St. Johns River | hiking biking paddling camping – Page 5

Looping through Black Bear Wilderness

Sandra Friend

In our first two miles, we saw a boar ... and a bear. Be ready for adventure at Black Bear Wilderness Area, especially along the new 7.1 mile loop.

Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park

Sanford 30.5 miles

Paddle, hike, or ride your horse within this massive riverine preserve on the edge of the Orlando metro, where the Wekiva River and St. Johns River mingle.

Melbourne

With natural lands and parks providing trails and launch points, Melbourne invites exploration along the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Johns River, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Mount Royal

One of Florida's largest mounds, Mount Royal was first documented by William Bartram in 1765, when it was an important central feature of a large village along the St. Johns River.

New perspective on the St. Johns River

Sandra Friend

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.

On a Bartram Adventure Tour

Sandra Friend

On a guided Bartram Adventure Tour, we hiked, biked, and paddled to follow the travels of William and John Bartram along the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida

Orange Park

North of Doctors Lake, the city of Orange Park has its roots in a plantation along the St. Johns River converted to a planned community in 1877

Oviedo

Bisected by the Florida Trail and the Cross Seminole Trail, Oviedo is an appealing trail town edged by Little Big Econ State Forest and its many trails.

Paddling the Bartram Trail in Welaka

miles

Learning how botanists William and John Bartram traveled along the St. Johns River in the 1700s, I followed an experienced river guide for a look at part of the Bartram National Recreation Trail from the water on our Bartram Adventure Tour in Palatka.