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

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boardwalk at Chinsegut WEA

Articles on Hiking

Gear recommendations, hike planning, where to hike, and how to get the most out of your hike

Parks and Trails Closed Due to Hurricane Ian

Flooded canoe launch

September 30, 2022    Sandra Friend & John Keatley

Our roundup of closures on federal, state, and county lands across Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Sunflowers on the St. Johns

Swamp sunflowers

October 5, 2021    Sandra Friend

For more than a decade, I’ve been chasing sunflower blooms in Florida wetlands in October. In 2021, it’s a banner year for these showy beauties in Central Florida.

Big Cypress Backcountry Access

An obvious watery path through wetlands

December 4, 2020    Sandra Friend

By December 15, all public comments are due on the new Big Cypress Backcountry Access Plan. Here’s our analysis of it and our opinions, along with a discussion of backcountry and wilderness in Florida.

Sunflower Season on the St. Johns River near Orlando

Lake Jesup Wilderness

May 31, 2020    Sandra Friend & John Keatley

In September, swamp sunflowers put on a colorful show along the St. Johns River between Sanford and Geneva, north of Orlando. Here’s where to take a hike to find them.

Public Lands Open in Florida

Red Trail Betz Tiger Point

April 21, 2020    Sandra Friend

Public lands that remain open or have reopened in response to the public’s need for outdoor recreation and exercise. Find a place near you where you can hike, bike, or paddle.

Florida Beaches, Parks, and Trails Open and Closed

Recreate Responsibly

Statewide      ( Updated 10/1/20 )      

What is open and what is closed: our ongoing status updates for Florida beaches, campgrounds, parks, trails, and other public outdoor recreation facilities as we hear about them

For Your Health: Go Outside

Hiking Salt Lake WMA

March 18, 2020    Sandra Friend

While we’re asked to keep our distance, the outdoors is still there for us. You can hike, bike, and paddle with your family, but do so safely. Keep your mental and physical health good by enjoying nature.

Expand Econ River Wilderness

Econ River Wilderness east shore hammock

February 19, 2020    Sandra Friend

A proposal has been made public of a land swap offer between a developer and Seminole County for possession of Econ River Wilderness Area. We think that the existing preserve should be expanded, instead. Here’s how.

Hiking During Hunting Seasons

Hikers and hunters

How-To in Florida      ( Feature Articles )      

Florida’s hiking season is also the prime season for hunting in Florida. Be aware of where you’re hiking – many public lands permit hunting – for your personal safety.

Florida’s Top Outdoor Destinations

Florida Trail sign off Shell Point Rd in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

After exploring Florida’s outdoors for most of our lives, we’ve come up with a list of our favorite destinations for tackling trails – hiking, biking, and paddling – across the state. Spoiler alert: beaches aren’t involved.

Best Hikes on the Florida Trail

Explore our picks for the best scenic hikes along the Florida Trail. We’ve hiked the entire trail: these are pieces of the trail we’d be happy to hike again and again.

East or West around Lake Okeechobee?

Construction zone along Lake Okeechobee

January 8, 2020    Sandra Friend & John Keatley

Making the decision to walk the Florida Trail east or west around Lake Okeechobee used to be easy. Now, with construction zones blocking access to much of the southern half of the lake, it isn’t. Here are the facts on each route’s strengths and weaknesses to help you decide the best route for you.

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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

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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

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