Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
A small town along the Florida Coast to Coast Trail and the St. Johns River floodplain, Osteen is a central point for exploring public lands in south Volusia County
In 60 acres of green space that gently reclaims stormwater through a series of marshes, Audubon Park lets birders and hikers enjoy a quiet walk adjoining a beauty spot along the East Central Regional Rail Trail.
Using Beck Ranch Park as our launch point for a cycling adventure in Osteen, we discovered how easy it was to stitch together the local network of bike paths into a pleasant ride, with the Osteen Diner right at hand for lunch.
After watching the progress on the ECRRT at Osteen over the past year, John takes a ride to the east to see how far the new paved bike path goes
Restoring a ranch back to natural habitats takes time, but brings to life the natural beauty of these soggy habitats in the Deep Creek basin near Lake Ashby
Spanning 36.2 linear miles across southern Volusia County, the East Central Regional Rail Trail offers a long ride that also makes up a portion of several major Florida bike trails
With a corridor spanning more than 220 miles across nine Florida counties, the Florida Coast to Coast Trail (C2C) is Central Florida’s long distance bike path
Just east of Osteen, Hickory Bluff Preserve provides a 1.5-mile loop to a bluff of notable size along a scenic stretch of the St. Johns River
For a quick dip into the beauty of the St. Johns River floodplain, the 1.6 mile Kratzert Trail offers a walk beneath ancient oaks and cabbage palms of enormous size
With marshes brimming with swamp sunflowers and old-growth forests along natural ridges, Lake Monroe Conservation Area protects the St. Johns River north shore at Osteen
Just east of Osteen, Hickory Bluff Preserve provides a new perspective on the St. Johns River from above, its loop trail winding along bluffs and down to a riverbank.
Discover a parade of habitats in the Deep Creek basin on three loop hikes within 3,300 acres east of Deltona.
Crossing open pine savannas, pasturelands, and tracing a blackwater creek floodplain, the 7.6-mile Red Trail at Palm Bluff Conservation Area provides a quiet hike east of DeLand.
