Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Spanning from the Gulf of Mexico to the Withlacoochee River basin, Hernando County stakes its claim as Florida’s Adventure Coast with outdoor activities to choose from in every season.
INTERACTIVE MAP
Delving deep into a hardwood hammock with towering trees, the loop trail at Fickett Hammock Preserve quickly immerses you into a shady forest of botanical beauty.
With three stacked loops containing 24.9 miles of marked footpaths, the Croom Hiking Trail is one of the oldest and driest loop hike destinations for backpackers on the Florida 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.
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
Following a former narrow gauge railroad corridor from the main line at Croom to a depot built in 1885 in Brooksville, the Good Neighbor Trail is a 10.1-mile linear paved bike path that is part of the Coast to Coast Trail.
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.
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
Overlooking the vast estuary that paddlers tackle on the Coastal Paddling Trail, Jenkins Creek Park provides a trail terminus as well as ample space for anglers to drop a line.
Offering access to the Withlacoochee River and the Withlacoochee State Trail while protecting a swath of environmentally sensitive lands west of Nobleton, Lake Townsen Preserve is the gateway to miles of trails.
Offering recreational access to the Jenkins Creek basin and Jenkins Spring, Linda Pedersen Preserve provides fine views and fun activities for families.
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 and colors.
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.
