Thursday, November 14, 2013

HD Videos by Billyboardwalk!

<!--[if gte mso 10]> <!--> Guide to Billyboardwalk HD videos on YouTube.


 These are JUST the HD videos done by Billyboardwalk


Watch a Florida Manatee swim near the main vent of Homosassa Springs. As the weather cools, more of these endangered mammals will show up to stay warm in the 72 degree water coming out of the aquifer. There are thousands of salt water fish massed right over the vent, drawn by the temperature and the (salt water) parasite killing fresh water. This, in turn, draws the diving birds and raptors. Check out our other video for more wildlife videos. (BB#87)  Billyboardwalk on TUMBLR or www.facebook.com/boardwalksandlongwalks




Watch two Bobcats caught on hand-held video near Homosassa Springs on 11.12.13. They are smaller than a panther, and have "puffier" facial hair and a shorter tail. Their ears and facial markings include some dramitis white accents.  Check out our other videos for more wildlife including manatee, Florida Panther, and more. For similar content visit www.facebook.com/boardwalksandlongwalks (C) 2013 Will Holcomb (BB#86)





Watch this Florida Panther video taken by hand in Citrus County Florida. They are 2 or 3 times the size of a bobcat (Lynx) and have a larger (and just as playful) tail. The back is darker than the belly and chest, and the face is uniform in color except for a few dark hairs and whiskers. The snout is more elongated, like a fox, wolf, or bear, than that of the bobcat. A juvenile panther can have spots, which fade in time.  For similar content, including video and still photographs, visit www.facebook.com/boardwalksandlongwalks. (C) 2013 by Will Holcomb (BB#85)




Watch these Brown Pelicans and Cormorant in Old Tampa Bay near the Safety Harbor Municipal Pier, as they swim against a growing gale. Short HD Video with ambient audio. Safety Harbor Florida 11.04.13  (C) Will Holcomb.  





Headwaters over the trail. Watch this short HD video shot on the trail inside the Brooker Creek Headwaters Preserve in Hillsborough County Florida. Video © 2013 by Will Holcomb (BB#68)  HD Video with ambient audio.





Watch this short HD video of a Class II Rapids. Wet Foot Video Shoot. On the Hillsborough River, with ambient water roar. The Only Class II River Rapids in Florida, Shot from water level on October 13, 2013. (BB#61)





Watch these wading birds in the tidal creek. Short  HD video with ambient audio, taken at Key Vista Nature Park.




Watch this video of a Thundering Rainstorm at Corkscrew Swamp. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary occupies approximately 13,000 acres in the heart of the Corkscrew Watershed in Southwest Florida, part of the Western Everglades. It is primarily composed of wetlands. These include the largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest in the world. It has a 2 mile boardwalk, where nature found us..... It starts out as a drizzle, then the thunder, then the downpour.  HD video with ambient audio,




Watch this video of the Santa Fe River as it goes into this sinkhole in O'Leno State Park. If you look closely you can see logs floating in the whirlpool with turtles riding around and around.... To the songs of cicadas rising and falling in the background. Ambient audio. Also see the Trail hike video of the River Trail at O’Leno State Park.





Watch this Waterfall as a streamlet cascades into the Devil's Millhopper. Six streams go in and disappear into this "Stable" sinkhole near Gainesville Florida. As they fall, they lower the temperature and raise the humidity allowing plants native to areas hundreds of miles to the north to thrive here. 232 steps go down to a platform at the bottom of this Geological State Park. For similar content visit us at www.facebook.com/boardwalksandlongwalks Ambient audio.


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Middle Florida Hikers Tour

A tour of Public Lands down the spine of Florida for hikers, photographers, and citizen-scientists.





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Stop #1  Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park   $6 fee  one hour

4732 Millhoppper Road Gainesville, Florida 32653
One hour hike at the stable sinkhole, including a hike down inside the sinkhole 125 feet on wooden steps and platforms. In the midst of north Florida's sandy terrain and pine forests, a bowl-shaped cavity 125 feet deep leads down to a miniature rain forest. Small streams trickle down the steep slopes of the limestone sinkhole, disappearing through crevices in the ground. Lush vegetation thrives in the shade of the walls even in dry summers. A significant geological formation, Devil's Millhopper is a National Natural Landmark that has been visited by the curious since the early 1880s.

Direct link click here



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Stop #2 San Felasco Preserve State Park  $4 fee  time 2-8 hours depending on trails chosen.

11101 Millhopper Road, Gainesville, FL  32653- 2 miles west of Devils Milhopper.The hiking trailhead is located four miles northwest of Gainesville on State Road 232.

There are many trails here, but the must-see feature is Moonshine Creek. Moonshine Creek is located entirely within the preserve. It is formed from a series of seeps (small springs) just north of Millhopper Road. The creek meanders through a ravine until draining into the aquifer through a swallow at its southern end.  The Moonshine Creek Trail begins at the parking lot off Millhopper Road. The trail is approximately one mile long. The beginning of the trail passes through sunny pine forests dominated by turkey oak, slash pine, spruce pine, and wiregrass. The trail makes a dramatic change as you enter the ravine. The canopy here is dominated by slash, loblolly, and spruce pines, oaks, hickories, gums, and magnolia. Spotted throughout are sink holes. This is a good example of a mesic mixed hardwood forest. The second half of the creek hike is Creek Sink Trail which is halfway through the Moonshine Creek Trail. Taking this trail will increase your hike to 2.3 miles. This trail goes around the swamps and bottomland forest where the waters of the creek, at the southernmost part of the trail, are absorbed into the underlying aquifer. Hiking "both" trails will show you where the creek begins (seeps) and where it goes underground (sinks).


Virtual Hike Video of San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park

  Direct link to Parks Website

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SIDE TRIP- Alfred Ring City Park (Free) 2 hours   1801 NW 23rd Blvd Gainesville Fl. 
NOTE-Park at the Elks Lodge 2424 NW 23rd Blvd.


This park is only "22 Acres" but over a mile of trails wind through upland mixed forest and slope forest, tracing the course of Hogtown Creek. Many short stretches of boardwalk on a long foot path, a botanical and butterfly garden, and a playground.








Alfred Ring City Park Trail and Boardwalks POV Hike

Alfred Ring Park direct website (City Multi-park page)






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Stop #3  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.    $6 fee  2-12 hours depending on trails chosen.

100 Savannah Boulevard  Micanopy, Florida 32667
 Eight trails provide opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and bicycling, including the 16 mile long, paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. A boardwalk off of US 441 offers a unique view of the wet prairie, another shorter boardwalk along Lake Wauberg offers birding and wildlife observation. The park has two sets of trails. The south 1/2 of the park has a campground, a visitor center, several trails, and a three story observation tower overlooking the prairie to the north. In the visitor center is the death mask of Seminole Indian Chief Osceola. The longer boardwalk and observation platform is located outside the formal park, about 1/2 way between the south and north side on US 441. The northern part of the park has an interpretive center, and one of the trails leads to seeps and springs. Please see the list of trails linked below.
Paynes Prarie Trails link

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 Stop #4  Ross Prairie State Forest      2-3 hours

 Ross Prairie State Forest is located in Marion County approximately ten miles southwest of Ocala. Access is off of SR200, one mile south of County Road 484.
 Ross Prairie State Forest is located on the southern end of a wetland known as Ross Prairie. This wetland is a freshwater depression marsh characterized by open areas of wetland grasses surrounded by live oak hammocks. These prairies will contain water in the wet season and become completely dry in the dry season. The 150-acre portion of the prairie located on the forest is made up of depression marshes varying in size from one acre to in excess of 50 acres. The Holly Hammock trail is "Trailwalker Program" trail and is a a 2.3-mile, marked hiking trail that meanders through mesic hammocks, sandhills, and along depression marshes. This trail has opportunities for nature study, wildlife viewing, and as photography. According to some researchers, Hernando De Soto found the Native American village of "Ocale" on this site. The remains of the village were destroted during the construction of SR200.
Ross Prairie State Forest direct link

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You can earn a patch that looks like this

 from Florida  Dept. of Forestry



Florida State Forestry Dept. How to earn a "Trailwalker" program patch 



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 Stop #5  Lake Panasoffkee (closed during hunts)      2-4 hours

 7519 NW 18th Way Wildwood, FL 34785  West of exit # 329 of Interstate 75 in Sumner County.
 There are 18 miles of multi-use and hiking trails. Prepare for wet hiking; some trails are excessively wet during certain times of year. Acquired to preserve Lake Panasoffkee’s vast floodplain forest, the land also preserves pine flatwoods, freshwater marshes and oak scrub forest. As the land continues to rise, pines and scrub oaks of upland sandhills replace the wetland forest trees. This area is home to the Sherman's Fox Squirrel.
Direct link to Preserve webpage.

