Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Gear recommendations, hike planning, where to hike, and how to get the most out of your hike
Years ago, it was very common to see patches sewn on canvas backpacks. I believe it started in Europe and slowly found its way to the US. In the very early 1970s ,when I first joined the Florida Trail Association and earned the Boy Scouts of America 50-miler patch on the Florida Trail, the patches …
Walking the wilds of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park means hours spent in blazing sun and a landscape that makes you feel inconsequential on this earth.
The Oak Ridge Tract of Lower Hillsborough River Wilderness Area is a beautiful area for a hike. We joined the Suncoast Chapter of the FTA for an exploration while in the region for a talk
On January 5th, we loaded up Primrose and headed south, traveling parallel to the Florida Trail for much of the trip, starting out at Christmas. Driving south of Tosahatchee, we continued through the Deseret Ranch where we spotted our first two Florida Trail thru-hikers walking up the highway. Although they are not keeping online journals, …
Walking the whole Florida Trail means miles on pavement where the trail follows roads. On this lonely dead-end road in Basinger, your companions are cows.
In completing an end-to-end hike of the Florida Trail, I knew I’d need to fill a gap or two left behind at the Big O Hike. Despite having walked around Lake Okeechobee several times, I was missing a few miles. During the Big O Hike, the hike begins and ends at trailheads, and in all …
It’s been over 10 years since I walked into Billie Swamp Safari and backpacked out of the reservation to Lake Okeechobee. With the announcement that the route of the Florida Trail would shift back to the original roadwalk I missed doing back then, and our plans to meet up with thru-hikers beyond the swamps, I …
According to trail maintainers in the area, the Florida Trail has been relocated in the vicinity of The 88 Store in the Ocala National Forest. The thru-trail now passes directly behind The 88 Store and within sight of FR 11 south of CR 316 for a short stretch, making it easier to access services at …
What’s it like to hike the Florida Trail? Here’s where we share our personal experiences day hiking and backpacking on Florida’s own National Scenic Trail.
While we were roaming the trails of South Florida, a box of books arrived at our home: our author copies of Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala! We started working on this guide to the best trails in the Gainesville and Ocala vicinity last fall, nibbling away at hikes at the south end of the …
At Spanish Point, scents hang heavy in the morning air: a moonflower in the act of closing for the day, the sweetness of citrus blossoms, the purple morning-glory clambering over mangroves, the brush of salt breezes.
After a dozen years of attending, the Big O Hike had become a welcome routine, a time to gather with friends. This year was very different. Being in charge meant having to worry about both the big picture and the details.
