Florida Hikes

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

Fakahatchee ferns

Regions

Cellon Oak Park

One of Florida's largest live oak trees, the Cellon Oak north of Gainesville is over 32 feet in circumference, shading a space that puts most other oaks to shame.

Central Florida

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.

Chacala Trail

Micanopy   6.2 miles

For the longest loop hike in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, tackle the Chacala Trail for a 6.2-mile circuit that brings you to a view of Chacala Pond.

Chain of Lakes Park

Titusville   3.9 miles

Buffering a green ribbon of Indian River Lagoon shoreline from US 1, Chain of Lakes Park offers dozens of ways to put together a walk through the wetlands.

Chain of Lakes Trail

Milton   1.5 miles

Featuring white sandy beaches, pine forests, and swamps alongside a lazy river, this loop along the Blackwater River provides an excellent opportunity for relaxation.

Changes at Spring Hammock Preserve

When we revisited Spring Hammock Preserve in December 2017 for research for our third edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida, we discovered radical changes to the trail system that needed explanation. Here's what's up at one of our favorite preserves.

Chapel Trail Park Nature Preserve

Davie   0.8 miles

Preserving 450 acres on the edge of Pembroke Pines, Chapel Trail Nature Preserve makes an excellent birding destination as well as an easy-to-reach sampler of Everglades flora and fauna.

Chapman Botanical Garden

Chapman Botanical Garden honors the memory of Dr. Alvan Wentworth Chapman, a noted botanist who in 1860 published Flora of the United States.

Charles Lee Sabal Point Sanctuary

Longwood   3.4 miles

Threading through a wilderness floodplain where the Little Wekiva and Wekiva Rivers meet, this 3.4 mile round-trip hike hidden in a subdivision offers excellent birding near Orlando.

Charlotte Harbor

Where the Peace and Myakka Rivers meet, Charlotte Harbor covers more than five square miles, with the Charlotte County Blueway Trails providing paddlers access.

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park

Stretched long and thin to follow the convoluted shoreline of Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park protects more than 100 miles of coastline along the Gulf Coast.