Bear Creek Nature Trail
Winter Springs 0.9 milesA patch of wild in a sea of suburbia, Bear Creek provides nearly a mile's worth of exploration atop sandy bluffs in a shady creekside hammock in Winter Springs.
Big Tree Park
Longwood 0.3 milesWhile the iconic Senator is no more, Big Tree Park continues to fascinate visitors with its enormous cypress trees, including Lady Liberty. The park provides access to the Cross Seminole Trail.
Changes at Spring Hammock Preserve
When we revisited Spring Hammock Preserve in December 2017 for research for our third edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida, we discovered radical changes to the trail system that needed explanation. Here's what's up at one of our favorite preserves.
Cross Seminole County
JK finishes up his last Florida Trail miles in Seminole County as he continues to fill in the blanks on a section hike of the statewide Florida Trail.
Cross Seminole Trail
Oviedo to Orlando and Sanford 27.6 milesA 27.6 mile paved bike path connecting to the Orange and Volusia county lines, the Cross Seminole Trail provides access to a massive network of Central Florida bike trails.
Cross Seminole Trail North
Oviedo Longwood Lake Mary Sanford 21.0 milesConnected to a vast network of bike paths, this 21 mile corridor between Oviedo and Sanford hosts portions of the Florida Trail and the Florida Coast to Coast Trail.
Florida Trail, Central Florida
In Central Florida, the Florida Trail presents two options: east or west around the Orlando metro. Forested public lands provide protection for much of the route.
Florida Trail, Orlando
Kenansville to Paisley 150.5 milesBetween the prairies of Osceola County and the Ocala National Forest, this 150 mile section of the Florida Trail slips through suburbs of the Orlando metro.
Florida’s Best Urban Parks
When you live in a tightly packed space, you need somewhere green as your go-to place nearby. These are our top picks for parks in Florida's urban areas, chosen for their diversity of outdoor activities and/or their unique green spaces.
Hiking the Cross Seminole Trail
A hike along the Cross Seminole Trail - which the Florida Trail follows - through Oviedo and Winter Springs means an introduction to suburbia in the Orlando metro.
Recumbent on the Cross Seminole Trail
To see the Florida Trail from a different perspective, our friend Richard drove over from the coast to join Sandy and I for a recumbent trike ride on the Cross Seminole Trail.
Return to Big Tree Park
While The Senator is a charred stump, thanks to an arsonist, the grandeur of its surroundings at Big Tree Park - including a 2,000-year-old cypress - has reopened to the public.