Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Destinations for visitors from around the world, our National Parks in Florida provide interpretation and recreation at seashores, historic sites, and vast wild spaces like the world’s only Everglades
Taking on a remote stretch of the Indian River Lagoon paralleling the wildest part of Canaveral National Seashore, our group of paddlers turns back until only two kayakers are left, fighting the wind to reach our goal.
Although John is a native Floridian, our research trip to South Florida became an opportunity for him to see many natural “firsts” in Florida that most people have on their life lists.
Home to the largest dune system on the Atlantic Coast in Florida, American Beach has a rich history as a vacation destination that served the African-American community during the days of segregation in the South.
For most visitors, the Anhinga Trail is their first glimpse into Everglades National Park. It’s short, and the alligators are right there: hard to miss.
Providing a walk through the mangrove-lined edge of Florida Bay and the unique coastal prairie habitat within a short loop, the Bayshore Loop takes you what’s left of the fishing village of Flamingo.
Paralleling the former Homestead Canal, the Bear Lake Trail takes you on a journey through tropical hammock and mangrove forests along a road scooped from the canal diggings.
Protecting the heart of the Big Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve was established in 1974. Exploring its lush subtropical landscapes means wading through crystal-clear swamps or paddling its channelized rivers.
Florida’s largest offshore park, Biscayne National Park protects living coral reefs and islands that are the northernmost part of the Florida Keys
The 0.3-mile Bobcat Boardwalk at Shark Valley is a popular destination in winter and spring to see migratory and nesting birds.
Canaveral National Seashore protects 58,000 acres of maritime hammocks, dunes, and coastline surrounding Cape Canaveral, a natural sandy cape that formed where ocean currents meet.
The only remaining 17th century fortress in North America, the Castillo de San Marcos defended the Spanish colony of St. Augustine from two British sieges in the 1700s.
At Canaveral National Seashore, Castle Windy is the only trail that takes you from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mosquito Lagoon, a shady walk through a coastal hammock to a windswept shoreline
