Rob Rogers

Author, attorney, backpacker, and lover of the outdoors

I’m Rob Rogers, a writer and attorney from Winter Garden, Florida.

I recently published my first book, Finding My Way Home: Fighting Depression Backpacking in Central Florida. I also write a blog called the Central Florida Backpacking Desk Jockey, along with essays for literary journals and articles for outdoor and travel publications. When I’m not practicing law, of course.

2025 Florida Authors & Association (FAPA) President’s Book Awards, Winner of the Bronze Medal for Autobiography/Memoir

2025 Independent Author Network (IAN) Book of the Year Awards, Finalist for Nonfiction: Mind/Body/Spirit

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Walmart, ThriftBooks, AbeBooks, and the Sunshine Book Co. in Clermont, Fla.

“The strongest part of Rogers’s writing is in his raw honesty regarding his emotions and moods; he balances an almost-compulsive devotion to nature with realistic responses to the conflicts that come when interacting with others, emerging on the other side with a curiosity and hopeful expectation of the future. The areas he hikes come alive, unfolding through candid descriptions and personal photographs that transport readers directly into his journey.”

Critic’s Report, The BookLife Prize

RECENT Publications

Essays (creative writing)

The Poster in My Closet,” Under the Gum Tree, Summer 2026 (Issue 60)

Mother Figure,” Empyrean, Summer 2026 (Vol. 5, No. 2)

Road Trip to South Carolina,” Black Sheep: Unique Tales of Terror and Wonder, July 2026 (Vol. 35)

Thorn & Bloom

Campfire Beside the Prairie,” Thorn & Bloom, Mar. 2026 (Issue 5)

Cognitive Distortion,” Thorn & Bloom, Sept. 2025 (Issue 3)

The NightWriter Review

Mardi Gras ’95,” The Night Writer Review, Mar. 2026 (Winter 2025/2026) (2025 Golden Quill Writing Contest–1st Place for Nonfiction)

Big Sky Journal

The First Run of the Season,” Big Sky Journal, Feb. 2026 (Fly Fishing 2026)

Ponder Review

Morning Coffee,” Ponder Review, Dec. 2025 (Vol. 9, Issue 2)–Nominated for Pushcart Prize

Articles on Backpacking, Hiking, and Travel

Go World Travel

Why a Croatian Sailing Charter Is the Perfect Family Vacation,” Go World Travel (June 29, 2026)

Outdoors Unlimited

Backpacking Beside the Baltic Sea,” Outdoors Unlimited (Fall 2025)

The Footpath Newsletter

“Tips for Backpacking During Breaks, on Business Trips, or Family Vacations,” The Footpath Newslette(Florida Trail Association, Central Florida Chapter), Aug. 2026

“Withlacoochee State Forest’s Richloam Tract, Now Restored from Hurricane Damage, is Dry, Green, and Perfect for Spring Hiking,” The Footpath Newslette(Florida Trail Association, Central Florida Chapter), May 2026

Articles (Backpacking and Hiking)

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Just an Hour’s Drive from Split, Šibenik Will Awe You With Medieval Charm

During my summer hiatus from backpacking in Central Florida, I’ve decided to spend the next several weeks posting about the towns and islands my family and I visited during our weeklong sailing trip in June on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like to charter a sailboat…