Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
With an array of parks and natural lands and a network of bike trails, Lakeland is a hub for outdoor recreation
INTERACTIVE MAP
Part of Hillsborough River State Park, Fort Foster State Historic Site takes you back to the era of Florida’s earliest pioneer settlers and their clashes with the native Seminoles.
Paralleling US 98 between Bartow and Lakeland, the Fort Fraser Trail is along an urban greenway with connectivity to Circle B Bar Reserve
A dip into a corner of the Green Swamp, Gator Creek Preserve north of Lakeland offers 2.5 miles of easy loop trails for the whole family to explore
The Oak Ridge Tract of Lower Hillsborough River Wilderness Area is a beautiful area for a hike. We joined the Suncoast Chapter of the FTA for an exploration while in the region for a talk
Water in motion: the Hillsborough rapids foam and froth over limestone boulders beneath grand cypress trees in Class II rapids. One of Florida’s oldest state parks, Hillsborough River State Park showcases this masterpiece of nature from an overlook and trail system built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
A beauty spot along Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland, Hollis Garden is a collection of themed garden rooms
With day hiking and cross country trails, Holloway Park & Nature Preserve is a slice of nature inside the city limits of Lakeland, just off the Polk Parkway.
At the scenic confluence of Flint Creek with the Hillsborough River, John B Sargeant Park provides access to the Hillsborough River State Canoe Trail amid a lush cypress floodplain, with a boardwalk and footpath showcasing the views.
Providing an easy walk into 8,000 acres of uplands draining into Lake Marion Creek, the trail system on Huckleberry Island at Lake Marion Creek WMA leads 4.2 miles.
South of Lake Apopka, the Lake Wales Ridge is a significant landform down the middle of the Florida peninsula, with its highest hills and oldest biological communities
On more than 3 miles of trails, Lakeland Highlands Scrub offers a close-up look at the Lakeland Ridge, an ancient island when Florida was beneath the seas: parts of this 551-acre preserve are at 230 feet elevation.
Scenery, rugged landscape, and botanical diversity are all important factors for a great Florida hike. You’ll find that on the 6.5-mile Little Manatee River Hiking Trail, one of our long-time favorites.
