Florida Hikes

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

Myakka River Upper Lake

Myakka River

Meandering 72 miles from marshes in Manatee County to empty into Charlotte Harbor at Port Charlotte, the Myakka River is designated a Florida Wild and Scenic River, largely untouched along its length.

Lower Myakka Paddling Map

Carlton Reserve

Venice   35.2 miles

Less than a dozen miles from downtown Venice, the vast expanse of T. Mabry Carlton Reserve provides regional drinking water and a massive refuge for wildlife.

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park

Stretched long and thin to follow the convoluted shoreline of Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park protects more than 100 miles of coastline along the Gulf Coast.

Deep Hole

Sarasota   4.6 miles

An impressively deep riverside sinkhole within Myakka River State Park, Deep Hole provides a year-round home to some of the park's largest alligators.

Englewood

Englewood is a waterfront village straddling Sarasota and Charlotte Counties, its historic core on Dearborn Street near the shores of Lemon Bay

Jelks Preserve

Venice   3.7 miles

Offering scenic views of wild shores along the Myakka River, this hike at Jelks Preserve makes a big loop along the trail system to immerse you in a variety of habitats.

Myakka River State Park

With tall waving grasses, saw palmetto, and the sound of birds, Myakka River State Park is Florida's Big Sky country, blanketing more than 37,000 acres east of Sarasota.

Myakka State Forest

Englewood   miles

Along the southwestern Gulf Coast of Florida, Myakka State Forest offers an extensive trail network along the Myakka River basin, with tent camping under the stars.

North Port

East of the Myakka River, North Port is home to Florida's only public hot spring, Warm Mineral Springs

Port Charlotte

North of Charlotte Harbor, Port Charlotte encompasses a vast residential area with both city parks and larger environmental lands

Sarasota

A mecca for the arts, Sarasota has popular beaches on its barrier islands and a surprising amount of green space, largely concentrated along the Myakka River basin.

Sleeping Turtles Preserve North

Venice   3.2 miles

Named for a feature on old navigational maps, Sleeping Turtles Preserve North provides great views of the Myakka River from its bluffs.

Tippecanoe Environmental Park

Port Charlotte   1.9 miles

With 380 acres of uplands and wetlands along the rim of Tippecanoe Bay, Tippecanoe Environmental Park can be explored on an extensive interconnected network of hiking trails.