Florida Hikes

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

White sand beach with sea oats and no waves

Gulf of Mexico

Parks, trails, and communities along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, from Perdido Key to Marco Island.

Gulf State Park

  miles

Stretching west from the tip of Perdido Key, Gulf State Park encompasses more than 6,000 acres of natural habitats on barrier islands between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Henderson Beach Nature Trail

Destin   0.9 miles

Showcasing a ridge of dunes in Destin, the nature trail at Henderson Beach State Park leads you through bright sands in coastal scrub and maritime forest.

Henderson Beach State Park

Dunes as white as ski slopes tumble towards the Gulf of Mexico at Henderson Beach State Park, a precious slice of natural waterfront along the crowded sweep of developed beaches in Destin.

Hernando Beach

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.

Inglis

The town where Elvis "followed that dream," Inglis anchors the west end of the Cross Florida Greenway where the Withlacoochee River meets the Gulf.

Key Vista Nature Park

Holiday   1.2 miles

Discover a new perspective on the Gulf of Mexico from the observation tower at Key Vista Nature Park, a coastal gem with a natural sandy beach and gentle footpaths.

Lovers Key State Park

Estero   5.5 miles

With a name straight out of tourist fantasies of 1950s Florida, Lovers Key State Park is a series of slim barrier islands between Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico south of Fort Myers Beach.

Lower Suwannee NWR

One of Florida's more remote National Wildlife Refuges, the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge spans two counties, protecting over 30 miles of coastline along the Big Bend.

Naples

Naples is the western gateway to the wilds of South Florida, a tropical getaway on the Gulf

Navarre

At the south end of Santa Rosa County, Navarre is a gateway to the western side of Eglin Air Force Base and vast stretches of unspoiled beaches along the Gulf of Mexico

New Port Richey

Once a mecca for silent film stars, New Port Richey provides adventures along the Pithlachascotee and Anclote River basins and coastal estuaries with salt springs.