Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Stuart is the southern anchor of the Treasure Coast, surrounded by natural lands and refuges that offer plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Beyond its prominent ballfields, Halpatiokee Regional Park hides a rich network of hiking, off-road biking, and paddling trails along the South Fork of the St. Lucie River
Scramble up and down the Atlantic Coastal Ridge on this hike with scenic views of the southern end of the freshwater savannas stretching from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach.
Celebrating the annual Ocean to Lake Hike, which got its start when a group of backpackers – Sandra included – scouted the full route from Hobe Sound to Lake Okeechobee to help decide where the trail would go.
Catch a sweeping view from an observation tower atop the highest natural hill south of Lake Okeechobee on the Hobe Mountain Trail at Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Straddling both sides of the Indian River Lagoon between Hobe Sound and Tequesta, this refuge provides both sea turtle nesting grounds and Florida scrub-jay habitat.
One of South Florida’s best backpacking destinations, Jonathan Dickinson State Park encompasses a vast mosaic of ecosystems along the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River
Tunnel through mangroves after pausing to watch birds in a freshwater wetland in this habitat-rich preserve along the St. Lucie River.
Burrowing deep into the backwoods of vast Jonathan Dickinson State Park, the Kitching Creek Loop showcases the beauty of pine flatwoods and cypress drainages towards the Loxahatchee River.
Formerly known as Rocky Point Hammock, Maggy’s Hammock Park protects 22 acres of tropical forest and scrub on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge in Port Salerno
Also known as NENA, the Ocean to Lake Greenway spans from Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge to Lake Okeechobee.
61 miles. A spur of the Florida Trail that leads from Port Mayaca on the east side of Lake Okeechobee to Hobe Sound Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, treating hikers to unexpected wild landscapes north of West Palm Beach.
Hiking Lake Okeechobee’s ancient shoreline is a surprise and a delight. The trail bobs. It weaves. It curves around naturally scoured waterways, and tunnels deeply through a tropical understory.
