The Big Shoals Trail is certainly one of the most spectacular short hikes in Florida when you catch it at the right time of year: say hiking season, when the Class III whitewater appears as the Suwannee River rushes through limestone formations. Check out this armchair tour hike based on my visit this February. While the easiest in-and-out walk is only 2.2 miles, you can explore much more of the state park on a variety of multi-use trails and forest roads. It’s Hike #4 in 50 Hikes in North Florida, and you’ll find more information about the trail here.
It’s a project I devoted part of my life to for nearly a year, which started last summer with me learning a new content management system in which to present THIS website. Once I felt comfortable enough with it, I started on the makeover of the official Florida Trail website at www.floridatrail.org. Included are features you’ve seen here like zoomable maps and tabbed pages, but new (and what I plan to implement here as well) is the ability for members to directly submit content to the website, from trip reports to articles, photos, and the like. You must be an FTA member to get a member login for the new site; there will be detailed info on how to get yours in the next Footprint. Thanks to Linda Benton and Michael Owens for a great deal of support over the past few months to bring this huge (500+ page) site live.
A dear friend of mine, Warren Resen, is a member of the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. He’s organizing a walk and asked me to help get the word out about it:
I am in the process of setting up a team for the American Diabetes Association walk in West Palm Beach on Saturday, October 4, 2008. This is the annual “Step Out to Fight Diabetes” and is a 2.5 mile walk. Goodies afterward at the registration point. Meeting site is City Place.
The team name is “Florida Hikers.” Registration opens at 7:30 AM and the walk starts at 8:30 AM. I’m asking anyone who signs on to show up wearing a Florida Trail t-shirt. Besides being a worthwhile event for ADA, I would like to use this as a forum to promote FTA. After all, one of the themes of the ADA is that walking is a healthy way to exercise.
If you would be interested in joining with me, please let me know. And yes, while this is a fund raiser for ADA, no donation is needed to participate
Please contact Warren if you’re interested in participating … I plan to be there. Thanks!
North of the main portion of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and its hiking trails in Boynton Beach, a new 3-mile hiking and biking trail opened June 16 at Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West on CR 880, south of Southern Blvd (US 98) at Nine Mile Bend. The trail includes a 200-foot boardwalk and interpretive information about the restoration of this former farm to wetlands. For more information, see this story in the Sun-Sentinel.
Episode 002: Juniper Springs (7:53)
One of many delightful hikes in the Ocala National Forest, the 1.4-mile round-trip Juniper Run Nature Trail at Juniper Springs Recreation Area is the state’s best for showcasing springs. Along this trail, which connects Juniper Springs and Fern Hammock Springs, you’ll see everything from a deep cavernous outflow to tiny bubblers, underwater sandstorms, and bizarre pools of turquoise and gray that look like post-modern video screens. It’s an easy walk and well worth the stop on your trip through the Ocala National Forest.
Episode 002: Juniper Springs (7:53)
