M. Timothy OKeefe - Hiking central Florida: a guide to 30 great walking and hiking adventures

Hiking Central Florida

A Guide to 30 Great Walking and Hiking Adventures

M. Timothy OKeefe

To Jeff, Carolyn, and David Butler. Sharing the outdoors with all of you for so many years was always the high point of living in Central Florida. Carrie, we miss you.

Copyright 2009 Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to The Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Falcon and FalconGuides are registered trademarks and Outfit Your Mind is a trademark of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Text design by Nancy Freeborn

Maps created by Multi Mapping LTD Morris Book Publishing, LLC

Interior photos M. Timothy OKeefe

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

OKeefe, M. Timothy.

Hiking central Florida : a guide to 30 great walking and hiking adventures / M. Timothy OKeefe.

p. cm. -- (Falconguides)

ISBN 978-0-7627-9741-7

1. Hiking--Florida--Guidebooks. 2. Trails--Florida--Guidebooks. 3. Florida--Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV199.42.F6O54 2009

796.5109759--dc22

2008039473

The author and The Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

HELP US KEEP THIS GUIDE UP TO DATE

Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, techniques evolve, facilities come under new management, etc.

We welcome your comments concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart, and well also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

The Globe Pequot Press

Reader Response/Editorial Department

P.O. Box 480

Guilford, CT 06437

Or you may e-mail us at: editorial@GlobePequot.com

Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

Contents

Acknowledgments

A guidebook to Central Florida hiking is possible only because of the untiring efforts of the Florida Trail Association, the volunteer organization responsible for creating and maintaining many of the states best wilderness hiking trails, including the Florida National Scenic Trail (also known as the Florida Trail and FNST).

Also responsible for opening up and conserving hundreds of miles of Central Florida pathways are the staffs and volunteer helpers of the Florida Park Service, the state and national forests, and the state and national wildlife refuges and preserves.

These are the people who make it all possible for the rest of us. After every hurricane, they have a tremendous workload and do a terrific job.

Preface

No mountain high enough, no valley low enough
what Central Florida hiking is like

Almost all of the thirty Central Florida trails described here are true hiking experiences on trails not shared with cyclists, skateboarders, and, in most places, horses, whose residual presence is not always appreciated in our hot Florida climate. Our definition of Central Florida extends from Ocala to State Road 60 near Lake Wales and Yeehaw Junction. However, two hikes described fall outside these boundaries: The northern section of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest and the Bulow Plantation/Bulow Creek hike on the Atlantic coast. Those walks are generally thought of as part of Central Florida hiking; and they are just too good to leave out.

Walks in Central Florida can be as brief, or as long, as you wish. Many nature walks are quite short, taking only an hour or two. If that seems too tame, you can tackle several hundred miles of the 1,400-mile-long Florida Trail, one of eight National Scenic Trails. The unbroken stretch starting in the Ocala National Forest and ending south of Lake Wales can keep you occupied for weeks at a stretch as it winds through miles of thick forest and wetland nature reserves.

The thirty hikes described here are designed to highlight some of the best natural areas throughout the region and fall into four different categories: Short Family Hikes ranging from 1 to 3 miles, Day Hikes from 3 to 12 miles, Overnight Hikes with easy walks to primitive campsites, and Long Haulers, true backpacking experiences that require a weekend to complete. Youll also find that my companion book Hiking Florida contains a number of other Central Florida hikes not mentioned here. For other regions of Florida, check out my other new books Hiking South Florida and the Keys and Hiking North Florida and the Panhandle.

Central Florida hiking is some of the easiest in all of North America. Florida, essentially a spit of sand between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, is an incredibly flat place. So youll find no mountains to climb, no deep valleys to descend, no dangerous precipices to teeter on. Rolling hills do break up the flat landscape in a few places, but these mounds are hardly formidable. The highest elevation in the state is a stunted 345 feet above sea level. That puts almost all Florida hiking within the capabilities of anyone, from the youngest walker to the oldest. During the driest monthsJanuary to Maywhen the ground is hard, many of these trails are barrier free. Boardwalk nature trails at many of the state parks are well suited for wheelchairs year-round.

One point about Florida hiking that may trouble some out-of-state visitors: Your dog is not welcome on all trails. Some parks and recreation areas require that pets be kept on a leash and confined to a picnic or camping area, and pets may not be allowed to stay overnight. A number of recreation areas are off-limits to pets of any kind, under any condition, with the sole exception of guide/assistance dogs. Youll need to check the Canine compatibility details with each hike.

Walking is virtue, tourism deadly sin.

Werner Herzog, film director

Visiting hikers may wonder about alligators and snakes but poison ivy should always be on their radar. It grows everywhere, from the deep woods to the most open sunny hiilside.

Introduction

What Youll See

The Florida peninsula is believed to be the last part of the continental United States to rise from the ocean, making it the youngest region geologically. Only Alaska can claim a longer shoreline.