Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

In the Environmental Learning Center at Rookery Bay

Nature Centers in Florida

Nature centers in Florida’s parks often have their own trail systems and are great places to get the family outside to learn about Florida’s habitats, flora, and fauna firsthand.
INTERACTIVE MAP

Rookery Bay NERR

Protecting vast mangrove forests and coastal habitats between Naples and Ten Thousand Islands NWR, Rookery Bay NERR encompasses a mind-boggling 110,000 acres.

Sams House at Pine Island

Merritt Island   2.8 miles

A delightful immersion into the natural side of Merritt Island, the trails at Sams House at Pine Island range from mild to wild as they delve into habitats along the Indian River Lagoon.

Savannas Preserve State Park

At Savannas Preserve State Park, a grand expanse of wet prairies and pine flatwoods extends across two counties to the west of the Indian River Lagoon.

Secret Woods Nature Center

Fort Lauderdale   1.5 miles

Designated the first “urban wilderness area” in Florida in 1978, Secret Woods protects a 56-acre floodplain of cypress strand and mangroves with uplands of tropical hammock.

Shamrock Park

Venice   1.3 miles

The southern terminus for a greenway spanning from Sarasota to Venice, Shamock Park is a draw for birders with its resident Florida scrub-jays.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Fort Myers   1.4 miles

Winding 1.4 miles through the slough, the broad wheelchair-accessible boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers leads you into a dark cypress strand.

St. Johns River Center

A destination for environmental education with a dash of regional history, the St. Johns River Center in downtown Palatka tells the story of Florida's longest and most storied river.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

Stretching across 86,000 acres in Florida's Big Bend, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge protects one of Florida's longest wild shorelines, more than 43 miles in three counties.

Sugar Sand Park

Boca Raton   1.5 miles

In Boca Raton, the trails at Sugar Sand Park radiate from a nature center and playground surrounded by the remains of a coastal scrub and pine flatwoods in this urbanized area.

Tallahassee Museum

In a setting of natural beauty along Lake Bradford, the Tallahassee Museum is a largely outdoors educational center highlighting the natural and cultural history of the region.

Terry Rhodes Trail System

Quincy   4.8 miles

Featuring steep topography and a high biodiversity of plant life along its network of five loop trails, Bear Creek Educational Forest is the crown jewel of Lake Talquin State Forest.