Deep in the heart of an ancient swamp, the Goethe Giant – one of Florida’s largest cypress trees – stands tall at the end of a boardwalk in Goethe State Forest.
Buck Island Pond Trail
Looping around a cypress-lined pond in the midst of pine flatwoods northwest of Dunnellon, the Buck Island Pond Trail at Goethe State Forest has quite a few interesting features, including a pitcher plant bog.
Cedar Key
Perhaps the most popular getaway on Florida’s Nature Coast, Cedar Key is at the end of a 24-mile highway that follows a railroad bed which naturalist John Muir walked.
Chiefland
Not far from where the Suwannee River flows out into the Gulf of Mexico, Chiefland is a major community with access to public lands along the Suwannee River and Goethe State Forest.
Dunnellon
At the confluence of the Rainbow River and the Withlacoochee River, Dunnellon is an outpost for adventures in the woods and on the water, where the Cross Florida Greenway and Withlacoochee State Trail meet.
Epperson Park
Under the deep shade of mature live oak trees along US 27 in Williston, Epperson Park showcases two historical artifacts in a 1914-era park.
Gainesville
Home of the University of Florida, Gainesville has many small urban parks with trails. Surrounded by larger natural lands, it is one of the best bike-friendly cities in Florida.
Micanopy
Established near the south rim of the great Alachua Savanna, Micanopy was founded in 1821 and is Florida’s oldest inland city, edged by Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.
Ocala
Ocala is surrounded by more than 200 miles of hiking trails, including two large segments of the Florida Trail along the Cross Florida Greenway and through the Ocala National Forest.
Trenton
The county seat of Gilchrist County and home to the county’s only traffic light, Trenton is one of the termini for the Nature Coast Trail