Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
With more than 155,000 acres spread over several counties, Withlacoochee State Forest is Florida’s second largest state forest, and arguably the most popular for outdoor recreation.
Way down under the Withlacoochee State Forest, there’s a whole other world waiting to be explored in its caves.
A morning of exploration allowed us to experience the not-quite-open-yet Good Neighbor Trail and its historic context during our visit to Brooksville this September.
Brooksville is the county seat of Hernando County, in Central Florida. It is the heart of Florida’s Adventure Coast.
East vs. West: which is best? I hiked both as a loop, so here’s a rundown of how the two corridors of the Florida Trail compare through Central Florida – and a little trail history.
39.1 miles. Savor a rugged hike through rolling hills and rocky terrain on one of Florida’s longest backpacking loops when you take on the Citrus Hiking Trail near Inverness
Showcasing elements of a sandhill ecosystem, Loop C in the Croom Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest offers broad views of varied foliage and wildflowers under a sparse canopy.
Using the Florida Trail and the Blue Loop Trail, hikers can explore a picturesque corner of Withlacoochee State Forest in Ridge Manor along a 3.9-mile loop.
A photographic journey across Florida, Discovering the Florida Trail is our new small format coffee table book with both panoramas and small wonders along the Florida National Scenic Trail. Hardcover, 192 pages.
9.8 miles. Traversing rolling landscapes of the Brooksville Ridge, the Croom section of the Florida Trail provides miles of panoramic views within a large area of sandhill habitat.
A pleasant ramble on bluffs above the Withlacoochee River, the Croom River Trail segment of the Florida Trail tunnels through oak hammocks and slips around cypress swamps along its 6.3-mile journey.
4.1 miles. North of Brooksville, two environmental areas and a state forest are paired with a short backwoods roadwalk as an example of conservation within a rural community.
Weaving across rolling sandhills and along the tannic waters of the Withlacoochee River, the River Road to Richloam Loop section is an exceptionally scenic destination along the western corridor of the Florida Trail.
