Lake City sits just west and south of the Osceola National Forest, the smallest of Florida’s national forests. There are conservation lands all along the Suwannee River in this region, and the Florida Trail circles around to the north.
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Trails and Parks in Lake City
Alligator Lake - In the city once called Alligator, first home of the University of Florida and named for a great chief of the Seminoles, Alligator Lake has long been a gathering place. Established as a park in 2002, hiking and bicycling are now its primary focus. 
Big Shoals State Park - You hear them well before you can see them: a burble of water that rises to a roar as you approach the Big Shoals of the Suwannee River, Florida's largest series of rapids complete with hydraulics and holes and Class III whitewater at certain times of year.
Big Shoals Trail - At Big Shoals State Park, the Big Shoals Trail leads you to scenic perches high atop the river bluffs when you can watch Florida's only Class III whitewater rapids
Falling Creek Falls - A boardwalk trail at Falling Creek Falls north of Lake City leads you to overlooks on a waterfall with a 10-12' drop in a picturesque setting
Fanny Bay Trail - Starting at the westbound Sanderson rest area along I-10, the Fanny Bay Trail leads you through pine flatwoods into a cypress swamp with ancient cypresses
Florida Trail, Bell Springs to Big Shoals - With Florida's only Class III whitewater and the beauty of a Florida waterfall along a stretch of trail that is rugged but extremely scenic, this 2.8 mile section of the Florida Trail is a real winner
Florida Trail, CR25A to Stephen Foster - This roly-poly section of the Florida Trail is pretty rugged despite its short distance, since it involves a lot of scrambling in and out of ravines and eroded bluffs created when the Suwannee River seasonally overflows its banks. 
Florida Trail, Nice Wander Loop - In the Osceola National Forest, this short loop adjacent to Olustee Battlefield is one of the easiest places in the state to see red-cockaded woodpeckers
Ichetucknee Springs State Park - A swimming hole as a work of natural art, the deep gash in the earth that is Ichetucknee Spring glows an unearthly robin's-egg blue, cradled in a limestone bowl within a leafy glen.
Lake Butler Trail - There aren't a lot of places you can (or should) bike down the Florida Trail, but the Lake Butler Trail in Union County is a nice country bike path that shares the trail with hikers.
Long Branch Trail - At Big Shoals State Park, the 2.4 mile Long Branch Trail heads upriver to follow a mellow Suwannee River—broad and shaded by overhanging tupelo trees
Mount Carrie Wayside - The short, easily accessed Mount Carrie Wayside in Osceola National Forest showcases an old growth longleaf pine forest with a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers.
O’Leno State Park - Once a pioneer community along the Old Bellamy Road connecting St. Augustine and Tallahassee in 1826, O'Leno State Park protects one of North Florida's weirder geologic wonders, a disappearing river. 
Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park - At Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, more than 10,000 Confederate and Union soldiers met and fought amid the longleaf pines in the largest battle on Florida soil. Like Gettysburg, Olustee has its own ghosts. 
Olustee Battlefield Trail - The hike through Olustee Battlefield is short, but its historical significance is great. More than 2,000 men died in this forest on February 20, 1864, when Confederate and Union forces met and fought the bloodiest battle on Florida soil.
Paddling the Santa Fe River - On a mellow paddling trip down the Santa Fe River, John discovers several swimming springs, thousands of turtles, and miles of quiet waterway.
Royal Springs - Staring into Royal Springs, it feels like looking into a bottomless pit. Steep and broad, it drops 42 feet into shimmering waters of turquoise and royal blue.
Springs of the Suwannee River Valley - It's August. It's Florida. Where do you go to cool off? The springs of the Suwannee River Valley. No matter the size, these natural swimming holes are a delight. 
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park - No Florida State Park is as celebrated as Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. For more than a half-century, it's been home to the Florida Folk Festival, a Memorial Day Weekend treat with over a dozen bands playing on stages simultaneously throughout the expansive green space.
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail - Along its 266-mile meandering route from the Okeefenokee Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico, the Suwannee River is home to countless springs, sandy beaches, and tributaries that drop into the river down steep slopes as waterfalls. The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail lets you explore it all. 
Trampled Track Trail - An interpretive walk with extensive details on timbering history, the Trampled Track Trail leads to a waterfront view on Ocean Pond.
Tubing the Ichetucknee - Tubing the Ichetucknee River means letting go and going with the flow, letting the waters carry you past beautiful springs and through ever-changing habitats. Here's how. 
Woodpecker Trail - The Woodpecker Trail at Big Shoals State Park provides a 7-mile wildlife-rich round trip ride, but watch out for those puddles! John plunges in anyway to get the story.
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