In early June, the USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Florida released the 2012 Florida National Scenic Trail Strategic Plan. This planning document is the first guidance document for the future of the Florida Trail since the trail’s original inception as a National Scenic Trail in 1986.
Hiking articles
Articles on hiking, including gear recommendations, hike planning, where to hike in an area, and how to get the most out of your hike.
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Okeechobee’s history runs deep. Today’s walk slips past many ghosts, of fish camps and fish canneries, an early Florida toll road and more shoreline where the lake waters once lapped.
A new perspective on the St. Johns River
Just east of Osteen, Hickory Bluff Preserve provides a new perspective on the St. Johns River from above, its loop trail winding along bluffs and down to a riverbank.
A ramble on the new Hinson Trail
A ramble along the newly opened Hinson Trail, a loop trail system on the southern edge of Marianna along the Chipola River Greenway – scenic, rugged, unusual, and historic.
A ramble through Robinson Preserve
Several years ago, while researching Exploring Florida’s Botanical Wonders, I stumbled across the newly opened Robinson Preserve in Palma Sola. Managed by Manatee County and directly across the road from Palma Sola Botanical Gardens, this preserve of mud flats and mangrove-lined shores has one of the best observation tower views in Florida, as well as […]
A visit to Trout Lake Nature Center
A quick visit to Trout Lake Nature Center in Eustis opened up a new world of things to do close to home.
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 […]
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.
Aloft
It isn’t rare for winds to streak across the surface of Lake Okeechobee, picking up speed as they travel. But some mornings are windier than others, and this was one of them.
Along Lake Wauberg
A wander along Lake Wauberg to the symphony of Archie Carr’s favorite frogs brought memories flooding back of gentler times.