Summer in Florida
Summer isn't the best time to hike in Florida, but it's still fun to see the beauty of our forests during the rainy season. Hike early AM, or take a short stroll.
The Return of Wet Feet
Last week, we headed south to visit friends and to start the ball rolling for this year’s Big O Hike. Being the oldest continuous annual hike in Florida, we felt compelled to keep it going. After more than a decade as the “man in charge,” …
At San Felasco Hammock
At San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, two hiking trail systems offer two different perspectives on karst landscapes and dense deciduous forests.
Pat’s Island
A ramble through Pat's Island on the Yearling Trail brings home the reality of forest fires sweeping across a once-lush landscape.
To Hidden Pond
On a return trek to Hidden Pond, we find that all is well in this oasis in the middle of the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, just waiting for backpackers to savor it.
Friends in the Forest
We met Ruth at the Florida Trail Association Conference in March and spent time hiking with her on the Panhandle Trace. At both events, she invited us to come hike in her backyard and visit. With five hikes left for Five Star Trails Gainesville and Ocala, …
On the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike
The 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike was the last that hike founder Peggy Grantham led, with about 15 people showing up on a daily basis to follow the Florida Trail south from Alabama towards the Seashore.
Two sides of the Yellow River
Hiking through the Yellow River Ravines section on the Panhandle Trace Hike was a new experience for us all, as it's a newly opened segment of trail near Milton.
Hiking the Hills of Hutton
Hiking the Florida Trail across the Hutton Unit of Blackwater River State Forest means you're in for a hilly walk, as we discovered while searching for pitcher plants and the high point of the Florida Trail.
Through Smoke and Fire on the Jackson Red Ground Trail
Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike, McVay Road to Red Rock Road Trail Head Guest post by Gordy Hawkins, Suncoast Chapter FTA. Photos by Gail Baldwin. Enter into a world of black and white and the continuum of grays in-between. That is what it was like for …
Following Juniper Creek
On the third day of the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike, we followed the Juniper Creek section of the Florida Trail away from the wildfires that burned to the north, experiencing beauty and absurdity along the way.
In the Land of Tall Pines
Day 2 of the Panhandle Trace we rambled nearly 13 miles along the Wiregrass Trail and Jackson Red Ground Trail, finding wildflowers amid landscapes of longleaf pine along the footpath.