Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Parks, natural lands, and trails notable for wildlife encounters, the whole range from armadillos to alligators, Florida black bears to gopher tortoises, and manatees to whales.
Cut in two by Interstate 95 south of Melbourne, St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park spans 35 square miles across two counties, protecting a mosaic of habitats for wildlife, particularly the Florida scrub-jay.
Early summer is sea turtle nesting season in Florida, where precautions should be taken on the beaches and near shore to avoid disturbing these gentle giants.
At Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, Florida pioneer crafts and Florida folk music are as important as the lovely setting on the Suwannee River
Stokes Landing provides an outdoor classroom for local schools and panoramic views of the salt marshes along the Tolomato River north of St. Augustine
At the south tip of Manasota Key, Stump Pass Beach State Park sits at just the right angle to collect seashells like a scoop, so early risers have great shelling
In Boca Raton, the trails at Sugar Sand Park radiate from a nature center and playground surrounded by the remains of a coastal scrub and pine flatwoods in this urbanized area.
A short distance from the bustling metropolis of Orlando, the Sulphur Island Loop Trail explores one of Florida’s endangered ecosystems, the scrub.
With up to 6.2 miles of trails – many of them a bit wet – SUMICA is one of the natural lands in Polk County where birding is especially superb.
One of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, Sunken Gardens is now a county park showing off more than a century’s worth of botanical bounty in St. Petersburg
At Sunnyhill Restoration Area, the Levee Trail provides a scenic stroll atop a levee paralleling both the Ocklawaha River channel and its vast marshes favored by wading birds.
Perched on the bluffs at the confluence of the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers, Suwannee River State Park is one of those don’t-miss Florida outdoors experiences, with two ghost towns, Civil War battlements that once protected a strategic railroad bridge, and the ruins of a former governor’s riverfront mansion.
A gem for Gainesville, Sweetwater Wetlands Park offers a unique perspective on Paynes Prairie