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SIDE TRIP- Seminole Indian War Site- Dade Battlefield Historic State Park  $3 fee 1 hour

7200 County Road 603 Bushnell, Florida 33513    East of Interstate 75 exit 314

On December 28, 1835, Indian warriors ambushed 108 U.S. soldiers at this site, and only three soldiers survived. The 80-acre park protects a historic battlefield, and the natural communities as they existed during the war. Wildlife includes gopher tortoises, woodpeckers, songbirds, hawks or indigo snakes.  The park's visitor center provides information and displays about the historic battle, as well as a 12 minute video history of the battle This Land, These Men.
Direct link to Dade Battlefield website
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Click here to see a video of some of Florida's Indian Mound Sites open to the public.


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Stop #6 Hillsborough River State Park  $6 fee      2-6 hours depending on trails chosen.

15402 U.S. 301 North Thonotosassa, Florida 33592  East of I-75 and North of I-4 Northeast of Tampa.
 Hillsborough River State Park is one of Florida's first state parks; this original CCC Park is divided by the swiftly flowing Hillsborough River with a set of Class II rapids. Hikers can walk over seven miles of trials: Rapids Trail, Baynard Trail, a sub-section of the Florida Trail, the nature trail, and the Wetlands Restoration Trail.See the virtual Hike Videos below for the River Rapids and Baynard Trails.
The  parks interpretive center was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and has exhibits and artifacts describing the Seminole Indian Wars. The Interpretive Center is open everyday from 8am to 5pm for visitors to browse through. (See the Fort Foster Side Trip)

 Baynard Hiking trail and boardwalks Virtual Hike

River Rapids Trail and boardwalks, Virtual Hike 



Direct link to HRSP website


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Side trip- Seminole Indian War Site- Fort Foster- Guided Tours on Saturday and Sunday Only

Ranger led tours of Historic Fort Foster Site every Saturday @ 2pm & 4pm and on Sunday @ 11am for $2.00 per person. A sub-unit of Hillsborough River State Park. Fort Foster State Historic Site is part of Hillsborough River State Park, though located on the East Side of US 301 from the park. Fort Foster is a reconstructed fort from the Second Seminole War. The Fort is located 1800 feet from the parking lot and has no restrooms available. Ranger guided tours of the fort are offered (weather permitting) on Saturdays at 2:00 pm & 4:00 pm and on Sundays at 11:00 am. Each year the Fort Foster Historic Site offers a Back in time experience with two annual events Fort Foster Rendezvous with skirmishes is held in February and a Candlelight Evening Tour of Fort Foster with a skirmish is held in December.


The Old Fort King Trail is a bicycle path that follows an old indian trail, turned US Army road, that was later paved and designated US Route 301. Fort Foster was built to protect a bridge on this route between Tampa and Ocala. The bike path can be seen flanking US 301 from Hillsborough River State Park south the Sergeant Park. There are several small parks along this strech of US 301 with boardwalk trails. See the Hikers Tour entitled "Tampa's Verdigris Stripe" for more detail.

