Back to Blue Run
Blue skies, blue water: the beauty of a hike at Blue Run Park in Dunnellon is in the glimpses of blue amid the supersaturated greens that provide deep shade along its trails.
Biking Santos
milesBiking the Santos Trails for the first time this fall, I opted to leave my vintage Cannondale at home and try a rental bike for my first spin through these famed off-road trails south of Ocala.
Blue Run of Dunnellon Park
Dunnellon 2.7 milesEnjoy a gentle family-friendly hike along the Rainbow River at Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, where woodland footpaths and paved trails keep you mostly in the shade with dry feet as you explore the river floodplain.
Carney Island Conservation Area
Ocklawaha 4.0 milesAs a peninsula in Lake Weir, parts of Carney Island Conservation Area are naturally air-conditioned. Walk 4 miles beneath ancient oaks and expect to see wildlife.
Chasing Rainbows: Florida Springs Protection
April is Florida Springs Protection Month, according to our state agencies. A walk through Rainbow Springs State Park confirms that as beautiful as they look, the springs are not in good health.
Circling Central Florida on the Florida Trail
East vs. West: which is best? I hiked both as a loop, so here's a rundown of how the two corridors of the Florida Trail compare through Central Florida - and a little trail history.
Cross Florida Greenway
Spanning 110 miles between the St. Johns River near Palatka and the Gulf of Mexico, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a mile-wide recreational corridor.
Cross Florida Greenway History: Bridge to the Future
The history of the Cross Florida Greenway's birth and the building the Land Bridge - and the Florida Trail - across this new stretch of public land in Central Florida in 1999.
Cross Florida Greenway History: Finding a Route
A visit to the Barge Canal Diggings near I-75 after 13 years of the Florida Trail on the Cross Florida Greenway reveals steady changes over the years, shown in a series of photos.
Cross Florida Greenway History: The Land Bridge
A landmark along Interstate 75 near Ocala, the Land Bridge remains one of the more popular destinations for hikers, bikers, and equestrians on the Cross Florida Greenway.
Cross Florida Greenway Multiuse Path
Ocala 15.6 milesOver fifteen miles long, this linear paved path along the Cross Florida Greenway connects Santos to Ross Prairie with direct access from several trailheads.
Crossing the Cross Florida Greenway
A critical corridor for wildlife in a ever-more-heavily developed region, the Cross Florida Greenway is at risk of being crossed by high-tension power lines that would clear-cut a swath through wildlife-rich habitats.