Rob Rogers
Author, attorney, backpacker, and lover of the outdoors
Tag: hike
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As State Parks Go, Colt Creek State Park is Great for Hikers Looking for Longer Distances
Anyone familiar with my book or my prior blog posts knows that I am borderline-obsessed with the Green Swamp located an hour west of Orlando. But I’m ashamed to admit that, until this weekend, I had not yet visited nearby Colt Creek State Park. I’m glad my wait is over, as Colt Creek is certainly… Read.
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Huge Cypress Trees Enchant at Spring Hammock Preserve
A family-friendly trail long enjoyed by generations of Central Floridians, but closed for 13 years after falling into disrepair, has finally been restored and reopened for public enjoyment. The new and improved paved trail at Spring Hammock Preserve is now back, and it’s one of the easiest places in Central Florida to see huge, majestic… Read.
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Don’t Let Ticks Ruin Your Time Hiking and Backpacking in Florida
As a review through my recent summer posts will show, your Central Florida Backing Desk Jockey has not written much lately about backpacking and hiking, particularly backpacking in Florida. The truth is that I have not been on the trail much recently—I haven’t hiked in Florida outside a state park in several months, and I’m… Read.
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Thank you, Outdoors Unlimited, for featuring my book
I was honored to have my book, Finding My Way Home: Fighting Depression Backpacking in Central Florida, included in the “Bookshelf” section (page 28) of Outdoors Unlimited magazine’s Summer 2025 issue. Outdoors Unlimited is the official magazine of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, which I joined earlier this year and which includes as members… Read.
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Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Gainesville is great for history, hiking, and horses
Anyone driving past Gainesville on I-75 will be familiar with Paynes Prairie, the huge savannah north of Micanopy that offers a panoramic break from the surrounding forests. But the state park that includes Paynes Prairie and lies just south of the University of Florida is worth a closer look. Beyond providing a sanctuary for gators… Read.
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Going to Grand Tetons National Park? You must hike in Cascade Canyon
My family and I returned last weekend from a vacation in Montana and Wyoming and had the privilege to do several day hikes in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. If you’re lucky enough to hike in Grand Teton, you’ll likely try the popular trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point near Jenny Lake. But… Read.
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Check out my latest essay in Wilderness House Literary Review
I was honored to have an essay of mine titled “A Suburban Desk Jockey’s Weekend Adventure in the Green Swamp” published today in the summer issue of Wilderness House Literary Review. In this essay, I describe my first point-to-point backpacking trip last June in the Green Swamp West Tract and the Richloam Tract of the… Read.
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Check out my article in Go World Travel
My first-ever article in a travel magazine was published this morning in Go World Travel. Titled “Bogesundslandet Nature Reserve: Backpacking Paradise Minutes from Stockholm,” it gives practical details about the nature preserve in Sweden where I backpacked last summer. This was the place also described in Chapter 12 of my book and in my recent… Read.
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With more than just springs, Wekiwa Springs State Park offers some of Central Florida’s best hiking trails
Long before I began backpacking last year, I rekindled a love of hiking on the Volksmarch Loop at Wekiwa Springs State Park. Wekiwa Springs is one of Florida’s most popular state parks, particularly because of the large swimming hole surrounding its spring head and the terraced hill above it full of sunbathing and picnic areas. … Read.
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For hiking with a taste of history and old school soda, check out the Richloam Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest
Anyone who has read my book or my most recent essay on FloridaHikes.com knows I am enamored with the Green Swamp, a huge stretch of forest about an hour west of Orlando. But perhaps equally as beautiful is the adjacent Richloam Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest that lies directly north of the Green Swamp… Read.
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