• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

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

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Tupelo swamp

Bristol

A rural community on the eastern bluffs of the Apalachicola River, Bristol is a gateway to the Apalachicola National Forest

The county seat of Liberty County, Bristol has a compact, walkable downtown. Immediately to its south is the vast Apalachicola National Forest, which extends an hour’s drive south and southeast.

To the north of Bristol are conservation lands along the Apalachicola River bluffs, including Torreya State Park and lands managed by The Nature Conservancy.

In town, Veterans Memorial Park features a walking trail, a boardwalk into a cypress swamp paralleling a scale model railroad open periodically for rides.

The Florida Trail passes through Bristol as it heads west over the big Trammel Bridge over the Apalachicola River into the Central Time Zone.

On the other side of the bridge is Blountstown, another rural river community.


Contents

  • 1 Resources
  • 2 Trails and Parks near Bristol
    • 2.1 Apalachee Savannas Scenic Byway
    • 2.2 Apalachicola National Forest
    • 2.3 Blountstown Greenway
    • 2.4 Camel Lake Loop
    • 2.5 Florida Trail, Apalachicola
    • 2.6 Florida Trail, Bristol Roadwalk
    • 2.7 Florida Trail, Camel Lake to Savannahs
    • 2.8 Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
    • 2.9 Florida Trail, Jewel to Vilas
    • 2.10 Florida Trail, Porter Lake to Jewel
    • 2.11 Florida Trail, Vilas to Camel Lake
    • 2.12 Garden of Eden Trail
    • 2.13 Torreya Challenge Loop
    • 2.14 Torreya Hiking Trail
    • 2.15 Torreya Rock Creek Loop
    • 2.16 Torreya State Park
    • 2.17 Trail of Lakes
    • 2.18 Weeping Ridge Trail
  • 3 Related Articles
    • 3.1 Summer in the Savannas
    • 3.2 Florida Hikes for Botanical Beauty
  • 4 Explore More

Resources

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover 50 Hikes in North Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us continue to provide public information on this website.


Trails and Parks near Bristol

Pitcher plant bog

Apalachee Savannas Scenic Byway

Apalachee Savannas Scenic Byway

Apalachicola National Forest

Apalachicola National Forest
Blountstown Greenway

Blountstown Greenway

Blountstown Greenway
Camel Lake Loop

Camel Lake Loop

Camel Lake Loop
Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Bristol Roadwalk

Florida Trail, Bristol Roadwalk

Florida Trail, Bristol Roadwalk
Tupelo swamp Florida Trail

Florida Trail, Camel Lake to Savannahs

Florida Trail, Camel Lake to Savannahs
Florida Trail Nokuse

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Florida Trail Jewel to Vilas

Florida Trail, Jewel to Vilas

Florida Trail, Jewel to Vilas
Florida Trail at Cox Branch

Florida Trail, Porter Lake to Jewel

Florida Trail, Porter Lake to Jewel
Bonnet Pond

Florida Trail, Vilas to Camel Lake

Florida Trail, Vilas to Camel Lake
View from a river bluff with river below and ridges beyond

Garden of Eden Trail

Garden of Eden Trail
Oaks and pines

Torreya Challenge Loop

Torreya Challenge Loop
Longleaf pines

Torreya Hiking Trail

Torreya Hiking Trail
View from river bluffs

Torreya Rock Creek Loop

Torreya Rock Creek Loop
Floodplain forest at Torreya

Torreya State Park

Torreya State Park
Trail of Lakes

Trail of Lakes

Trail of Lakes
Waterfall at Weeping Ridge

Weeping Ridge Trail

Weeping Ridge Trail

Related Articles

Trumpet-leaf pitcher plants

Summer in the Savannas

June 13, 2014//  by Sandra Friend

Summer is prime time for delicate orchids and carnivorous plants among the bogs of the Apalachicola National Forest, especially along the Apalachee Savannas Scenic Byway.

Swamp sunflowers

Florida Hikes for Botanical Beauty

March 17, 2014//  by Sandra Friend

Enjoy Florida’s botanical bounty with this handpicked selection of walks in the woods to see spectacular wildflowers, big trees, and unique habitats throughout the state of Florida.

ALL Articles and Outdoor Destinations


Explore More

Here’s what it looks like to walk into and through Bristol along the Florida Trail route, a roadwalk up CR 12 to SR 20 and the Apalachicola River.

NEARBY: Blountstown, Chattahoochee, Marianna, Panama City

Primary Sidebar

NORTHWEST FLORIDA

NORTHWEST FLORIDA OVERVIEW
Florida Trail

Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.
Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Sunlight streaming through morning fog

Wakulla State Forest

Wakulla State Forest
Pitcher plant slope

Florida Trail, Hutton

Florida Trail, Hutton
Waterfall at Weeping Ridge

Weeping Ridge Trail

Weeping Ridge Trail
Blooming season at Maclay Gardens

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact