50 Hikes in Central Florida

by Sandra Friend, John Keatley

Overview

A Florida hike for every interest and ability

Florida’s landscape is a marvel of diversity, and Central Florida is its pinnacle. Footpaths range through salt marshes, river floodplains, and along coastal dunes and beaches. Trails pass through desert- like scrub islands, jungle- like hydric hammocks, and deep, dark bayous. There’s no better way to take in this natural world than by walking it.

Ranging from 1 to 43 miles in length, each hike includes directions, a detailed map, and information on hike duration, difficulty, and trail conditions. Explore a new side of Florida, from hidden urban gems like the Circle Bar B Ranch in Lakeland and Ponce Preserve in Daytona Beach, to the quiet rural landscapes of Catfish Creek State Park and Chinsegut Hill.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682682135
Publisher:	Countryman Press, The
Publication date:	12/04/2018
Series:	Explorer's 50 Hikes
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	1,034,278
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.01(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Sandra Friend is a freelance writer and photographer whose work has appeared in Blue Ridge Country, Appalachian Trailway News, Florida Hiker, and Backpacker. She participates in the Florida Trail Association as an activity leader, a trail maintainer, and a volunteer with organization publications. She is also the author of Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Central Florida; Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in North Florida; Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in South Florida; Florida in the Civil War: A State in Turmoil, and Sinkholes. She lives in Ocala, Florida.

John Keatley is a Florida travel writer and explorer, contributing to FloridaHikes.com. He is the co-author of Five Star Trails Gainesville and Ocala and The Florida Trail Guide and frequently writes on the topics of cycling, paddlesports, camping, hiking and tourism. He lives in Melbourne, FL.

Table of Contents

Hikes at a Glance 8

Acknowledgments 15

Introduction 17

I Central Highlands 27

1 Rainbow Springs State Park 28

2 Holly Hammock Hiking Trail 34

3 Silver Springs State Park 39

4 Trout Lake Nature Center 47

5 Hidden Waters Preserve 52

6 Flat Island Preserve 57

7 Circle B Bar Reserve 62

8 Lakeland Highlands Scrub 67

II Nature Coast 75

9 Johnson Pond Trail 76

10 Citrus Trail 81

11 Fort Cooper State Park 91

12 Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area 98

13 Croom River Trail Loop 105

14 Withlacoochee River Park 111

15 Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park 118

16 James E. Grey Preserve 126

III St. Johns River 131

17 De Leon Springs State Park 132

18 St. Francis Trail 139

19 Black Bear Wilderness Area 146

20 Spring Hammock Preserve 152

21 Orlando Wetlands Park 158

IV Orlando Metro 165

22 Lake Proctor Wilderness Area 166

23 Geneva Wilderness Area 171

24 Hal Scott Preserve 176

25 Prairie Lakes Loop 181

26 Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area 188

27 Tibet-Butler Preserve 194

28 Disney Wilderness Preserve 199

V Lake Wales Ridge 205

29 Crooked River Preserve 206

30 Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park 211

31 Lake Kissimmee State Park 217

32 Tiger Creek Preserve 224

33 Crooked Lake Prairie 231

VI Tampa Bay 237

34 Hillsborough River State Park 238

35 Lettuce Lake Park 245

36 Brooker Creek Preserve 249

37 John Chesnut Sr. Park 255

38 Honeymoon Island State Park 261

39 Eagle Lake Park 266

40 Weedon Island Preserve 272

41 Alafia Scrub Nature Preserve 279

42 Little Manatee River Trail 284

VII Atlantic Coast 291

43 Tiger Bay State Forest 292

44 Ponce Preserve 299

45 Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve 305

46 Lyonia Preserve 313

47 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 318

48 Enchanted Forest Sanctuary 328

49 Maritime Hammock Sanctuary 334

50 Turkey Creek Sanctuary 339