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

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St Johns River at Welaka

North Florida

Hiking, biking, camping, paddling and other outdoor recreation throughout North Florida, including along the Suwannee River and the St. Johns River between Palatka and Jacksonville.

Suwannee Springs

Explorer's Guide North FloridaAs the authors of Explorer’s Guide: North Florida & The Panhandle, we’ve spent a great deal of time exploring the outdoors here. This region has some of the more rugged trails in the Florida peninsula, with a surprising number of destinations where a scenic view is at the end of your walk.

Most of the world’s first magnitude springs bubble forth in this region, forming crystalline spring runs and short, broad rivers. The Suwannee River and St. Johns River have many miles of protected shorelines. With a wild coastline on the Gulf of Mexico and a highly developed coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, North Florida offers a full range of beach experiences, with vast estuaries and sweeping scenic views. In the central part of the region, two National Forests offer plenty of outdoor recreation – the Ocala National Forest and the Osceola National Forest.

Regional Destinations

karst along Mill Creek

Alachua

Alachua
Southwest shore of Amelia Island

Amelia Island

Amelia Island
Haw Creek Preserve State Park paddler

Bunnell

Bunnell
Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos
Cedar Key

Cedar Key

Cedar Key
Algae growth on rocks at Manatee Springs

Chiefland

Chiefland
Florida Trail Marshall Swamp

Cross Florida Greenway

Cross Florida Greenway
Suwannee River at Advent Christian Village

Dowling Park

Dowling Park
Fernandina Beach downtown

Fernandina Beach

Fernandina Beach
Orange sands Flagler Beach

Flagler Beach

Flagler Beach
Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
No Name Creek

Florida Trail, Suwannee

Florida Trail, Suwannee
Fort Caroline

Fort Caroline

Fort Caroline
Fort Matanzas

Fort Matanzas Nature Trail

Fort Matanzas Nature Trail
Sweetwater Wetlands Park Gainesville

Gainesville

Gainesville
Clay Historic Triangle Depot

Green Cove Springs

Green Cove Springs
Diving Ginnie Springs

High Springs

High Springs
The Treaty Oak

Jacksonville

Jacksonville
Keystone Heights Moon Tree

Keystone Heights

Keystone Heights
Historic buildings and palm trees

Kingsley Plantation

Kingsley Plantation
Lake City

Lake City

Lake City
Live Oak

Live Oak

Live Oak
River flowing through salt marsh to the Gulf

Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge

Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Courthouse in Mayo

Mayo

Mayo
Herlong Mansion Micanopy

Micanopy

Micanopy
Riders at HITS

Ocala

Ocala
Florida Trail north of Farles Prairie

Ocala National Forest

Ocala National Forest
Club Continental Orange Park

Orange Park

Orange Park
Longleaf pine forest

Osceola National Forest

Osceola National Forest
Ravine Gardens West Bridge

Palatka

Palatka
Perry

Perry

Perry
Salt Springs

Salt Springs

Salt Springs
Silver Springs

Silver Springs

Silver Springs
Spanish Pond Trail

Spanish Pond

Spanish Pond
Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine

St. Augustine
Downtown Starke

Starke

Starke
Steinhatchee

Steinhatchee

Steinhatchee
Theodore Roosevelt Area

Theodore Roosevelt Area

Theodore Roosevelt Area
Fort Caroline

Timucuan Preserve

Timucuan Preserve
Trenton

Trenton

Trenton
White Springs

White Springs

White Springs

Recent Articles

Paynes Prairie blooms

Paynes Prairie: A North Florida Gem

July 31, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

A natural landform between Gainesville and Micanopy, Paynes Prairie is an immense and ever-changing basin

Bartram Trail Welaka

Paddling the Bartram Trail in Welaka

April 8, 2019//  by John Keatley

Learning how botanists William and John Bartram traveled along the St. Johns River in the 1700s, I followed an experienced river guide for a look at part of the Bartram National Recreation Trail from the water on our Bartram Adventure Tour in Palatka.

Sandra and her gear at Southern Terminus

How To Prepare For A Backpacking Trip

March 19, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

What does a hiker need to spend a week, or a month, or three months on the trail? Here are trail-tested suggestions for backpacking in Florida for trips of a week or more

2019 I-Did-A-Hike

I Did A (Bit of) I Did-A-Hike

March 15, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

Despite pouring rain and thunderstorms, nearly 240 people showed up to tackle the Florida Trail along the Suwannee River for the annual I-Did-A-Hike, and it made for a memorable experience.

Bears opening trash can

Bear season in Florida

February 23, 2019//  by 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.

Every Kid in a Park pass

Every Kid Outdoors

February 21, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

Got kids? If any of them are in fourth grade, they can get a free pass to ALL Federal public lands good for the whole family through the end of August. Here’s how.

La Chua gators

Alligators Everywhere

April 6, 2018//  by 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.

Bear bags hanging at sunset on the AT in Georgia

Do Not Feed the Bears

February 27, 2018//  by John Keatley

Bear bagging is the art of hanging your food properly out of reach of bears. If you’re a Florida backpacker and haven’t learned how, here’s a short course. Securing your food from bears is required in the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.

Marshall Swamp

Botanically rich hikes along the Florida Trail

February 6, 2018//  by Sandra Friend

With more than 1,400 miles of hiking statewide, the Florida Trail provides a gateway to grand landscapes for botanical beauty. Here are our top suggestions for fascinating botanical destinations along the Florida Trail.

The Over 80 Across Florida Hike

September 30, 2017//  by Sandra Friend

In 2007, a group of senior hikers made Florida hiking history by successfully completing a backpacking trip from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico via backroads, the Florida Trail, and the Withlacoochee Bay Trail. All were over age 80.

Paddling Juniper Run

Paddling Juniper Run

January 5, 2017//  by John Keatley

Paddling Juniper Run from Juniper Springs to the take out at SR 19 in the Ocala National Forest, a popular paddling trip along this sinuous, spring-fed waterway that winds through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness.

Oleta River State Park

Florida’s Best Urban Parks

October 27, 2016//  by Sandra Friend & John Keatley

When you live in a tightly packed space, you need somewhere green as your go-to place nearby. These are our top picks for parks in Florida’s urban areas, chosen for their diversity of outdoor activities and/or their unique green spaces.

CONTENT ARCHIVES

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FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

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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