Just south of Daytona Beach, Ponce Preserve straddles the island from the Halifax River to the Atlantic Ocean, which means access to both kinds of watery fun! The best part - there’s a hike in-between. Check out a preview of what’s along the trail … the details are headed out to Hike-A-Week readers this afternoon.

Caspersen Beach

Governor Crist again dubbed July as Florida Parks & Rec month to keep in synch with National Parks & Recreation Month. Honestly, most other states can only celebrate it in the summer months … we can celebrate year-round!

While mid-summer is not the ideal time to take long hike, these are the days - when storms aren’t bearing down - when we can get out early and enjoy a hike AND a swim afterwards. Lucky us to have so many springs and beaches to pair up with easy nature walks. Here are some of my favorites hike & swim pairings:

Blackwater River State Park, near Pensacola
Wakulla Springs State Park, south of Tallahassee
Big Talbot Island @ Blackrock Beach, north of Jacksonville
Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest
Smyrna Dunes Park, New Smyrna Beach
Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin
Coquina Baywalk, Bradenton
Caspersen Beach Park, Venice

All Florida State Parks will offer free entrance on July 17, so if you’re not a passholder, get out there and explore a new one! Got an iPhone? My Florida State Parks app can help you pick the proper park for your family’s favorite activities. It’s only $1.99 and packed with photos … plus GPS-enabled to help you pick parks by proximity … so grab a copy!

The fragile nature of Florida Bay - especially in the impending danger of the oil spill - has me pondering the various access points where hikers can see the bay from a trail. The Keys have a handful of hikes out to the bay, but the mainland only a few. Here’s one where mosquitoes are guaranteed year-round, but you might see a flamingo.

Hike the Snake Bight Trail in Everglades National Park

The onslaught of oil escalated in earnest along Gulf Islands National Seashore’s Fort Pickens Road and Pensacola Beach, forcing closure of the beach for public safety. According to the official statement on the Gulf Islands National Seashore website:

” There is an advisory in effect by the Escambia County Health Department from Walkover 23 on Pensacola Beach to west tip of Santa Rosa Island including Fort Pickens. This advisory extends to the Perdido Key area including Johnson Beach. Because of significant quantities of oil in the water and coming ashore signage and flags advise visitors to not wade or swim in the water.”

In fact, footage from a local news channel shows yellow warning tape up keeping visitors off the beach yesterday and earlier today. News reports from just two hours ago say the advisory has been lifted.  The oil, however, keeps coming ashore.

Photo gallery from Fort Pickens Road (Pensacola News-Journal)

Please note that the closure area includes the route of the Florida Trail along the Seashore section. You can always detour by walking the sidewalks along Fort Pickens Road and CR 399 as needed.

Video from Pensacola News-Journal (ironic that BP ad runs ahead of all news videos on the oil spill!)

Marion County’s first conservation area opened with a whisper in May, 330 acres of upland recharge area just to the southwest of the famed Silver Springs. Located at 5415 N.E. 7th St just west of Baseline Road, the trailhead has interpretive maps to guide you along the triple-loop trail system.

From a Google Earth view, it’s hard to believe this conservation area exists, wedged in as it is between Wal-Mart, Baseline Road, and residential areas. But one side is firmly across from Silver River State Park, and the habitats here hearken to the ones you’ll find over at the Sandhill Trail, primarily sandhills and scrub.

This is Marion County’s first ever conservation area. May it be the beginning of a program that encompasses many more around my very large home county!

I’ll be sharing full details with subscribers this week for the Hike-A-Week. Meanwhile, learn more:

Read Lucy Tobias’ story in today’s Ocala Star-Banner
See my Flickr images of Silver Springs Conservation Area

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