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

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Alligator flag in Corkscrew Strand

Southwest Florida

Along the Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to Naples, Southwest Florida has a tropical vibe, with hiking, biking, and paddling along its rivers, bays, and barrier islands.

INTERACTIVE MAP

Adding to the Life List

John photographs a liguus tree snail in Everglades National Park

July 21, 2015    John Keatley

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.

Alligator Creek Preserve

Pond at Alligator Creek Preserve

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park  |  Punta Gorda
( 26.874084,-82.027217 )      2.8 miles

At Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, Alligator Creek Preserve offers two gentle loop trails where freshwater and saltwater habitats meet

Alligators Everywhere

La Chua gators

April 6, 2018    Sandra Friend

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.

Amberjack Environmental Park

Amberjack Slough

Englewood      ( 26.8717, -82.3000 )      1.1 miles

At Amberjack Environmental Park in Rotonda, a surprising meld of scrub and mangrove habitats means great birding along the high ground of the Cape Haze Peninsula

Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park

Dever Regional Park

Englewood      ( 26.920316, -82.316149 )      1.7 miles

A popular recreation destination for local residents, Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park also encompasses significant uplands along Oyster Creek

Babcock Ecotour Trail

Babcock Ecotour Trail

Babcock Ranch Preserve  |  Punta Gorda
( 26.858184, -81.720377 )      2.3 miles

At Babcock Wilderness Adventures – a popular ecotourism attraction east of Punta Gorda – the Ecotour Trail is a no-cost option to getting your feet wet on an exploration of wet flatwoods habitats along a well-maintained trail through the palmetto prairie.

Babcock Ranch Footprints Trail

http://www.flickr.com/photos/floridahikes/sets/72157625510239616

Babcock Ranch Preserve  |  Punta Gorda
( 26.945444, -81.754461 )      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.

Bailey Tract

Ding Darling Bailey Tract

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge  |  Sanibel Island
( 26.428600, -82.080600 )      1.1 miles

One of the lesser-known trails at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at the Bailey Tract, off Tarpon Bay Road. Loop around impoundments with great birding.

Barefoot Beach Preserve

Barefoot Beach

Naples      ( 26.308604, -81.836644 )      

In a hidden corner of Collier County, Barefoot Beach Preserve provides immersion in nature at a beauty spot along two miles of natural shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico just north of Wiggins Pass.

Beach walk at Blind Pass

Blind Pass Beach, Sanibel Island

December 4, 2010    Sandra Friend

Where’s the best place on Sanibel to look for sea shells? It all depends on recent currents and storm deposits. We found a bountiful shell bank at Blind Pass Beach, where Sanibel and Captiva meet.

Bear season in Florida

Bears opening trash can

February 23, 2019    Sandra Friend

As Florida black bears become active in late winter and spring, the chances of a bear encounter go up significantly if you leave food unsecured outdoors – whether in your campsite or at home.

Big Cypress National Preserve

Big Cypress orchid

Big Cypress      ( 25.857244, -81.034255 )      

Protecting nearly three quarters of the million-acre Big Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve is Florida’s largest and most remote wilderness.

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

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MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

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SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

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