About 1½ hours east of Orlando near Brooksville, a playground for outdoor enthusiasts beckons for hikers that offers that rarest of commodities in our state: Hills. Anyone who has driven on I-75 north of Tampa has passed through them. By Florida standards, they are a bit rugged. They are also a great place to backpack … Continue reading Hills in Florida? The Croom Tract in the Withlacoochee State Forest Has Them
Tag: backpacking
Thank you to Sandra Friend for Posting My Piece on FloridaHikes.com!
I was honored today to have Sandra Friend, the author of The Florida Trail Guide and many other great books on backpacking, post my first article on the FloridaHikes.com website and feature me as an author there. The piece, titled "It's Raining in the Ocala National Forest," is a humorous account of my first backpacking … Continue reading Thank you to Sandra Friend for Posting My Piece on FloridaHikes.com!
Florida Hikes is THE website for anyone hiking and backpacking in Florida
Anyone who has planned a vacation knows it can be difficult to mull through a world of online information to figure out the best places to go, stay, and see. For backpackers, there is just one definitive website for planning hikes and camping trips in Florida, and it is FloridaHikes.com. If you’re a novice backpacker looking … Continue reading Florida Hikes is THE website for anyone hiking and backpacking in Florida
Lake Louisa State Park: A Great Place to Learn to Backpack
When I began dreaming about backpacking 14 months ago at age 47 after impulsively purchasing a tent, I did not think I would be solo backpacking on national scenic trails by now. I only wanted to sleep under the stars away from city lights and the noise of parking lot campers. I eventually learned to … Continue reading Lake Louisa State Park: A Great Place to Learn to Backpack
Sleeping on the Trail—Tips for New Backpackers on Tents, Sleeping Bags, and Other Items that Will Help You Rest Between Hikes
When you hike in the backcountry or even at a state park, you often need to sleep at a primitive campsite that has nothing but a firepit and possibly a picnic table—indeed, that’s much of what makes it fun. But unless you’re a deer or a pooch, you’ll need a comfortable place to sleep that … Continue reading Sleeping on the Trail—Tips for New Backpackers on Tents, Sleeping Bags, and Other Items that Will Help You Rest Between Hikes
The Little Big Econ State Forest: A Great Way to Taste the Florida Trail
The following article was first published in the January 2025 issue of The Footpath Newsletter, the newsletter for the Central Florida chapter of the Florida Trail Association. Having recently written a book about several one-night backpacking trips I did last year while discovering backpacking in Central Florida, I had not yet actually done a trip … Continue reading The Little Big Econ State Forest: A Great Way to Taste the Florida Trail
“Non-Necessities” I Always Take Backpacking
Backpackers live and die by weight. Abiding by the commandment that you should never carry more than 20 percent of your body weight (not an easy feat for a fit demographic), competent backpackers obsess about ounces, always consider the weight of anything they take on the trail, and avoid even light luxuries that they’ll feel … Continue reading “Non-Necessities” I Always Take Backpacking
Tips for Novice or Born-Again Backpackers
The following article was first published in the September-October 2024 issue of The Footpath Newsletter, the newsletter for the Central Florida chapter of the Florida Trail Association. Although many of you have probably been backpacking for years, some of you may, like me until recently, be long-time avid hikers who avoid camping in the backcountry … Continue reading Tips for Novice or Born-Again Backpackers
The Green Swamp West Tract: A Section of Florida Trail that is Backpacking Paradise
In my recent discoveries of Central Florida trails, I’ve fallen in love with sections of the Florida National Scenic Trail, Florida’s answer to the Appalachian Trail that runs from the Everglades to the Florida panhandle, and perhaps my favorite place to do one-night backpacking trips near my home in Winter Garden is the section of … Continue reading The Green Swamp West Tract: A Section of Florida Trail that is Backpacking Paradise
Florida National Scenic Trail: An Outdoor Paradise in Our Own Backyard
Most people have heard of the Appalachian Trail, but did you realize we have our own national scenic trail right here in Florida? The Florida Trail is truly a hiker’s and backpacker’s paradise—and much of it runs through Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties. The Florida Trail is one of eleven national scenic trails recognized by … Continue reading Florida National Scenic Trail: An Outdoor Paradise in Our Own Backyard
