In mid-April, the pitcher plants of Santa Rosa County are at their peak of bloom. During the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike, we went in search of them and here’s what we found.
Navarre Beach
Articles about places to explore near Navarre Beach, Florida
Florida Trail, Northwest Florida
Encompassing the sweep of Florida west of the Suwannee River, the Florida Trail through Northwest Florida offers some of the most dramatic panoramas and rugged terrain you’ll find while hiking in Florida.
Florida Trail, Weaver Creek
14.3 miles. Bordered by the tangled floodplain forests of the Yellow River to the north, the Weaver Creek section of the Florida Trail traverses the western side of Eglin Air Force Base on high, dry sandhills topped with longleaf pine forest and planted pine.
Fort Walton Beach
One of the largest and oldest communities in Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach sits between Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, with Eglin Air Force Base to the north.
Garcon Point Trail
On a peninsula separating Blackwater Bay and East Bay, Garcon Point Preserve presents an open landscape of wind-swept prairies punctuated by oak hammocks and tall longleaf pines
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Stretching across three Gulf Coast states, Gulf Islands National Seashore protects portions of the barrier islands between Navarre Beach, Florida and Gulfport, Mississippi.
Milton
Known as Florida’s Canoe Capital thanks to the rivers and creeks of Blackwater River State Forest, Milton is a major destination for outdoor recreation.
Naval Live Oaks Preserve
Naval Live Oaks Preserve outside Pensacola was our nation’s first tree farm, established in 1828 by President John Quincy Adams to protect a significant coastal stand of live oaks for military use
Pensacola
The northern terminus of the Florida Trail is at Pensacola Beach, but the wonders of this region extend far inland to the vast Blackwater River State Forest.
Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park
East of Pensacola, Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park is a sweeping panorama of wet prairies, home to the largest concentration of pitcher plants in Florida.