On Friday, our group of Florida Trail hikers left our group camp at Trail Lakes Campground and, with Chuck Norris and Tigger providing transportation, headed to the Florida Trail at Oasis Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve. We were there for the FNST Southern terminus monument dedication. Lots of folks from the Loxahatchee Chapter […]
Naples
Naples is the western gateway to the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp, as well as a sweep of coastline that includes sparkling beaches and the Ten Thousand Islands.
Delnor-Wiggins Nature Trail
At the northernmost end of Naples, the breezy shores of Delnor-Wiggins State Park entice beachgoers and nature lovers to an observation tower, nature trail, and beach walk.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
Swift tides rolling through Wiggins Pass define the northernmost beach of Naples, a spread of sun-drenched sand at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park within sight of a line of condos that stretch southward.
Estero
Halfway between Fort Myers and Naples, Estero is a community that grew up around the Estero River, which flows into Estero Bay.
Everglades City
A launch point for adventures into the Ten Thousand Islands and the Big Cypress Swamp, Everglades City began as a trading post and sportsman’s getaway
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
It’s the Amazon of North America, home of the ghost orchid. Protecting more than 85,000 acres, Fakahatchee Strand is Florida’s largest state preserve and most certainly our wildest.
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
The longer of two loops at Florida Panther NWR guarantees a wet walk through panther habitat of wet pine flatwoods and cypress domes
Florida Trail, Big Cypress North
An easy ramble from the I-75 MM 63 rest area north along Nobles Grade through Big Cypress National Preserve, this wildlife-rich 8-mile segment of the Florida Trail offers several loop options for day hikers and backpackers.
Florida Trail, Big Cypress South
Traversing the wet, wild landscapes of the Big Cypress National Preserve, this 30.3 mile segment of the Florida Trail is its most remote part, and is the toughest backpacking trip in the state of Florida. It’s a hike like no other in the world.
Florida’s Utopia
At the Koreshan Unity in Estero, Florida, a group of believers gathered in 1894 to begin building their paradise. It is now a National Historic Site and a Florida State Park. Walk the trails and streets of “New Jerusalem” to learn its story.