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Florida Hikes!

Your guide to Florida's outdoors, by Sandra Friend, Florida's hiking expert, and her co-author John Keatley, covering the Florida Trail and other trails throughout Florida.

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Cocoa Beach and Cocoa

Home of Kennedy Space Center, "I Dream of Jeannie," and the best surfing on Florida's Atlantic Coast, Cocoa Beach is a top destination for beachgoers. Hikes are in local parks and nature preserves.

Biking Indian River Drive

Cocoa   [28.448769,-80.762690]   14.3 miles

Biking Indian River Drive

Nearly 15 miles of Indian River Drive (CR 515) parallels US 1 through Cocoa and Rockledge along the Indian River Lagoon, providing a scenic and safe road bike ride.

Filed Under: Articles, Central Florida, Cycling Tagged With: Cocoa Beach, Melbourne

Canaveral Marshes

Titusville   [28.547283,-80.896482]   5.0 miles

Canaveral Marshes

Hike up to 5 miles on levees through the marshes of the St. Johns River at Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area between Orlando and Titusville.

Filed Under: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Trails, Water Management Areas Tagged With: Birding, Christmas, Cocoa Beach, Fishing, Riverfront, St. Johns River, Titusville

Christmas

Christmas

Named for the fortress built during the Second Seminole War on Christmas Day of 1837, the community of Christmas sits along creeks that drain towards the St. Johns River.

Dicerandra Scrub Sanctuary

Titusville   [28.551738,-80.810806]   1.0 miles

Dicerandra Scrub Sanctuary

One of a string of scrub preserves that sprinkle the Space Coast, Dicerandra Scrub protects a sliver of scrub – only 44 acres – atop the Atlantic Coastal Ridge

Filed Under: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Trails, Natural Lands, Nature Trails, Trails Tagged With: Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Birding, Botanical, Cocoa Beach, Titusville, Wildflowers

Enchanted Forest Sanctuary

Titusville   [28.533350,-80.802283]   2.5 miles

Enchanted Forest Sanctuary

It’s not rocket science: the first and finest of the Brevard Environmental Endangered Lands, Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Titusville is a fabulous destination for family hiking.

Filed Under: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Trails, Natural Lands, Nature Centers, Nature Trails, Trails Tagged With: Archaeological, Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Big Trees, Birding, Cocoa Beach, Family-friendly, Favorites, Geology, Historic Sites, Picnic, Titusville, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing

Florida Trail, Tosohatchee

Tosohatchee WMA
Christmas   [28.498500,-80.996750]   10.0 miles

Florida Trail, Tosohatchee

Bridging an immense expanse of pine flatwoods bisected by floodplain forests, a 10-mile segment of the statewide Florida Trail crosses Tosohatchee WMA.

Filed Under: Backpacking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Florida Trail, Hikes, Trails, Wildlife Management Areas Tagged With: Archaeological, Big Trees, Birding, Botanical, Christmas, Cocoa Beach, Dog-friendly, Favorites, Five Star Trails Orlando, Florida Trail, FT Orlando, Orlando, Primitive Camping, Scenic, Tosohatchee, Weekends, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing

Hal Scott Preserve

Bithlo   [28.486333,-81.095833]   5.1 miles

Hal Scott Preserve

At Hal Scott Preserve, enjoy vast prairies and seepage bogs, the Econ River, and camping under a live oak canopy—within minutes of the Orlando International Airport

Filed Under: Backpacking, Biking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Trails, Trails, Water Management Areas Tagged With: Birding, Botanical, Christmas, Cocoa Beach, Historic Sites, Orlando, Pitcher Plants, Primitive Camping, Scenic, Walt Disney World, Wildflowers

Hiking in Moonshadows

December 12, 2011 by Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

In early December, the moon draws its closest to Earth during the perigee of its erratic orbit. Here in the communities between Orlando and Cocoa Beach, we know what the moon means to dreamers and doers, to putting men and women in orbit and reaching for the stars. So it’s no surprise to find a […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Cocoa Beach, Orlando, Titusville

Intracoastal Trike Ride

April 13, 2013 by John Keatley 2 Comments

Intracoastal Trike Ride

John takes his recumbent trike out for a spin with his friend Richard along the Indian River Lagoon, and finds it an easy and comfortable ride.

