Throughout Gainesville, creeks vanish into the ground, becoming part of the Floridan Aquifer. Along the two short but rugged trails that comprise this loop - the Moonshine Creek Trail and the Creek … [Read more...]
Day Hikes
Salt Lake WMA
Pockets of prehistoric salt water lie deep beneath the marshes of the St. Johns River near Mims, bubbling up as salt springs. As a result, the salinity of South Lake, Loughman Lake, and Salt Lake, all … [Read more...]
Florida Trail, Pat’s Island to Hidden Pond
One of the most popular hikes on the Florida Trail is also one of the most interesting. Hidden Pond is an oasis in the middle of the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, a designated wilderness area in the … [Read more...]
Viera Wetlands
On the boundary between modern subdivisions and the floodplain of the St. Johns River, Viera Wetlands - modeled after Orlando Wetlands Park, to process wastewater naturally - has proven to be one of … [Read more...]
Barr Hammock Preserve
Encompassing more than 5,700 acres, Barr Hammock Preserve includes an expansive wetland area, the Levy Prairie, that is the centerpiece of the Levy Loop Trail. Literally. Entirely atop a set of … [Read more...]
Watermelon Pond WEA
On the westernmost edge of Alachua County, Watermelon Pond is a sprawling prairie complex that was once a massive lake, a haven for wading birds. Unfortunately, the dewatering effects of continued … [Read more...]
Florida Trail, Clewiston to South Bay
As of May 1, 2013, the Army Corps of Engineers has closed this section and it will not reopen until sometime in 2014. Backpackers / thru-hikers / section hikers: please use the Okeechobee West … [Read more...]
Wakulla Springs State Park – Cherokee Sink Trail
A karst window into the watery world of the Woodville Karst Plain, Cherokee Sink is a large, deep water-filled sinkhole in a less-traveled section of Wakulla Springs State Park. More than 250 wide at … [Read more...]
Goethe State Forest – Buck Island Pond Trail
Looping around a cypress-lined pond in the midst of pine flatwoods, the Buck Island Pond Trail at Goethe State Forest has quite a few interesting features going for it. For one, a great little … [Read more...]
Florida Trail, Little Big Econ State Forest
Flanking the banks of the Econlockhatchee River, a ribbon of wilderness protects a swath of forests edged on one side by suburbia, on the other by ranchland. It is the Little-Big Econ State Forest, … [Read more...]
