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

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Performing mermaids in enormous spring

Florida’s Adventure Coast

Spanning from the Gulf of Mexico to the Withlacoochee River, Florida’s Adventure Coast stakes its claim with outdoor activities to choose from in every season.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Paddlers Guide Florida
 
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Exploring Florida’s Adventure Coast

A Florida Hikes Regional Guide

Centered on Brooksville, Florida’s Adventure Coast is a big region with an outstanding amount of hiking, paddling, and bicycling opportunities.

The Florida Trail follows the Withlacoochee River for a long stretch through Withlacoochee State Forest, with both lengthy linear sections and loop trails suitable for backpacking in both the Richloam and Croom Tracts.

The trail has connectivity through Perry Oldenberg WEA and Chinsegut WEA north towards Inverness as well as south through Richloam towards Dade City. Campers will appreciate being able to choose between nicely developed sites or primitive sites in the state forest.

Three major bike paths – the state-spanning Coast to Coast Trail, the Suncoast Trail, and the Withlacoochee State Trail – all cross Brooksville. Along the coast, Chassahowitzka WMA and neighboring public lands provide thousands of acres of wildlife habitat crisscrossed with hiking and biking trails.


Go Local

Look for outdoor recreation and travel destinations in the towns and small communities of Florida’s Adventure Coast. Each of these has a charm and character all its own.

Lake with tree reflections Brooksville Brooksville is the county seat of Hernando County, in Central Florida. It is the heart of Florida’s Adventure Coast.
Broad riverfront with people fishing on seawall Hernando Beach There is no beach at Hernando Beach except a man-made one along Jenkins Creek. But this coastal community offers paddling, swimming, hiking, and biking along its trails.
Blue hues underwater in massive spring Weeki Wachee With tens of thousands of acres of conservation land along the Gulf Coast, Weeki Wachee is a central launch point for adventure on the water and in the woods.

ALSO INCLUDES: Bayport, Nobleton, Ridge Manor, Spring Hill.


Featured Itineraries

Underwater view of a massive spring basin with waving eelgrass in foreground Destination: Adventure Biking, paddling, and even a bit of hiking were in the plans as we explored Florida's Adventure Coast - Hernando County - for activities we could enjoy during warm weather.
Good Neighbor Trail Biking the Good Neighbor Trail A morning of exploration allowed us to experience the not-quite-open-yet Good Neighbor Trail and its historic context during our visit to Brooksville this September.
Grasses underwater in a deep spring Three Days of Nature Coast Springs Between New Port Richey and Crystal River, explore a variety of springs along the Nature Coast that provide splashing fun in summer and manatee watching in winter.

Favorite Destinations

Our very favorite destinations along Florida’s Adventure Coast.

Showy prairie with wetlands and cypress Chinsegut Conservation Center Tract Discover the beauty of May's Prairie at the heart of the Chinsegut WEA Conservation Center Tract, a vast wetland where sandhill cranes gather.
Tannic waterway in hardwood hammock Fickett Hammock Preserve Delving deep into a hardwood hammock with towering trees, discover a wonderland of botanical beauty at Fickett Hammock, a cradle of unusual species north of Brooksville.
Ribbon of blue river between forested banks Florida Trail, Croom River Trail A pleasant ramble on bluffs above the Withlacoochee River, the Croom River Trail segment of the Florida Trail tunnels through oak hammocks and slips around cypress swamps along its 6.3-mile journey.
Massive cypress with hole big enough for a person to stand in Florida Trail, Cypress Lakes Preserve At Cypress Lakes Preserve, a 1.7-mile segment of the Florida Trail follows the edge of a series of cypress-lined lakes where ancient trees have survived the ages.
Sandra cycling into a pine forest on elevated paved trail Good Neighbor Trail An important link in the Florida Coast to Coast Trail, the Good Neighbor Trail stretches 10.1 miles from downtown Brooksville to the Withlacoochee State Trail.
Cypress swamp Hog Island Nature Trail For a dip into primordial wilderness along the Withlacoochee River, walk the Hog Island Nature Trail at Hog Island Recreation Area in Withlacoochee State Forest.
Oriental Tea Garden at Nature Coast Botanical Gardens Nature Coast Botanical Gardens An oasis of serenity in Spring Hill, several acres of compact garden rooms make up the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens. Each delights the senses with an ever-changing array of blooms.
Weeki Wachee River Paddling the Weeki Wachee River One of Florida's most beautiful paddling trips, the Weeki Wachee River rises from first magnitude Weeki Wachee Springs and winds through lush floodplain forests as it is fed by hundreds of smaller springs along this 5.5-mile paddling run.

ALL Destinations


NEARBY: Bushnell, Crystal River, Dade City, Inverness, New Port Richey | PART OF: Central Florida

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Our Florida Hiking Guides

Book cover with woman hiking through palms with baby carrier
Book cover of Florida Trail Hikes
The Florida Trail Guide fifth edition
50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook

FarOut Guides

Our comprehensive trail logistics presented on offline maps:

Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles)
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles)
Eastern Continental Trail in Florida (92 miles)


We earn a small commission on sales through these links. Thanks for your support!

