Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
With some of the state’s largest population centers and easiest access by air, Central Florida is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts in the know.
An island of high ground in the Alafia River basin, Rhodine Scrub Nature Preserve protects more than 400 acres of Florida scrub habitat south of Riverview
Atop the Lake Wales Ridge, the nature trails at the Ridge Audubon Center in Babson Park do a fabulous job of interpreting the unique flora and fauna of this island of biodiversity.
Pile on the mileage with two bike trails within easy reach of each other – the Spring-to-Spring in Volusia and the Seminole-Wekiva in Lake Mary and Longwood
One of the newest sections of the Coast to Coast Trail (C2C), the 7.5-mile segment between new trailheads at Aurantia and Maytown is one of the most rural segments of paved bike path in the region, with no road crossings.
John explores the C2C between Osteen and the St. Johns River by starting at Lake Monroe Park and ending at Osteen, using the Spring-to-Spring and ECRRT trails through southern Volusia County
Volusia County’s East Central Regional Rail Trail, or ECRRT, runs east towards the coast from Green Springs Park. This segment ended at Osteen when I biked it, but has been extended since.
Bounding the eastern side of Brevard County between Lake Poinsett and Lake Washington, River Lakes Conservation Area protects the St. Johns River floodplain while offering miles to roam
Where the Alafia River widens as it works it way towards Tampa Bay, Riverview was founded in 1856
With more than 12 miles of hiking through the heart of Florida black bear territory, the Rock Springs Run Hiking Trail gets you into the wild outside Orlando.
You have a better-than-average chance of spotting a Florida black bear at Rock Springs Run State Reserve, a vast wilderness area in the Wekiva River basin. This is the one park where we’ve seen the most evidence of our native Florida black bear.
Adjacent to the to the multi-use Upper Tampa Bay Trail, Rocky Creek Trails Nature Preserve offers a short hiking-only stroll through a surprisingly diverse plant community.
3.5 miles. Circling the largest prairie ecosystem on the Cross Florida Greenway, the Ross Prairie Loop showcases massive oaks and panoramic views
