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Florida State Parks: Planning Fall Hikes

8/24/2015

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Picture
Picture courtesy of birdsasart.com
Did you know that there are 161 state parks in Florida?! And 10 state trails?! And that's not including the 11 national parks located within the state.

Well, I definitely didn't realize there were so many and when Ellison and I sat down to plan some fall trips close to home it was a bit overwhelming.

The craziness of school (3rd grade!) and sports leaves little time for hiking, but Ellison and I are determined to fit in at least a few visits to some of the beautiful parks we are lucky enough to have in our area. We checked out the maps, a couple of books (this guidebook was really helpful) and came up with a list of the ones we plan to check out this fall. 


1. Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
2. Gold Head Branch State Park
3. O'Leno State Park/River Rise State Preserve
4. Paynes Prairie State Preserve

5. Rainbow Springs State Park
Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
Gold Head Branch State Park
O'Leno State Park
Paynes Prairie State Preserve
Rainbow Springs State Park
Paynes Prairie State Preserve
* Photo Credits where known (Cedar Key courtesy of M. Thompson-Ruede; Paynes Prairie bison/horses courtesy of William Miller 21;  Paynes Prairie alligator courtesy of Florida Native Photography)

There are a few  that we would love to visit when we actually have a weekend instead of just an afternoon (and when the weather is cooler), such as 

- Florida Caverns State Park (Marianna - in the panhandle)
- Caladesi Island State Park (north of Clearwater Beach)
- Caya Costa State Park (north of Sanibel)

Do you have any recommendations or tips?  Is there a park in Florida you think should absolutely make the list? 
Florida Caverns
Caladesi Island
Cayo Costa
* Photo Credits (Florida Caverns courtesy of roadtrippers.com ;Caladesi Island courtesy of visitflorida.com; Cayo Costa courtesy of travelerslocation.com)
1 Comment
Carolyn Dehlinger
8/25/2015 06:02:11 am

little Talbot Island: it traverses from pine scrub to marsh estuary to some fairly high sand dunes looking out on the inlet. Then a driftwood beach.

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    Welcome! 

    My family and I love to get outside and explore every chance we get. My daughter and I started this blog as a way to chronicle not only the places we have visited, but also as a way to preserve our time together. We hope you enjoy it and will make a little time for a hike with friends! 
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