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.
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.
Florida Trail, Baseline to SE 64th Ave
Cross Florida Greenway 2.7 miles2.7 miles. On a sliver of restored sandhill, the Baseline section of the Florida Trail provides a stroll within a forested oasis surrounded by suburbia.
Florida Trail, Cross Florida Greenway
Ocala 43.8 miles43.8 miles. A prime destination for backpacking and day hiking south of Ocala, the Florida Trail follows the Cross Florida Greenway between the Withlacoochee and Ocklawaha Rivers.
Florida Trail, Marshall Swamp
Florida Trail, Cross Florida Greenway 3.0 miles3 miles. Marvel at towering trees in an ancient forest along this Florida Trail segment on the Cross Florida Greenway.
Florida Trail, Ocala
Paisley to Palatka 72.3 milesSpanning 72.3 from the birthplace of the Florida Trail into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination.
Florida Trail, Santos to Baseline
Cross Florida Greenway 5.1 miles5.1 miles. History is on display along this segment of the abandoned Cross Florida Barge Canal, from a town demolished nearly a century ago to agricultural land undergoing habitat restoration.
Florida Trail, Western Corridor
St. Cloud to Salt Springs 241.1 milesLinking Withlacoochee State Forest and the Cross Florida Greenway, the 241 mile Western Corridor of the Florida Trail accesses wild spaces between Tampa and Ocala.
Florida’s Waters
In Florida, water is an ever-present part of our lives. A visit to the Rainbow River yesterday brought back memories of the past and concerns for the future of Florida's waters.
Fort King National Historic Landmark
Ocala 1.0 milesForty largely wooded acres within a residential area in Ocala encompass an important piece of Florida history: the site of the first U.S. Army fort built in the state's interior.
Happy (Belated) Birthday, Ocala National Forest!
On November 24, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside a large piece of land east of Ocala for future generations by declaring it the Ocala National Forest, one of the first in the eastern United States. We celebrate its centennial.