Florida Hikes

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

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

National Forest Recreation

Hundreds of miles of trails and dozens of campgrounds and recreation areas make the Ocala, Apalachicola, and Osceola National Forests compelling outdoor destinations.

INTERACTIVE MAP

Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail

Salt Springs   1.8 miles

Go deep into the Ocala National Forest on a staircase leading into a massive sinkhole along the Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail, a 1.8 mile loop in the Big Scrub.

Lake Eaton Trail

Salt Springs   2.3 miles

Gently descending from ancient dunes down to the forested shores of its namesake lake, the 2.3-mile Lake Eaton Trail provides a great deal of habitat diversity in a short hike.

Lake George Trail

Silver Glen Springs   2.3 miles

Connecting Silver Glen Springs with the river it feeds, the Lake George Trail provides an easy day hike to picturesque views of Lake George on the St. Johns River.

Leon Sinks Geological Area

Tallahassee   4.5 miles

In the Apalachicola National Forest just south of Tallahassee, Leon Sinks Geological Area offers a delightful introduction to the wonders of karst topography on its trails.

Mount Carrie Wayside

Olustee   1.0 miles

The short, easily accessed Mount Carrie Wayside in Osceola National Forest showcases an old growth longleaf pine forest with a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Ocala National Forest

Established in 1908 as the first National Forest east of the Mississippi, the Ocala National Forest is a mecca for hikers and campers, and the birthplace of the Florida Trail.

Off-roading, Westy-style

It's one bumpy ride as we tunnel our way through the Big Scrub of the Ocala National Forest with Primrose, our brand new vintage Westy, on a jeep road.

Osceola National Forest

The smallest of Florida's national forests, the Osceola National Forest carries the weight of history hidden in its dense stands of longleaf pine.

Relearning to Walk

What's it like when your life revolves around hiking and suddenly you can't? That's what I've quietly struggled with for the past five months before and after knee surgery.

Salt Springs Loop

Salt Springs   1.9 miles

Savor the beauty of the Big Scrub and habitats along crystalline Salt Springs Run on this easy loop on the outskirts of Salt Springs.

Salt Springs Recreation Area

See the beauty of William Bartram's "amazing crystal fountain" as you gaze into the depths of this rocky spring in the Ocala National Forest