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

Osceola National Forest

Lake City      ( 30.212620, -82.389046 )      

The smallest of Florida’s national forests, the Osceola National Forest carries the weight of history hidden in its dense stands of longleaf pine.

Otter Springs

Trenton      ( 29.641817, -82.940345 )      1.4 miles

West of Trenton along the Suwannee River, Otter Springs is a second magnitude spring surrounded by clusters of ancient oaks and towering cypress. It is a Gilchrist County Park.

Pine Log State Forest

Ebro      ( 30.429083, -85.881850 )      

Florida’s oldest state forest, Pine Log State Forest north of Panama City Beach offers a variety of loop trails as well as a segment of the statewide Florida Trail

Princess Place Preserve

Palm Coast      ( 29.654000, -81.241431 )      15.8 miles

Gentle loop trails showcase wild spaces and cultivated grounds at Princess Place Preserve, an 1880s homestead on Pellicer Creek with a campground on site.

Rainbow Springs State Park

Dunnellon      ( 29.103296,-82.449937 )      

A place of beauty that morphed from phosphate pits to botanical attraction over the course of a century, Rainbow Springs State Park cradles one of Florida’s most beautiful first-magnitude springs

Sebastian Inlet State Park

Sebastian      ( 27.864878,-80.450994 )      

One of few places where the Indian River Lagoon mingles with the Atlantic Ocean, Sebastian Inlet is the central feature of Sebastian Inlet State Park, which protects the tips of both barrier islands

Silver Springs State Park

Silver Springs      ( 29.217968,-82.055523 )      

One of the world’s largest and deepest springs, Silver Springs pours out more than 550 million gallons of water daily, forming the Silver River

St. Andrews State Park

Panama City Beach      ( 30.13484,-85.742847 )      

St. Andrews State Park is a pristine getaway on this coast that you won’t want to miss. It’s one of two bookends of natural wonder along the shoreline of Panama City Beach.

St. George Island State Park

St. George Island      ( 29.68397,-84.797484 )      

Blessed with brilliant white quartz sand, St. George Island State Park is a sparkling, quiet getaway protecting more than 2,000 acres of coastal habitats on a barrier island between Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Fellsmere      ( 27.8251, -80.6066 )      40.0 miles

Cut in two by Interstate 95 south of Melbourne, St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park spans 35 square miles across two counties, protecting a mosaic of habitats for wildlife, particularly the Florida scrub-jay.