Florida Hikes
Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Topics of interest for hikers, cyclists, and paddlers, including conservation, land management, and wildlife issues, as well as how-to and gear recommendations.
Here’s a little proof positive that the younger generation still finds the outdoors a thrill. Late last year, I had an email from a reader planning a trip to Florida looking for a way to day-trip the Everglades while visiting family in Punta Gorda. …
There are many pluses to backpacking as a couple. Having a compatible partner smooths out a lot of logistical worries and reduces the weight you need to carry.
One person CAN make an enormous difference. Wiley Dykes, Sr., one of the strongest and most persistent trail builders of the past 40 years in the Orlando area, has died at the age of 81.
Natural lands in Florida with known Florida scrub-jay families or pairs that you might glimpse along the trails as you're hiking.
Don't believe people when they say there are no seasons in Florida. We always look forward to the change of color in Florida's floodplains, even if they happen in December.
Facilitated by the Office of Greenways and Trails, Hinson Conservation Area encompasses a sweep of former pastureland and pine plantations, pecan groves and upland forest.
One of Marion County's finest parks, Carney Island preserves a peninsula jutting out into Lake Weir near Ocklawaha. As I discovered by leading a hike there, the beach at Lemon Point is a destination not just for hikers but boaters too.
One of my most recent delights, on a walk in the woods, was the surprise provided by Seminole State Forest on a revisit after a decade: a bear encounter.
Orange County's Pine Lily Preserve in Bithlo is a great wildflower walk in any season, since carnivorous plants are common in its bogs.
A new way to let the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission know about things you see – positive or negative – on Florida’s trails is to send them a text. Discover a dead alligator, hog, or bear? Hear shotguns in the woods …
One of the delights of the Florida Trail is that it passes through Christmas, Florida, a beloved stop for postmarks during this holiday season and cheery all year round.
Of all of Florida's habitats, the one that truly sings "Florida" is the palm hammock, a richly textured riot of green and fronds, of mosses and lichens, of light and shadow perfectly balanced. Enjoy it on the Taylor Creek Loop.