Our Florida Coffee Table Books

Discovering the Florida Trail coffee table book
The Florida Trail coffee table book

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

METROS: Bradenton. Clearwater. Crestview. Daytona Beach. Destin. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Myers. Fort Walton Beach. Gainesville. Jacksonville. Kissimmee. Lakeland. Melbourne. Miami. Naples. Ocala. Orlando. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Port St. Lucie. Punta Gorda. St. Petersburg. Sanford. Sarasota. Sebring. Stuart. Tallahassee. Tampa. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach.

MULTI-REGION: Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Atlantic Coast. Bartram Trail. Big Bend. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail. Gulf Coast. Lake Wales Ridge. WATERWAYS: Indian River Lagoon. Intracoastal Waterway. Kissimmee River. St. Johns River. Withlacoochee River.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA: Altha. Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Big Bend Scenic Byway. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Bruce. Cantonment. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. DeFuniak Springs. Eastpoint. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Freeport. Fountain. Gulf Breeze. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Holt. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Munson. Navarre. Navarre Beach. Newport. Niceville. Panacea. Panama City . Perdido Key. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Santa Rosa Beach. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. George Island. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Sumatra. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka. Woodville. WATERWAYS: Apalachicola River. Blackwater Bay. Blackwater River. Chipola River. Choctawhatchee Bay. Choctawhatchee River. Coastal Dune Lakes. Ochlockonee Bay. Perdido River. St. Marks River. Wacissa River. Wakulla River. Yellow River.

NORTH FLORIDA: Alachua. Amelia Island. Archer. Baldwin. Branford. Bronson. Bunnell. Callahan. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Cross City. Cross Creek. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fanning Springs. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Fort White. Glen St. Mary. Green Cove Springs. Hawthorne. High Springs. Inglis. Jacksonville Beaches. Jacksonville Northshore. Jasper. Jennings. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler. Lake City. Live Oak.Macclenny. Mandarin. Mayo. Mayport. Micanopy. Middleburg. Old Town. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Palm Valley. Perry. Ponte Vedra. Rodman. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Waldo. Welaka. White Springs. Williston. Worthington Springs. Yankeetown. WATERWAYS: Santa Fe River. St. Marys River. Suwannee River. Tolomato River. Upper Withlacoochee River.

CENTRAL FLORIDA: Altamonte Springs. Apollo Beach. Apopka. Astatula. Astor. Auburndale. Bartow. Babson Park. Bayport. Belleview. Bithlo. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Cassadaga. Christmas. Chuluota. Citrus Springs. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Edgewater. Enterprise. Eustis. Ferndale. Fort Meade. Frostproof. Geneva. Gibsonton. Haines City. Hernando. Hernando Beach. Holopaw. Homosassa. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Largo. Leesburg. Lithia. Longwood. Lutz. Maitland. Malabar. McIntosh. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. Narcoossee/Lake Nona. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Nobleton. Oak Hill. Oakland. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Ocoee. Oldsmar. Orange City. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Paisley. Palm Bay. Plant City. Poinciana. Polk City. Ponce Inlet. Port Orange. Ridge Manor. Riverview. Ruskin. Safety Harbor. Silver Springs. Sorrento. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. Tarpon Springs. Thonotosassa. Titusville . Umatilla. Viera. Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Weirsdale. Wimauma. Windermere. Winter Garden. Winter Haven. Winter Park. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction. Zephyrhills. WATERWAYS: Alafia River. Halifax River. Hillsborough River. Lake Apopka. Little Manatee River. Ochlawaha River. Rainbow River. Tampa Bay. Wekiva River. Wekiva River Basin.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Alva. Boca Grande. Cape Coral. Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Ellenton. Englewood. Estero. Immokalee. Marco Island. North Port. Osprey. Palma Sola. Palmetto. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Sanibel Island. Venice. WATERWAYS: Caloosahatchee River. Manatee River. Myakka River. Pine Island Sound.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Big Cypress Swamp. Bowling Green. Clewiston. Everglades City. Indiantown. LaBelle. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Ortona. Pahokee. Palmdale. Port Mayaca. South Bay. Wauchula. Zolfo Springs. WATERWAYS: Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Peace River.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA: Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coconut Creek. Coral Gables. Coral Springs. Davie. Delray Beach. Fellsmere. Flamingo. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Indrio. Jensen Beach. Juno Beach. Jupiter. Jupiter Farms. Key Biscayne. North Hutchison Island. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Palm Beach. Palm Beach Gardens. Pompano Beach. Redland. Sebastian. South Hutchinson Island. WATERWAYS: Florida Bay. St. Lucie River.

FLORIDA KEYS: Big Pine Key. Islamorada. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Overseas Heritage Trail.


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