Florida Hikes

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

Articles & Destinations

Florida Trail, Jewel to Vilas

14.3 miles. Delving deep into the swampy heart of the Apalachicola National Forest, this section spans some of the gnarliest titi and gum swamps you'll see outside of Bradwell Bay.

Florida Trail, Porter Lake to Jewel

4.6 miles. A deep immersion in pine flatwoods and titi swamps awaits along this segment of the Florida Trail, which uses many old forest roads to cross tributaries draining into the Ochlockonee River.

Florida Trail, Bradwell West to Porter Lake

6.8 miles. A connective piece of the Florida Trail centered on the Langston House trailhead, this stretch of trail marries wet flatwoods with roadwalking as it crosses the Ochlockonee River.

Florida Trail, Vilas to Camel Lake

10.3 miles. Broadening your perspective on Florida's largest national forest, this hike offers an ever-shifting focus from macro to landscape amid habitat diversity in the Apalachicola National Forest.

Kelly Park

Tubing Rock Springs Run is why most folks visit Kelly Park, but the Kelly Loop Trail provides unique perspectives on many more natural features within the park.

William Bartram St. Johns River Loop

Discover the beauty of Welaka State Forest on a 5 mile footpath that winds along ecotones and hugs the bluffs of the St. Johns River to showcase natural wonders that botanist William Bartram documented in 1774.

John’s Landing Trail

Named for Philadelphia resident and royal botanist to King George III, John Bartram, the John's Landing Trail leads to his landing site documented in 1765.

Mud Spring Trail

At Mud Spring, mud isn't what you'll see in the gently rounded basin that cradles an underwater garden, but a glassy natural pool.

Welaka State Forest

Protecting over four miles of forested waterfront on the St. Johns, Welaka State Forest offers a glimpse of what botanists John and William Bartram saw in the 1700s.

Florida’s Utopia

At the Koreshan Unity in Estero, Florida, a group of believers gathered in 1894 to build their paradise. It is now a National Historic Site and a Florida State Park.

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.