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

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Citrus Trail at Lizzie Hart Sink

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.

Central Florida      (  )      

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50 Hikes in Central FloridaDespite the urban mass in Orlando, Tampa, and St. Petersburg, there are many wild places to explore. Some are tiny patches inside city limits, others expansive preserves on the outskirts of “civilization.” Thousands of lakes, dozens of rivers, and the vast expanse of Tampa Bay provide shorelines for hiking and launching a paddling trip.

Home of the Ocala National Forest, the Cross Florida Greenway, Canaveral National Seashore, and dozens of state parks, this region is prime for planning your next outdoor vacation.


Regional Destinations

Kelly Park swimming area

Apopka

Apopka
Belleview

Belleview

Belleview
Brownish river with wooded surroundings

Brandon

Brandon
Chinsegut Hill Manor

Brooksville

Brooksville
Bushnell

Bushnell

Bushnell
Turtle Mound view

Canaveral National Seashore

Canaveral National Seashore
Fort Christmas with open gate

Christmas

Christmas
Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach
Lake Louisa

Clermont

Clermont
Lori Wilson Park boardwalk

Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach
Florida Trail Marshall Swamp

Cross Florida Greenway

Cross Florida Greenway
Three Sisters Springs manatees

Crystal River

Crystal River
Dade City

Dade City

Dade City
Daytona Beach Pier

Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach
Blue Spring swimmers

DeLand

DeLand
Juvenile Florida scrub-jay

Deltona

Deltona
Rainbow River in Dunnellon

Dunnellon

Dunnellon
Florida Trail Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail, Orlando
Cypress Lakes Preserve

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Florida Trail, Western Corridor
Frostproof

Frostproof

Frostproof
St. Johns River marshes near Geneva

Geneva

Geneva
Sunset at Hernando Beach

Hernando Beach

Hernando Beach
Cooter Pond, Inverness

Inverness

Inverness
Expanse of blue water with marsh and boardwalk

Kissimmee

Kissimmee
Orange trees

Lake Wales

Lake Wales
Lake Wales Ridge above Crooked Lake

Lake Wales Ridge

Lake Wales Ridge
Lake Woodruff NWR

Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge

Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Hollis Garden Lakeland

Lakeland

Lakeland
Canoeing to Lake Griffin

Leesburg

Leesburg
Person walking boardwalk under oaks

Lithia

Lithia
Maritime Hammock Sanctuary

Melbourne

Melbourne
Birding at Merritt Island NWR

Merritt Island

Merritt Island
Dummett Cove Merritt Island

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Dora lighthouse

Mount Dora

Mount Dora
New Port Richey mural

New Port Richey

New Port Richey
Turtle Mound view

New Smyrna Beach

New Smyrna Beach
Riders at HITS

Ocala

Ocala
Florida Trail north of Farles Prairie

Ocala National Forest

Ocala National Forest
Lake Eola Park

Orlando

Orlando
Ormond Memorial Gardens

Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach
Black Hammock Wilderness

Oviedo

Oviedo
Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore

Playalinda Beach

Playalinda Beach
River basin with blue water and houses on far shore

Riverview

Riverview
Tomatoes piled up for market

Ruskin

Ruskin
Sanford Riverwalk

Sanford

Sanford
Silver Springs

Silver Springs

Silver Springs
Boardwalk leading to palm trees

St. Cloud

St. Cloud
Aerial view of St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg
Tampa

Tampa

Tampa
Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs
Project Mercury Monument Titusville

Titusville

Titusville
Disney World

Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World
Blue hues underwater in massive spring

Weeki Wachee

Weeki Wachee
Desk with orchids and stained glass

Winter Park

Winter Park
Citrus Trail at Lizzie Hart Sink

Withlacoochee State Forest

Withlacoochee State Forest
Long stretch of bike path in forest

Withlacoochee State Trail

Withlacoochee State Trail
Yeehaw Junction

Yeehaw Junction

Yeehaw Junction
Wooded path into a forest

Zephyrhills

Zephyrhills

Recent Articles

Mangrove tunnel with paddlers

Exploring the Pioneer Paddling Trail

May 11, 2022//  by John Keatley

Amid mangrove swamps along an old pioneer route in Kings Park, the Pioneer Paddling Trail offers an intimate look at a forgotten wild corridor on Merritt Island.

Moon Tree Garden

The Moon Tree Garden

July 14, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

Florida’s most unique arboretum features a circle of sycamores honoring the Apollo missions, all here thanks to an Apollo 14 project for the U.S. Forest Service to take tree seedings into orbit around the moon.

Ormond Memorial Gardens Vietnam Veteran

Ormond Memorial Gardens

June 22, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

Spilling across the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Ormond Memorial Gardens leads you into a contemplative world mere steps from a major highway

Sunflower Season at Cannon Farms

June 11, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

When a sea of sunflowers pops up along the Cross Florida Greenway, it’s an attention getter. Meet Cannon Farms, a family farm right along the Florida Trail in Dunnellon.


CONTENT ARCHIVES

Category: Destinations, RegionsTag: Regional Information

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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

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

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

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

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

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

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