At the 5th annual Hammock Hang this January, hammock camping enthusiasts around the country descended on Doe Lake for a weekend of friendship, fun, and food
Articles
Articles on topics of interest for hikers, cyclists, and paddlers, including conservation, land management, and wildlife issues, as well as how-to and gear recommendations.
72 Hours (or so) in Hot Springs, North Carolina
Invited to Hot Springs to hang out with our hiker friends Chuck & Tigger, we headed back to this pleasant Appalachian Trail community for the second time this year.
A Most Dismal Place
While it once covered a million acres of the Colonies, the Great Dismal Swamp, now protected by the Great Dismal Swamp NWR founded in 1974, encompasses 112,000 acres of pine uplands and cypress-tupelo swamps criss-crossed by ditches and levees used by loggers for more than a century.
A night in Clewiston
When you reach the turnoff to continue north on the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee, you don’t quite reach the town of Clewiston. After all the heat and bugs while camping and cooking outdoors, the group decided to enjoy real food and a night in an air-conditioned, bug-free motel room. The owner gave us a […]
A Quarter Million Miles
Saying goodbye to my trusty 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which hit a quarter-million miles this spring after countless trails and travels together throughout the state of Florida.
A Sandhill Crane Success Story
At the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge in Gautier, MS, conservation of fragile pine savannas and an aggressive re-introduction program have brought a sandhill crane subspecies back from the brink of extinction.
A Walk at Wekiwa
It was a cold, cold morning last Sunday when I took a stroll from the Sand Lake trailhead at Wekiwa Springs State Park into the open pine scrub. Good thing that the canopy is relatively open as you head out on the hiking loop, although it’s disappointing that the main trail (blazed white) is still […]
A Walk with Angus Gholson
While researching Exploring Florida’s Botanical Wonders, I had the honor of a visit to Angus Gholson’s herbarium in Chattahoochee, as well as a guided hike through the new Gholson Nature Park, a wonderland of rare wildflowers.
Adding to the Life List
Although John is a native Floridian, our research trip to South Florida became an opportunity for him to see many natural “firsts” in Florida that most people have on their life lists.
Alligators Everywhere
In spring, alligators become more active as the days warm up. It’s also mating season, so alligators are on the move. Expect to see them anywhere and everywhere along Florida’s trails.