Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Historic community on the north shore of Lake Weir, 1920s home of Ma Barker with sandy beaches and nearby public lands along the Ocklawaha River.
One of Marion County’s finest parks, Carney Island preserves a peninsula jutting out into Lake Weir near Ocklawaha. As I discovered by leading a hike there, the beach at Lemon Point is a destination not just for hikers but boaters too.
As 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.
Requiem for a much-loved bicycle: in November, my vintage Cannondale Super V 1000 mountain bike made its final ride while we were doing trail research in Marion County.
At Ocklawaha Prairie, east of Lake Weir and south of Marshall Swamp, trails lead to some of the best birding in the region from levees along the extensive marshes of the river basin.
Today was my third visit to Sunnyhill Restoration Area, more than 4,400 acres managed by St. Johns Water Management District, and finally, I found the right entrance for a pleasant hike. There are so many entrances to this vast preserve!
A linear path along the channelized Ocklawaha River, the Levee Trail at Sunnyhill Restoration Area stretches 7.5 miles from SR 42 north to Moss Bluff.
Edging the eastern shore of the Ocklawaha River north of Lake Griffin, Sunnyhill Restoration Area protects the channelized river’s historic floodplain.
