Hiking to Marsh Point
At St. Marks NWR, Marsh Point captures the essence of Florida's Gulf coastline. But hikers are missing it because the bridges are out.
Circling Central Florida on the Florida Trail
East vs. West: which is best? I hiked both as a loop, so here's a rundown of how the two corridors of the Florida Trail compare through Central Florida - and a little trail history.
An open letter to Hernando County
An open letter to the Hernando County Commission, who voted last week to dissolve the county's Environmentally Sensitive Lands program several years before its review date
Permanent closure of the Florida Trail between Suwannee and Aucilla Rivers
A permanent closure of 55 miles of the Florida Trail between the Suwannee and Aucilla Rivers leaves thru-hikers no alternative but a very lengthy roadwalk
Looping through Black Bear Wilderness
In our first two miles, we saw a boar ... and a bear. Be ready for adventure at Black Bear Wilderness Area, especially along the new 7.1 mile loop.
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.
The Ghost Orchid
On a guided swamp walk into the Fakahatchee Strand, I discover how difficult it is to spot a ghost orchid on your own, let alone keep your bearings in this tangled tropical wilderness
Thinking small at Collier-Seminole
One of Florida's most beautiful nature trails, Collier-Seminole State Park's Royal Palm Hammock Trail can be a challenge, but worth it for both vistas and details
Summer at Corkscrew
There is a special magic surrounding a summer hike through Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, where ghost orchids dance high above in the soft green canopy created by the ancient cypress protected here
Back to the Hammock
Hiking the Hammock Trails in Merritt Island NWR this weekend brought back memories of hiking and camping in these woods as a young Boy Scout in the 1960s and 70s.
Season’s Sojourn
It’s April, and that means one important thing in Florida: our prime hiking season is coming to a close. We can tell from the number of ticks we’re pulling off our hiking pants; we can tell by the heat and humidity, too. So …
The Other Side of Farles Prairie
What's it like to do trail research? Here's a typical day out on the trail for us when we're tracking down relocations of the Florida Trail or finding new trails to add to this website.