Florida Hikes

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

Close up of water lilies in front of stone picnic shelter

Southeast Florida

Stretching from Sebastian Inlet to Key West, Southeast Florida is heavily populated but still offers a surprisingly rich variety of greenways and natural lands as well as urban parks and beaches.

INTERACTIVE MAP

A.D. Barnes Park

Miami   0.6 miles

Paved trails wind through the woods at A.D. Barnes Park, a Miami city park, where a tiny slice of native pine rocklands survives.

Acreage Pines Natural Area

West Palm Beach   2.0 miles

Pine flatwoods and depression marshes are on display along two miles of trails including an accessible boardwalk to a tropical hammock and wetland overlook.

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.

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 Oaks Preserve

Fort Pierce   1.1 miles

On an easy mile loop amid the grandeur of an ancient hydric hammock, savor shade, shape, and form in a hidden wild space in the St. Lucie River floodplain in Fort Pierce.

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

Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens

One of the largest palm collections in the United States is the backdrop for the oversized works of sculptor Ann Norton at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, a 1.7 acre tropical estate with historic buildings in West Palm Beach.

Anne Kolb Nature Center

Hollywood   4.9 miles

Whether a five-level observation tower or at ground level with the land crabs, Anne Kolb Nature Center focuses on the urban mangrove forest that it protects and interprets.

Anne’s Beach

Islamorada   0.5 miles

Along a picturesque Atlantic beach, a family-friendly accessible boardwalk weaves through a coastal forest, passing several covered picnic tables along the way.

Apoxee Wilderness Trail

West Palm Beach   4.7 miles

In the wet prairies and tropical hammocks of Apoxee Wilderness, an urban wilderness area, tackle a 4.7-mile day hike through the southernmost part of Grassy Waters Preserve.

Arch Creek Park

Miami   0.3 miles

An oasis of natural tropical hammock in North Miami, Arch Creek Park hugs the eastern edge of its namesake creek, which once had a natural limestone bridge used by indigenous peoples and pioneers.