Florida Hikes

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

St Johns River at Welaka

St. Johns River

Hiking, biking, paddling, camping, and other outdoor recreation, public lands, and communities along the shores of the St. Johns River. This is Florida’s longest river, rising in marshes west of Vero Beach and flowing northward 310 miles to the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville. As it has a vast floodplain, there are extensive public lands along its entire route.

Ribault Monument

On a high bluff above the St. Johns River, a memorial pays tribute to the French expedition led by Jean Ribault that claimed Florida for France in 1562, three years before St. Augustine was founded.

River Lakes Conservation Area

Melbourne   7.2 miles

Bounding the eastern side of Brevard County between Lake Poinsett and Lake Washington, River Lakes Conservation Area protects the St. Johns River floodplain.

RiverTown Riverfront Park

St. Augustine   1.7 miles

Statuesque live oaks canopy an unparalleled 1.7 mile walk along the eastern shore of the St. Johns River at Riverfront Park in Rivertown, northwest of St. Augustine.

Salt Lake WMA

Mims   miles

Spanning nearly 8,000 acres between Salt Lake, Lake Loughman, and South Lake, Salt Lake WMA is a popular birding and fishing destination with many miles of trails.

Salt Springs

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

Sanford

Starting with a riverwalk along Lake Monroe, historic Sanford provides an excellent gateway to outdoor recreation along the St. Johns River north of Orlando.

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.

Silver Glen Springs

With a strong aquamarine hue accented by refracted rainbows as sunlight plays across the ripples on its sandy bottom, Silver Glen Springs is a first-magnitude spring in the Ocala National Forest.

Spring Hammock Preserve

Winter Springs   3.5 miles

Accessible pathways and boardwalks wind through an old-growth floodplain forest to a scenic overlook of Lake Jesup, passing massive cypresses and a cloudy blue spring along the way. 

Spring to Spring Trail South

Enterprise DeBary   7.7 miles

Linking Green Springs to Gemini Springs to Lake Monroe, the southern portion of the Spring to Spring Trail is also an important link in the Florida Coast to Coast Trail.