Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Surrounded by the Ocala National Forest, the community of Salt Springs is a hub for outdoor recreation, with direct access to trails on both land and water
INTERACTIVE MAP
Hiking around Hopkins Prairie for the third time, I have my first encounter with the Rainbow People and meet backpackers along this scenic stretch of the Florida Trail.
A federal order has been signed requiring the use of bear bags or bear canisters when backpacking the Florida Trail through the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.
Little known except to those who frequent Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest, the Bear Swamp Trail provides a walk into an ancient forest.
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.
Stretching 90 miles from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a mile-wide recreational corridor with hiking, biking, and equestrian trails as well as paddling and boating access.
Deep in the Ocala National Forest, the Davenport Landing Trail leads you on a scenic loop to a historic landing and archaeological site along the Ocklawaha River.
Bear bagging is the art of hanging your food properly out of reach of bears. If you’re a Florida backpacker and haven’t learned how, here’s a short course. Securing your food from bears is required in the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.
11.5 miles. North of Lake Eaton, immerse in the world’s largest contiguous sand pine scrub, the Big Scrub, on this Florida Trail segment that tunnels into miles and miles of scrub forest
9.6 miles. Sweeping along the shoreline of one of the largest prairies in the Ocala National Forest, this section of the Florida Trail lingers on prairie panoramas
10.6 miles. Marvel at a mosaic of ancient scrub forest, vast prairies, and pine islands while crossing the Juniper Prairie Wilderness
6.4 miles. Across a mosaic of sandhills and scrub, expect black bear and scrub-jay sightings on this Florida Trail segment north of Salt Springs
6.7 miles. Experience a sense of perspective on a piece of the Florida Trail traversing rolling hills topped with a majestic forest of longleaf pines
