Alex Outdoors

Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve is a fabulous little hiking gem right at the end of a residential road in Plant City. If nobody had told me about it, I would never have suspected it’d be there! This was another outing with the Heartland chapter of the FTA. We got lucky – if it hadn’t been for the overcast skies we would have gotten roasted. There is hardly any shade on this trail, and an umbrella might help save the day if you head out here during the "warmer" months. I have officially given up trying to go around any puddles and now rather just walk right through them. It seems almost impossible to find any 100% dry hiking trails in Florida. As the popular saying goes: if you can’t beat them….. LOTS of wide, open spaces here on these trails. No shade to be found until we reached the creek.   And finally – probably why  Blackwater  Creek is called just that: (and the only spot on our route that provided shade) ...

This was my second trip to Green Swamp and there’s still so much to explore! We started from a different trail head this time for an out & back trip of just over 11.5 miles.  Once again I met a group of hikers from the Central Florida & Heartland Chapter of the FTA. For a introvert like me it’s often a bit of a challenge to meet a group of complete strangers, but it’s never not been a good experience and I’ve never had any regrets. They’re a fun and experienced bunch! These signs bear repeating. Sadly enough, I find trash every single time I go hiking and I always pick it up and carry it out. Shame on those who leave their trash behind. The Florida National Scenic trail runs through Green Swamp West and is indicated by orange blazes: These trail signs marked our lunch spot. We rested for about 20 minutes, then returned to the starting point. I don’t care what others think – a trail looks completely difference once you turn around and ...

Once again a group event, but this time I joined the FTA’s Heartland chapter for an outing in the Ocala area. Quite a drive (nearly 2 hours) but 100% worth it. We started at the Landbridge trail head and hiked west on the FNST for about 5 miles, enjoyed a short lunch break before trekking back the same way. If you think that an out & back hike is boring I have to disagree; I found that just about every trail looks completely different when you hike it in the opposite direction! This one I want to repeat solo. It was the most interesting hike for me to date, with a lot of forest that felt magical. Black bears might be present in this area, so if you're out here keep your eyes peeled! This was also my first hike in a long time where I had to deal with considerable rain – but armed with a poncho I stayed dry! (For the most part, anyway)…. The Land Bridge allows hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts to cross Interstate 75 and it’s quite fun to stroll while c...