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 to discover the Florida outdoors, there is no better place to begin than the pages of this website.

Florida Hikes is the brain child of Sandra Friend and John Keatley, two of the foremost authorities on the Central Florida outdoors. They have written some of the best guidebooks for backpacking in Florida, including Florida Trail Hikes: Top Scenic Destinations on Florida’s National Scenic Trail and 50 Hikes in Central Florida, as well as The Florida Trail Guide, the indispensable handbook for anyone taking on legs of the Florida Trail. [Technically, my Central Florida FTA friend Chris Stevens co-authored the latest 5^th edition of The Florida Trail Guide with Sandra—John co-authored the prior editions. I wouldn’t forget you, Chris.] I began the adventures described in my book by studying 50 Hikes and The Florida Trail Guide religiously. Virtually all of the wisdom provided in those books can also be found on FloridaHikes.com.

Oh, where to start with what makes this website so perfect. Having hiked the entire Florida Trail, Sandra and John seem to realize that most desk jockeys like me can only bite off small portions of the Florida Trail at a time, so they’ve stocked their website with hundreds of separate pages describing loops, short point-to-point hikes, and short out-and-back hikes of virtually all distances in special places with mouth-watering outdoor appeal. Each page also links to other nearby alternative options. So navigating the website to find places to backpack is easy.

And what you’ll find on each page is both practical and educational. Sandra and John provide directions to trailheads and warnings about where and where not to park or leave vehicles overnight. They suggest places to camp with details about campsites, including photos of what you can expect to find when you arrive. And they provide those important warnings about things to look out for like bears, snakes, hunters, or flooded trails. (I notably ignored advice about flooded trails to my regret before hiking in the Osceola National Forest last April—but at least my blunder provided me an amusing introduction to my book.)

What makes Sandra and John’s pages perhaps most special are their insights about the flora and fauna you’ll find at the places they describe, sprinkled with enlightening historical and geological insights. They know the names of the plants you’ll see and the best times of year to see them. They lead you over each hill and dell, and they describe the trees and mosses and birds you’ll encounter at each turn.  They not only tell you how to complete each adventure, but also enlighten you about what you’ll see while you’re there. I often spend as much time reading the pages on Florida Hikes describing the places I’ve hiked after returning from my backpacking adventures as I did while preparing.

Not to be overlooked, FloridaHikes.com also provides other “how to” information for novice backpackers that should not be ignored. I would not be hanging my bear bag correctly if not for Sandra and John’s guidance on their website. So this is true one-stop shopping for anyone who wants to begin experiencing the Florida wilderness and the Florida Trail.