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

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Open water with fishing pier and marsh beyond

DeBary

Outdoor activities in and around DeBary, a community along the St. Johns River and along the Coast to Coast Trail in Volusia County.

Black Bear Wilderness Area

Black Bear Wilderness

Sanford      ( 28.835294,-81.355201 )      7.1 miles

North of Orlando, Black Bear Wilderness Area in Sanford offers some of the best wildlife watching in the region on its loop along the St. Johns River.

Blue Spring State Park

Manatees in clear spring water

Orange City      ( 28.9516, -81.3337 )      

Blue Spring State Park is well acclaimed for being the best place in Florida to see manatees in the wild, and we don’t mean a dozen or two. Think hundreds.

Connecting the Spring to Spring Trail

Rural road with palm trees

October 5, 2020    John Keatley

With a goal of connecting all three segments of the Spring to Spring Trail together using roads in between, John rides from Lake Monroe Park to De Leon Springs on a 25.6 mile route

Exploring the Gemini Springs Addition

Palms along DeBary Bayou

October 17, 2013    Sandra Friend

It took a serendipitous turn one morning for us to stumble across a new-to-us hiking trail not fifteen minutes from home, the Gemini Springs Addition. Here’s how we found it.

Florida Coast to Coast Trail

Bike path through pine forest

Titusville Sanford Winter Garden Clermont Brooksville Tarpon Springs Dunedin Largo St. Petersburg      ( 28.628706, -80.787021 )      191.4 miles

With a corridor spanning more than 220 miles across nine Florida counties, the Florida Coast to Coast Trail (C2C) is Central Florida’s long distance bike path

Focused on Gemini Springs

Cradle of life

August 11, 2014    Sandra Friend

Gemini Springs Park is known for its interplay of open, sunlit spaces and deeply shaded oak hammocks. It made an ideal testing ground for our photography.

Gemini Springs Addition

Streamers of Spanish moss hanging from large live oaks

DeBary      ( 28.86654, -81.31462 )      6.7 miles

Protecting nearly 950 acres of lush oak hammocks, palm hammocks, and wetlands along the rim of Lake Monroe, Gemini Springs Addition has many options for hikers

Gemini Springs Park

Clear spring water between palm trees

DeBary      ( 28.864557, -81.309475 )      4.6 miles

With nearly 5 miles of gentle woodland paths and paved trails, playgrounds, picnic area, paddling trail and a dog park, Gemini Springs Park is a popular, well-connected getaway

Lake Monroe Park

Boater manuvering to floating dock

DeBary      ( 28.8410, -81.3226 )      

Centered on a deeply shaded campground with direct access to the St. Johns River for boaters, Lake Monroe Park is a gateway to outdoor adventure

National Trails Festival

Florida Trail at Clearwater Lake

September 9, 2018    Sandra Friend

From October 5-7, be a part of the National Trails Festival, a free hiking-focused event in Deland, Florida, presented by the Florida Trail Association. We’ll be launching our new 50 Hikes book during the event.

Nature, or Not? Thoughts on the Gemini Springs Addition

Marsh mallow pink bloom

May 3, 2016    Sandra Friend

Our opinion: why DeBary’s plans to take a portion of the Gemini Springs Addition for economic development is wrong on so many levels, and what you can do to express your concern.

Riding the C2C St. Johns River to Osteen

Oak canopy over bike path

DeBary      ( 28.84006,-81.31973 )      13.5 miles

John explores the C2C between Osteen and the St. Johns River by starting at Lake Monroe Park and ending at Osteen, using the Spring-to-Spring and ECRRT trails through southern Volusia County

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