Rob Rogers
Author, attorney, backpacker, and lover of the outdoors
Tag: Florida Trail
-
Pretty scrub and ponds abound in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness
After a month of being prevented from backpacking by flooded trails, a pesky cold, and the national championship run of a certain basketball team, I will finally be able to return to the Ocala National Forest this weekend, possibly for my last one-nighter of the season as the heat of summer approaches. It will be… Read.
-
The Bull Creek Loop is a Gem on the Florida Trail’s Eastern Corridor
The approaching end of Florida’s winter-spring backpacking season perhaps calls for reflection on where I’ve been this season. Having focused this season more on the eastern portions of the Florida Trail closer to Orlando (as well as the Ocala National Forest), my favorite trip of the year so far may have been the one-nighter I… Read.
-
Chuluota Wilderness Area and the Bronson State Forest: Flatlands, Wetlands, and Much More
In my quest to get acquainted with more sections of the eastern corridor of the Florida Trail, I celebrated this past New Year’s Day backpacking on the Florida Trail in the Chuluota Wilderness Area and the Bronson State Forest. A week earlier (yes, on Christmas Eve), I had done the same in the busy Little… Read.
-
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… Read.
-
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… Read.
-
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… Read.
-
My First Hike in Ocala National Forest was Amazing (Riverside Island)
Last Saturday I made my first long-overdue trip to the Ocala National Forest, the birthplace of the Florida National Scenic Trail. Although my original intent was to do a one-night backpacking trip, I changed my mind when I looked at the weather forecast which promised post-sunset temperatures in the high 40s dropping to the 30s… Read.
-
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… Read.
-
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… Read.
RobRogersWriter.com 