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

Maximo Park

St. Petersburg      ( 27.708978, -82.679634 )      1.4 miles

A tropical oasis in the middle of St. Petersburg’s Skyway District, Maximo Park is an excellent urban destination for a breezy walk or a paddle on Tampa Bay.

Moccasin Lake Nature Park

Clearwater      ( 27.976233, -82.723817 )      1.0 miles

Savor a sliver of native habitats preserved in the heart of busy Clearwater under the cloak of a shady forest when you visit Moccasin Lake Nature Park and its environmental education center

Myakka River Canopy Walk

Myakka River State Park  |  Sarasota
( 27.246417, -82.302700 )      0.8 miles

At Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, the Canopy Walk provides a sky-high view of the Myakka River basin as well as an intimate immersion in the live oak canopy in a beautiful hammock of oaks and palms.

Myakka River State Park

Sarasota      ( 27.239406,-82.316719 )      

With tall waving grasses, saw palmetto, and the sound of birds, Myakka River State Park is Florida’s Big Sky country, blanketing more than 28,000 acres east of Sarasota

Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area

Vero Beach      ( 27.587051, -80.375452 )      2.4 miles

Lush tropical hammocks, great birding, and a dash of history along the Indian River Lagoon make Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area a diverse and interesting place to explore

Pa-Hay-Okee Boardwalk

November 10, 2011    Sandra Friend

For a sweeping panorama of the “River of Grass” from a personal perspective, get out of your car and walk the short Pa-Hay-Okee Boardwalk at Everglades National Park.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Paynes Prairie  |  Micanopy
( 29.519247,-82.298008 )      

Protecting a massive natural basin of prairie between Micanopy and Gainesville, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park combines panoramic views with wildlife watching along its trails

Pelican Island NWR

Sebastian      ( 27.810644, -80.425956 )      

The birthplace of the National Wildlife Refuge system, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge protects more than 5,400 acres along and in the Indian River Lagoon off Sebastian

Robinson Preserve

Bradenton      ( 27.514320, -82.662139 )      4.4 miles

Farmland turned back to mangrove marshes: that’s Robinson Preserve, with more than 4 miles of hiking on shell and wild pathways along Tampa Bay at Bradenton.