Florida Hikes

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

Dingy-star orchid in Big Cypress

South Florida

In the tip of the Florida peninsula, the prairies meet the tropics, with Florida’s largest lake, agriculture, and wilderness on a grand scale between the densely populated coasts.

INTERACTIVE MAP

Adding to the Life List

Although John is a native Floridian, our research trip to South Florida became an opportunity for him to see many natural "firsts" in Florida that most people have on their life lists.

Allen Altvater Trail

Sebring   0.6 miles

A walk in the uplands of Highlands Hammock State Park, this 0.6-mile nature trail features dry habitat succession from flatwoods to scrub.

Alligators Everywhere

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.

Ancient Hammock Trail

Sebring   0.6 miles

At Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, the Ancient Hammock Trail shows off the glory of towering cabbage palms and live oaks centuries old.

Anhinga Trail

Royal Palm Hammock   0.8 miles

For most visitors, the Anhinga Trail is their first glimpse into Everglades National Park. It's short, and the alligators are right there: hard to miss

Arcadia

In the heart of Florida’s cattle ranching country, Arcadia sits along the Peace River, which offers up an array of public lands for outdoor recreation

Archbold Biological Station

Lake Placid   1.2 miles

A pair of short loops provide close observations of rare scrub habitats at a historic research facility on the Lake Wales Ridge south of Lake Placid.

Babcock Ranch Ecotour Trail

Punta Gorda   2.3 miles

At Babcock Ranch Preserve, the Ecotour Trail is a no-cost option to getting your feet wet on an exploration of wet flatwoods habitats along a pathway through the palmetto prairie.

Babcock Ranch Footprints Trail

Punta Gorda   2.2 miles

Following old forest roads, the purple-blazed loop of the Footprints Trail through the heart of Babcock Ranch, a vast prairie punctuated by cypress strands, provides a simple introduction to this often-squishy ecosystem.

Bayshore Loop

Flamingo   1.3 miles

A walk through the mangrove-lined edge of Florida Bay and the unique coastal prairie habitat of the Everglades, the Bayshore Loop explores the site of the former fishing village of Flamingo.

Bear Lake Trail Everglades

Flamingo   3.5 miles

Paralleling the former Homestead Canal, the Bear Lake Trail takes you on a journey through tropical hammock and mangrove forests along a road scooped from the canal diggings.