Florida Hikes

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

Swamp sunflowers

Seminole Ranch Conservation Area

Seminole Ranch Conservation Area buffers the St. Johns River floodplain between Christmas and Mims in Orange, Brevard, and Volusia Counties.

Florida Trail, Seminole Ranch

Christmas   4.6 miles

Savor a thousand shades of green amid enormous trees by following the Florida Trail 4.6 miles through ancient palm hammocks along the St. Johns River floodplain at Seminole Ranch.

Seminole Ranch Puzzle Lake

Mims   8.4 miles

At the northern end of Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, roam 8.4 miles along the marshy eastern shore of Puzzle Lake, part of the St. Johns River system.

Seminole Ranch Snake Creek Levee

Mims   1.4 miles

At the north end of Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, this 1.4-mile round-trip leads to an observation tower with an extensive panorama across Loughman Lake and Salt Lake.

Sunflowers on the St. Johns

For more than a decade, I've been chasing sunflower blooms in Florida wetlands in October. In 2021, it's a banner year for these showy beauties in Central Florida.