Filed Under: Articles, Central Florida, Cycling Tagged With: Cocoa Beach

Jetty Park

Cape Canaveral   [28.407304,-80.591899]   

Jetty Park

With white sand dunes and a beautiful oceanfront, Jetty Park is the closest beach to Cape Canaveral that stays open during launches at Kennedy Space Center, and yes, the viewing’s great daytime or night.

Filed Under: Beaches, Camping, Central Florida, County Parks, Parks Tagged With: Accessible, Atlantic Ocean, Cabins, Car Camping, Cocoa Beach, Developed Camping, Family-friendly, Merritt Island

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EXPLORE CENTRAL FLORIDA

ORLANDO. TAMPA. Ocala NF. Canaveral NS. Merritt Island NWR. Cross Florida Greenway.Coast to Coast Trail (C2C)

MORE CENTRAL FLORIDA

Apopka . Belleview . Brandon . Brooksville . Bushnell . Canaveral National Seashore . Christmas . Clearwater Beach . Clermont . Cocoa Beach . Cross Florida Greenway . Crystal River . Dade City . Daytona Beach . Deland . Deltona . Dunnellon . Frostproof . Geneva . Inverness . Kissimmee . Lakeland . Lake Wales . Leesburg . Melbourne . Merritt Island NWR . Mount Dora . New Port Richey . New Smyrna Beach . Ocala . Ocala National Forest. Orlando. . Ormond Beach . Oviedo . Sanford . Silver Springs . St. Cloud . St. Petersburg . Tampa . Tarpon Springs . Titusville . Walt Disney World . Withlacoochee State Forest . Withlacoochee State Trail . Yeehaw Junction

The Florida Trail


A comprehensive history of the Florida National Scenic Trail. Full color limited edition coffee table book, 228 pages.

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Our Central Florida guidebooks

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.


Florida Trail Guide 50 Hikes in Central Florida Five Star Trails Orlando Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala Explorers Guide Central Florida Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State

Updates on Florida’s outdoors

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Central Florida Resources

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Find your way

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola . Apalachicola National Forest . Apalachicola River . Blackwater River State Forest . Blountstown . Crawfordville. Crestview . DeFuniak Springs . Destin . Fort Walton Beach . Ebro . Freeport . Gulf Islands National Seashore . Madison . Marianna . Milton . Navarre . Niceville . Panama City Beach . Pensacola . Ponce De Leon . Port St. Joe . Sopchoppy . St. Marks . St. Marks NWR . Tallahassee

NORTH FLORIDA
Amelia Island . Cedar Key . Chiefland . Fernandina Beach . Flagler Beach . Gainesville .High Springs . Jacksonville . Lake City . Live Oak . Mayo . Micanopy . Osceola National Forest . Palatka . Perry . Salt Springs . St. Augustine . Steinhatchee . Suwannee River Wilderness Trail . Trenton . White Springs

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka . Belleview . Brandon . Brooksville . Bushnell . Canaveral National Seashore . Christmas . Clearwater Beach . Clermont . Coast to Coast Trail . Cocoa Beach . Cross Florida Greenway . Crystal River . Dade City . Daytona Beach . Deland . Deltona . Dunnellon . Frostproof . Geneva . Inverness . Kissimmee . Lakeland . Lake Wales . Leesburg . Melbourne . Merritt Island NWR . Mount Dora . New Port Richey . New Smyrna Beach . Ocala . Ocala National Forest .Orlando . Ormond Beach . Oviedo . Sanford . Silver Springs . St. Cloud . St. Petersburg . Tampa . Tarpon Springs . Titusville . Walt Disney World . Withlacoochee State Forest . Withlacoochee State Trail . Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor . Ding Darling NWR . Englewood . Estero . Fort Myers . Naples . Pine Island . Punta Gorda . Sanibel Island . Sarasota . Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia . Big Cypress . Big Cypress National Preserve . Clewiston . Everglades City . Everglades National Park . Fisheating Creek . Lake Okeechobee . Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail . Lake Placid . Moore Haven . Okeechobee . Sebring

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Biscayne Bay . Biscayne National Park . Boca Raton . Coral Gables . Everglades National Park . Florida Keys . Fort Lauderdale . Fort Pierce . Hobe Sound . Homestead . Jupiter . Key Biscayne . Miami . Ocean to Lake . Palm Beach . Port St. Lucie . Sebastian . Stuart . Vero Beach . West Palm Beach

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