Land trusts are nonprofit entities that acquire and manage land for conservation purposes. Sometimes these are landscape-level projects, attempting to preserve or re-establish corridors for wildlife and biodiversity.
Sometimes they exist to conserve what little is left of natural lands in an urban area. Some work cooperatively with water management districts and other state or federal agencies.
Others retain title to the land and act as stewards, managing for habitat restoration and opening up passive recreational use, typically footpaths or paddling routes.
Lands listed in this section of the website are owned and/or managed by nonprofit land trusts and permit public access for outdoor recreation.
Resources
Resources for exploring Florida
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Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Outdoor Recreation on Land Trusts
These are outdoor recreation destinations in Florida that are cared for and managed by land trusts.
Arcadia Mill At the site of Florida’s first "modern" industrial complex, Arcadia Mill features an accessible boardwalk offering a glimpse of the past and the gradual return of natural landscapes. 
Archbold Biological Station A pair of short loops provide close observations of rare scrub habitats at a historic research facility on the Lake Wales Ridge south of Lake Placid. 
Barbara Pedersen Preserve A pair of loop trails explore protected green space between farmland and Lake Annie atop the Lake Wales Ridge between Lake Wales and Haines City.
Betz-Tiger Point Preserve On a peninsula where the Timucua used the surrounding estuary for sustenance, Betz-Tiger Point Preserve provides more than six miles of breezy trails.
Blues Creek Ravine Preserve A pair of loop trails connected by a bridge over Blues Creek wander rolling landscapes under the shady canopy of an upland hardwood forest.
Bogey Creek Preserve A well-interpreted and easy loop hike honors the legacy of a Jacksonville author who left her waterfront homestead for future generations to enjoy.
Bonnet Springs Park Offering a bounty of outdoor and nature activities along with museums and public spaces, Bonnet Springs Park is an urban gem in the city of Lakeland, a top destination statewide for family nature fun.
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium Heaven and earth meet at the Calusa Nature Center, where a planetarium show complements the center's main mission of introducing the region's natural history, in part through its hiking trails.
Caracara Prairie Preserve Named after a striking bird of prey known to frequent this part of the state, a well-marked loop trail winds across shady hammocks, cattle pastures, and open prairies.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Weaving beneath a canopy knit by old-growth cypress trees in a majestic swamp forest, the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is one of Florida's best hikes.
CREW Bird Rookery Swamp Rich with wildlife, CREW Bird Rookery Swamp near Naples provides up to 12 miles of hiking/biking in Big Cypress habitats on tramways through a primordial swamp
CREW Flint Pen Strand Just four miles east of Interstate 75, get your feet wet in one corner of the vast the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed on the trails of Flint Pen Strand.
CREW Flint Pen Strand Big Loop Plunge into a wild landscape of verdant pine forests and mysterious cypress swamps on a series of connected loops stretching from Flint Pen Strand to the Bird Rookery Swamp Trail.
CREW Flint Pen Strand Red Trail The westernmost of the loops at Flint Pen Strand, the 1.5 mile Red Trail is an easy introduction to the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. 
CREW Marsh Trails At CREW Marsh, a network of well-marked paths crisscrosses the northwestern tip of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, providing loops of up to 3.1 miles along a vast marsh.
D Ranch Preserve Near the vast floodplain of Lake Monroe, a trail network weaves across a former ranch where an impressive mosaic of upland and wetland habitats are being restored. 
Felburn Park The eastern terminus of the Withlacoochee Bay Trail is home to a surprisingly hilly trail above a freshwater marsh along the saltwater Cross Florida Barge Canal.
Felts Audubon Preserve Conserving a collection of natural habitats amid farmland and subdivisions north of the Manatee River, Felts Audubon Preserve isn't just for the birds. It's for hikers, too.
Florida Trail, Choctawhatchee River 8.5 miles. Crossing majestic longleaf pine forests in Nokuse, the Florida Trail along the Choctawhatchee River floodplain showcases natural beauty from Cypress Creek to Seven Runs.
Florida Trail, Forgotten Creek 9.7 miles. Contrasting steephead ravines and sluggish creeks in gum swamps with longleaf pine restoration areas, the Forgotten Creek portion of the Florida Trail in Nokuse surprises with its challenges.
Florida Trail, Lafayette Creek 9.3 miles. From a tricky traverse of the floodplain of Lafayette Creek to a roller-coaster of steep dips through wooded ravines, this scenic and surprisingly hilly section of the Florida Trail will give you a serious workout. 
Florida Trail, Nokuse 27.7 miles. Spanning from the Choctawhatchee River west to the boundary of Eglin Air Force Base, Nokuse is a compelling backpacker's destination in the Florida Panhandle.
Garden of Eden Trail Try one of Florida's toughest day hikes on for size: local legend has it this was the Garden of Eden, and from the lush forests and rare flora along this trek, they might be on to something.
Gary Maidhof Walk to Nature An accessible coastal boardwalk off Fort Island Trail leads to a showy overlook on the Crystal River estuary.
