Free admission to Florida State Parks Nov 11
To honor Veterans Day and our soldiers in uniform, all Florida State Parks (except the Skyway Fishing Pier) are free to all visitors on Wednesday, November 11.  If you have the day off … or if you can fit the time in your busy schedule … bundle up the family and enjoy exploring these natural [...]

Hiker Gathering at Fisheating Creek
Today’s the kickoff of the Florida Trail Association South Regional Conference at Fisheating Creek, with workshops, guided paddling trips and hikes, and just plain hanging out with a bunch of hikers from all over South Florida. I’m headed there to reconnect with friends and talk about my new book, Exploring Florida’s Botanical Wonders, so imagine my [...]

Loop Road closure affects Florida Trail thru-hikers
On Nov 2, Loop Road in Big Cypress National Preserve will close between Gator Hook Strand and the Education Center for road improvements. It will not reopen until next summer, effectively shutting off all access for thru-hikers to start their journeys north from the southern terminus of the Florida Trail. Hikers will need to start [...]

More Ocala National Forest logistics
In an effort to help hikers with planning their treks along the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest, I’m pulling together & transcribing information to create a full picture of the hike. I’ve added several segments this week to the overall journey, plus have updated the overview to allow easy access for annual subscribers [...]

Hiking the Juniper Prairie Wilderness
For immersion into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, take a journey along the Florida Trail through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. It’s perennially a getaway for backpackers thanks to Hidden Pond, a beauty spot of a campsite set between a spring and an open prairie. This segment of the Florida Trail went through some [...]