Florida Hikes

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

Large trees grow out of a levee and provide shade

Five Star Trails Orlando

Some of the trails included in the book Five Star Trails Orlando, a day hiker’s guide for hikes within an hour of downtown Orlando.

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Florida Trail, Tosohatchee

Tosohatchee WMA   11.2 miles

Bridging an immense expanse of pine flatwoods bisected by floodplain forests, an 11-mile segment of the statewide Florida Trail crosses Tosohatchee WMA.

Gemini Springs Park

DeBary   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

Green Springs Park

Enterprise   1.0 miles

An unearthly glowing bowl in shades of green, the centerpiece of an ancient forest at Green Springs is surrounded by gurgling streams and the trails that follow them.

Hickory Bluff Preserve

Osteen   1.5 miles

Just east of Osteen, Hickory Bluff Preserve provides a 1.5-mile loop to a bluff of notable size along a scenic stretch of the St. Johns River.

Historic Babb Landing

Kissimmee   1.8 miles

Home to Osceola Pioneer Village, this 160-acre segment of Shingle Creek Regional Park edges Shingle Creek with easy accessible trails looping a former homestead and citrus grove.

Kelly Park

Apopka   2.6 miles

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.

Kelly Park Western Addition Trails

Apopka   1.7 miles

Along the Oakhill and Prairie Lake Trails at Kelly Park, explore the Western Addition to walk around anomalous habitats persisting where a spring-fed lake flourished long ago.

Kratzert Trail

Osteen   1.6 miles

For a quick dip into the beauty of the St. Johns River floodplain, the 1.6 mile Kratzert Trail offers a walk beneath ancient oaks and cabbage palms of enormous size.

Lake Harney Wilderness Area

Geneva   2.8 miles

With an outstanding accessible observation tower offering a panorama of the St. Johns River floodplain, Lake Harney Wilderness is a must-see for birders and photographers.

Lake Jesup East Tract

Oviedo   2.1 miles

Savor the bird's-eye view of one of the largest lakes in the Orlando metro from a tall observation tower along this 2.1-mile loop hike in Oviedo

Lake Lotus Park

Altamonte Springs   1.7 miles

At Lake Lotus Park in Altamonte Springs, the 1.7-mile trail system along Lake Lotus and the Little Wekiva River floodplain provides a great respite from surrounding suburbia.