A Grand Opening in the swamp! Join the Big Cypress National Preserve and the South Florida National Parks Trust to celebrate the grand opening of the new Big Cypress Welcome Center just east of the intersection of SR 29 and US 41 north of Everglades City in Ochopee. This new welcome center presents the integrated story of the Big Cypress ecosystem and ALL of the public lands involved in protecting the sheet flow of rainwater across more than a million acres of Southwest Florida.

An Open House starts at 11 AM on March 20, followed by a BBQ lunch at 1 PM. Come see the exhibits, meet Clyde Butcher and filmmaker Elam Stolzfus, and Jon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 12 noon.

For more information, contact 305-665-4769 or visit the Big Cypress National Preserve website

Hey campers! A new package deal program from Florida State Parks offers you the chance to see two parks for the price of one. To encourage weekday camping, Florida State Parks is offering bundled trips to the following parks:

Rainbow Springs State Park
2 nights camping, park admission, and two admissions to nearby Homosassa Springs, $56

Highlands Hammock State Park
2 nights camping, bicycle rental for two, tram tour for two, and two admissions to nearby Paynes Creek State Park, $40

Bungalow by the Sea at Topsail Hill State Park
Two nights in a bungalow (sleeps four) plus admission for up to 8 people to Topsail Hill, Eden Gardens State Park, and Camp Helen State Park, plus the tour of the Wesley House at Eden Gardens. $220

Dates vary, but trips must be taken mid-week and booked in advance. For full details, see  this press release from DEP

The Julia Monroe Woodward Trail at Mission San Luis, Tallahassee, is presently closed due to erosion around the natural seep spring and problematic raccoons. No date is set as to when the nature trail will reopen.

Mocassin Lake Nature Trail, Clearwater

Granted, Moccasin Lake may not be the most tempting  name for a beauty spot in an urban area, but rest assured that this nature center provides you and the kids a great getaway if you live in the Clearwater / Tampa area. Check out the creatures inside the center, walk the mile long nature trail through shady forests with ferns along a creek flowing out of the namesake lake, and hang out on the observation deck looking for birds. With a cool weekend expected, it’s time to get the family out in the woods!

For more details and location …

Florida Trail near Santos

When I recently revisited the Land Bridge to Santos section of the Florida Trail on the Cross Florida Greenway, what a delight to discover the rugged terrain underfoot from Santos west on the trail! It had been long enough I’d forgotten about how many sinkholes, voids, and surface chunks of limestone karst were along the trail, especially close to the Santos trailhead. While you’d assume this section of trail would be within view of houses and farms, not so. You’re mostly in the woods south of Ocala along the old barge canal route, and the forest have grown up grandly, complete with massive live oaks. If you can spend your Sunday on a hike, this is an excellent choice!

Map & details for the hike …