HIKING CENTRAL FLORIDA : a guide to the area's greatest hiking adventures

Hiking Central Florida describes forty of the region’s best and most varied hikes, those that offer the chance to observe unspoiled, natural Florida at its finest. With terrain ranging from wet cypress swamps to dry pinewood forests, the region offers subtly striking scenery and it harbors rich diversity. Covering the area from Ocala to State Road 60 near Lake Wales and Yeehaw Junction—and also embracing the northern stretch of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest and the Bulow Plantation/Bulow Creek hike on the Atlantic coast—this user-friendly guide takes you from short family hikes in places such as Canaveral National Seashore, to backpackers' delights. It provides all the information you need to make the most of exploring Central Florida by foot. Look inside to find: • Hikes suited to every ability • Directions to the trailheads • Comprehensive trail descriptions and maps • Mile-by-mile directional cues • Difficulty ratings, average hiking times, and best hiking seasons for every featured hike • Area-specific tips on safety, hiking ethics, plants and animals, preserving the environment, and more Acknowledgments Meet Your Guide Introduction BEFORE YOU HIT THE TRAIL Trail Finder Short Family Hikes Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park 1 Bulow Plantation Ruins Trail Canaveral National Seashore 2 Turtle Mound Boardwalk Hike 3 Eldora Trail 4 Eldora Hammock Trail 5 Castle Windy Trail Honeymoon Island State Park 6 Osprey and Pelican Cove Trails 7 Nature Trail and North Beach Hike Caladesi Island State Park 8 The Island Trail Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge Blue Spring State Park 12 Blue Spring Boardwalk and Nature Trail Geneva Wilderness Area 13 Geneva Wilderness Area Loop Tibet-ButlerPreserve 14 Circuit of Nature Trails Withlacoochee State Forest 15 McKethan Lake Nature Trail Loop 9 Pontoon Landing Hike 10 Nature Trails Hontoon Island State Park Day Hikes Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Parkand Bulow Creek State Park 16 Bulow Woods Linear Trail 17 Bulow Woods Loop Trail Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 18 Allan Cruickshank Memorial Loop Trail 19 Palm Hammock Loop Trail 20 Oak Hammock Loop Trail De Leon Springs State Park 21 Wild Persimmon Trail Black Bear Wilderness Area 22 Black Bear Wilderness Area Hike Little Big Econ State Forest 23 Kolokee Loop Trail Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area 24 Split Oak North and South Loops The Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve 25 Top of the Loop Trails 26 Perimeter Hike Hillsborough River State Park 27 River Rapids and Baynard Trails 28 Seminole Trail Tiger Creek Preserve 29 Pfundstein Trail 30 Heron Pond Loop Prairie Lakes Unit—Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area 31 North Loop Trail 32 South Loop Trail Little Manatee River State Park 33 Little Manatee River Loop Overnight Hikes Seminole State Forest 34 Florida Linear Out and Back Trail 35 Lower Wekiva Loop Trail Wekiwa Springs State Park 36 Wekiwa Springs Loop Trail Lake Kissimmee State Park 37 Kristin Jacobs Loop Trail 38 Buster Island Loop Trail Long Haulers Ocala National Forest 39 Ocala North Trail 40 Ocala South Trail Hiker’s Checklist Hike Index Hiking Central Florida describes thirty of the regions best and most varied hikes, those that offer the chance to observe unspoiled, natural Florida at its finest. With terrain ranging from wet cypress swamps to dry pinewood forests, the region offers subtly striking scenery and it harbors rich diversity. Covering the area from Ocala to State Road 60 near Lake Wales and Yeehaw Junctionand also embracing the northern stretch of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest and the Bulow Plantation/Bulow Creek hike on the Atlantic coastthis user-friendly guide takes you from short family hikes in places such as Canaveral National Seashore, to backpackers' delights. It provides all the information you need to make the most of exploring Central Florida by foot. Look inside to Hikes suited to every ability Directions to the trailheads Comprehensive trail descriptions and maps Mile-by-mile directional cues Difficulty ratings, average hiking times, and best hiking seasons for every featured hike Area-specific tips on safety, hiking ethics, plants and animals, preserving the environment, and more