangrove forests and coastal habitats between Naples and Ten Thousand Islands NWR, Rookery Bay NERR encompasses a mind-boggling 110,000 acres.

Roseate spoonbill

There's no mistaking the roseate spoonbill, with its bright pink plumage and distinctive shovel-shaped beak. Usually seen in pairs or large groups, they feed on mud flats.

Rosemary scrub

One of Florida's least common habitats, rosemary scrub is a delight to walk in, thanks to its counterpoints of lichens and shrubs against the bright white sand

Royal Palm Beach Pines

West Palm Beach   3.6 miles

Escape from the puzzle of subdivisions and urban strips defining densely populated Palm Beach County with a walk across this 772 acre oasis in Royal Palm Beach.

Rugged Hikes in Florida

A discussion that came up on the forum recently – where are the most rugged hikes in Florida? – fits well with the cool weather we now have.  The term “rugged” is subjective, of course, based on your own hiking expertise:  someone …

Saddle Creek Park

Lakeland   2.5 miles

East of downtown Lakeland, this urban county park makes use of old mine pits as lakes, with a campground and a 2.5 mile birding trail providing occasional panoramas.

Safety Harbor Waterfront Park

Safety Harbor   1.0 miles

Loop a community green space in front of a historic hotel on Tampa Bay using a coastal boardwalk through a mangrove forest and the eastern end of the Ream Wilson Trail.