Historic Spanish Point A prominent peninsula in Little Sarasota Bay at Osprey, Historic Spanish Point fascinates with its layer cake of Florida’s past, both human and floral.
Holloway Park With day hiking and cross country trails, Holloway Park & Nature Preserve is a slice of nature inside the city limits of Lakeland, just off the Polk Parkway.
Indian River Lagoon Greenway A scenic trek in Vero Beach to an observation deck on the Indian River Lagoon provides the option of longer immersion in the coastal mangrove forest.
J.H. Anderson Jr Memorial Park On a 1.5 mile double loop at J.H. Anderson Memorial Park, hike amid karst features in a mature bluff forest above Rock Bluff Spring on the Suwannee River. 
Kiplinger Conservancy A network of well-maintained trails surrounds a gopher tortoise sanctuary, meandering several miles across a wild mosaic of pine flatwoods and ephemeral marshes.
LEAFS Preserve North On the North Tract of LEAFS Preserve, explore a forest undergoing longleaf pine restoration along a well-defined loop with scenic views of Lake Alto. 
LEAFS Preserve South South of the Lake Alto Canal, a mile loop introduces well-managed uplands of restored longleaf pine flatwoods in the South Tract of LEAFS Preserve.
Little Awesome Preserve Rugged pathways meander 1.8 miles across a craggy landscape in the Santa Fe River floodplain, showcasing a riverside spring and unique karst topography.
Little Orange Creek Preserve Protected uplands and wetlands converge where a set of trails lead to observation platforms overlooking scenic vistas of the Little Orange Creek watershed. 
Nancy Weir Mangrove Preserve At the southern end of Pine Island, a hidden trail winds through mangrove habitat, crossing numerous bridges and navigating surprisingly uneven terrain. 
Naples Nature Center Edging the mangrove-lined Gordon River immediately south of the Naples Zoo, this 21-acre Conservancy of Southwest Florida complex pairs learning with nature trails and wildlife.
Palma Sola Botanical Park Now a showcase for temperate and tropical species, this former ten acre nursery encompasses collections of palms, fruit trees, and flowering tropical trees.
Phils Lake Trail Part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, this 1.8 mile loop around a rewilded dolomite mine offers surprising panoramas across the surrounding coastal landscape.
Prairie Creek Preserve In the deep shade of the floodplain of Prairie Creek near Gainesville, Prairie Creek Preserve is a beauty spot provided to the public by the Alachua Conservation Trust.
RiverTown Riverfront Park Statuesque live oaks canopy an unparalleled 1.7 mile walk along the eastern shore of the St. Johns River at Riverfront Park in Rivertown, northwest of St. Augustine.
Saarinen Preserve At Saarinen Preserve near Newberry, a series of color-coded loops wander across mixed pine and hardwood hammock communities teeming with wildlife.
Santa Fe River Preserve A relaxed hike in a wooded preserve, the Blue Trail at Santa Fe River Preserve crosses sandhills and shady oak hammocks to reach the bluffs of its namesake river.
Santa Fe River Preserve Gracy Trail Peaceful pathways wind alongside a tranquil creek through shady woodlands, offering a quiet hike among the timid wildlife that call the Santa Fe River Basin home. 
Serenola Forest Preserve Among shaded woodlands north of Paynes Prairie, a mile of marked trails wind through forested landscapes, passing quiet picnic spots along the way. 
St. Jude Trail A ramble to the mangrove-lined shores of St. Jude Harbor, the St. Jude Trail is a birder's delight, tucked away in a residential neighborhood on the edge of St. James City on Pine Island and protected by the Calusa Land Trust. 
Tiger Creek Preserve Edward Bok's "Jungle," a deeply folded landscape between Tiger Creek and Patrick Creek south of Lake Wales, is protected by The Nature Conservancy as Tiger Creek Preserve. 
Tiger Creek Preserve North Take a step back in time while navigating the rolling terrain of impeccably preserved ancient islands along the Creek Bluff and Highlands Loops on the Lake Wales Ridge. 
Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail An array of wild landscapes is on display along a wide pathway between upland oak forests to a mangrove swamp boardwalk and pier overlooking the Indian River Lagoon.
Torchwood Hammock Preserve Hidden at the southern tip of Little Torch Key, a short loop leads through a rugged tropical rockland hammock to open tidal zones lined with mangroves. 
Tuscawilla Preserve Peek through thick curtains of Spanish moss beneath grandfather live oaks to watch sandhill cranes dance along the shores of an ancient lake in Micanopy.Land Trusts in Florida
These land trusts in Florida offer public outdoor recreation on some or all of their stewardship lands. Links lead to information about each of these nonprofit organizations.
- Alachua Conservation Trust
- Audubon Florida
- Calusa Land Trust
- CREW Land & Water Trust
- Nokuse Plantation
- North Florida Land Trust
- The Nature Conservancy
- UWF Historic Trust