Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Hiking, biking, camping, paddling and other outdoor recreation throughout Northwest Florida, the Panhandle region from Pensacola east to the Suwannee River, including Panama City Beach and Tallahassee.
While researching Exploring Florida’s Botanical Wonders, I had the honor of a visit to Angus Gholson’s herbarium in Chattahoochee, as well as a guided hike through the new Gholson Nature Park, a wonderland of rare wildflowers.
In late winter, azaleas create ribbons of bright color beneath the live oak canopy across the grounds of Maclay Gardens, a series of formal gardens along the hillsides sweeping down to Lake Hall.
In spring, alligators become more active as the days warm up. It’s also mating season, so alligators are on the move. Expect to see them anywhere and everywhere along Florida’s trails.
When getting to know wolves means sitting among them, it’s a bit intimidating. But being among the wolf packs of Seacrest Wolf Preserve near Chipley will open your eyes as to why wolves are well worth protecting.
Above the Apalachicola River, the community of Chattahoochee hides a natural treasure in its deep ravines—a park named for its native son, botanist Angus Gholson.
In the Apalachicola National Forest, the Apalachee Savannas Scenic Byway is a winding stretch of scenic road through expansive wet flatwoods and open pine savannas
Around Apalachicola, the Forgotten Coast is home to parks, forests, refuges, and waterways along US 98 and the barrier islands, offering both wild and mild outdoor adventures
A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve blankets nearly a quarter million miles of marine basin on Florida’s Forgotten Coast
Noted for its botanical beauty, the Apalachicola National Forest is the largest National Forest in Florida, sweeping south and west of Tallahassee.
A delightful destination for learning about Apalachicola Bay, the headquarters of Apalachicola NERR boasts a nature center and more than a half mile of gentle interpretive trails
Along the 167-mile length of the Apalachicola River, it is cradled by both tall bluffs and extensive wetlands, both boasting botanical beauty.
At the site of Florida’s first “modern” industrial complex, Arcadia Mill features an accessible boardwalk offering a glimpse of the past and the gradual return of natural landscapes.
