DEP Celebrates Florida Hiking Trails Month

Partner News

TALLAHASSEE – Recognizing February as Florida Hiking Trails Month, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is joining the Florida Trail Association to encourage Floridians to enjoy a healthy lifestyle by taking advantage of Florida’s extensive trail system.

“February is the perfect month to hike one of Florida’s award-winning trails, encouraging outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship,” said DEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails Director Jena B. Brooks. “Florida’s greenways and trails provide recreational and economic opportunities for communities and preserve diverse natural habitats and beautiful landscapes of Florida.”

A match for any fitness plan, Florida boasts more than 4,000 miles of trails for walking, biking, hiking or riding. Initiated by the Florida Trail Association, Florida Hiking Trails Month emphasizes fun and fitness along scenic and diverse trails, including paved rail-trails, urban trails through cityscapes and wilderness trails through Florida’s award-winning state parks.

Hundreds of miles of public trails exist throughout the state, including the Florida National Scenic Trail, an ongoing project that will extend from the Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida to the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the Panhandle. DEP’s newest project, the Florida Circumnavigation Saltwater Paddling Trail, will take visitors on a paddling experience from Big Lagoon State Park near Pensacola, around the Florida Keys, to Fort Clinch State Park near the Georgia border. Other trails across the state include:

 

NORTHWEST PANHANDLE

• Blackwater Heritage State Trail: The westernmost rail/trail in the state, crossing over scenic creeks on wooden bridges.

NORTHEAST PANHANDLE

• Tallahassee -St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail: Stretches from Florida’s capital city, through the Apalachicola National Forest to the coastal community of St. Marks and the San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park.
• Torreya State Trails: Enjoy panoramic views atop the bluffs of Florida’s largest river, the Apalachicola. The park is named for a species of rare Torreya tree that grow only on the bluffs of the river.

NORTHERN FLORIDA

• Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail: Stretching from Gainesville’s Boulware Springs Park to the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area. La Chua trail in Paynes Prairie features bison, wild horses and sandhill cranes.
• Suwannee River Greenway at Branford: Railroad heritage and the renowned Suwannee River provide opportunities to experience history and nature. The Suwannee River marks the trail’s western terminus while the Ichetucknee River is located at the east end.

CROSS FLORIDA

• Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway: Encounter nature and history while hiking Florida’s premiere greenway. The 110-mile corridor stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the St. Johns River through a diverse terrain of cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks and loblolly pines.
• Nature Coast State Trail: Built along abandoned rail lines, connecting the communities of Cross City, Trenton, Fanning Springs and Chiefland. An historic train trestle allows trail goers to hike above the Suwannee River.

EAST CENTRAL

• West Orange Trail: Just miles from Orlando, this trail offers a xeriscape/butterfly garden, the Winter Garden Historical Museum and striking views of Lake Apopka.
• Lake Minneola Scenic Trail/Clermont Trail: Originally separate trails, the two now join along the same lake, featuring hills higher than any other rail/trail in Florida.

WEST CENTRAL

• Gasparilla Island/Boca Grande Trail: The first rail/trail built in Florida runs the length of Gasparilla Island, a semi-tropical paradise, through the town of Boca Grande.
• Withlacoochee State Forest/Croom Hiking Trails: Named one of the “10 Coolest Places in North America” by the World Wildlife Fund, it includes abandoned rock mines.

SOUTHERN

• Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail: Circling the second largest freshwater lake in the contiguous United States, this trail provides views of the scenic lakeside and working agricultural landscapes.
• Jonathan Dickinson State Trails: Located west of Hobe Sound, the park consists of more than 11,000 acres, with the Loxahatchee River, Florida’s first federally designated Wild and Scenic River, running through the southwest portion. The park’s trails offer opportunities for hikers, bikers, equestrians and paddlers.

For more information about Florida trails and events, visit http://www.floridagreenwaysandtrails.com/. For information about the Florida National Scenic Trail and the Florida Trail Association, visit http://www.floridatrail.org/.

CONTACT: Sarah Williams, (850) 245-2112

FTA Staff @ February 3, 2006