Tampa's Verdigris Stripe Hikers Tour


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Stop #7  Medard Regional Park           no fee  1-3 hours

6140 Turkey Creek Road  Plant City, FL 33567 Just south of SR 60, east of Brandon.
Edward Medard Park is a popular recreation area, hosting 500,000 visitors annually, with the 700-acre reservoir being the main attraction. A boardwalk leads to an observation tower across the reservoir. An out-and-back hiking trail circles from the parking area in a clockwise direction around the reservoir and through the wetlands.
Edward Medard Park website


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Stop #9 Circle B Bar Reserve  no fee    2-4 hours

4399 Winter Lake Road (SR 540)   Lakeland, FL 33803 Just south of the Polk Parkway.
 Miles of trails , a boardwalks, and an observation platform over Lake Hancock: not to mention the pristine park-like setting around the Polk Discovery Center at the center of the reserve. Circle B is home to some of the most impressive bird activity on SWFWMD  property. The tremendous bird population includes a variety of wading birds, waterfowl, ospreys and bald eagles. Alligators inhabit Lake Hancock and may be observed at a distance from shore or from a pier. Oak hammock, freshwater marsh, hardwood swamp and the lakeshore are among the unique characteristics of this property. View the Virtual Hike video below.

Circle B Bar Reserve virtual point-of-view hike.

Direct link to the reserves website

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Side Trip- The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve.

This preserve is east of the main scope of this tour route, but deserves mention.
Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve 2700 Scrub Jay Trail Kissimmee, FL 34759
The preserve began as the country’s first large-scale, off-site wetlands mitigation project. In the early 1990s, The Walt Disney Co. purchased and donated 8,500 acres to the Conservancy to offset lands impacted by the development of Walt Disney World. Hikers must register at the Adventure Center prior to setting out and allow at least two hours to hike the trail.  The hiking trail includes a one-mile trip to Lake Russell. Those wishing a longer experience may continue along the 2.5-mile loop, which offers a closer look at the preserve’s natural communities.

Link to the preserve's website

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Stop #10  Mosaic's Peace River Park

2200 CR 640 (Homeland-Garfield Road)  Bartow, Fl 33830 South of Bartow and east of US 17.
 This was once a phosphate mine, but now this reclamation project is a public park that  borders the Peace River floodplain. The boardwalk is an "E" shape that snakes through the floodplain forest out to the river. See the virtual video hike below.

Peace River Park Boardwalk Point-of-View hike.



Link to Peace River Park website



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LAKE WALES RIDGE


The Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is closed to the public, but these properties have similar wildlife and habitat- Archbold Biological Station, Saddle Blanket Lakes State Preserve, Jack Creek, Catfish Creek, The Nature Conservancy's Tiger Creek Preserve, Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, Lake Wales Ridge WEA, and Lake Arbuckle State Reserve.






Stop #11  Lake Wales Ridge State Forest  no fee 3 hours

Access to the Walk in the Water Tract is located 2 miles east of the town of Frostproof on County Road 630. For the other tracts, see the link below. The forest consists of four separate tracts which contain outstanding examples of naturally-functioning ecosystems. The forest offers many recreational opportunities for the rugged outdoor enthusiast as well as the occasional visitor. Hiking trails cross a variety of terrains from forest wetlands to ancient, dry scrub communities. This State Forest contains 4 hiking trails that are included in the Florida Forest Service's Trailwalker Hiking Program. Hikers can take advantage of the numerous hiking trails, which include 20 miles of the Florida Trail.

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest direct link


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Stop # 12 Highlands Hammock State Park   $6 fee    4 hours

5931 Hammock Road  Sebring, Florida 33872
Nine hiking trails, three with boardwalks- one of the the famous "Cat Walk Boardwalk". A Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, a restaurant and a scheduled narrated tram tour are available. One of Florida´s oldest parks, opening to the public in 1931, this park was established when local citizens came together to promote the hammock as a candidate for national park status. During the Great Depression, just prior to World War II, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed additional park facilities and the beginnings of a botanical garden. This park has historical ties to Archbold Biological Station.

Virtual hike video of the Catwalk Boardwalk at Highlands Hammock SP.


Highlands Hammock direct link

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Stop #13 Jack Creek Preserve   no fee     4 hours

4501 Grand Concourse Road  Sebring, FL 33875
Seven miles of unblazed trails are open to hikers. No potable water nor toilets. The unique habitat found on this property includes bay swamp, cutthroat grass seeps, sand pine scrub, hardwood hammock and pine flatwoods. These habitats are rich in natural beauty. The bay swamp habitat dominates the property with abundant red bay, sweet bay and red maple trees. The Jack Creek tract is significant because it protects a large stand of Lake Wales Ridge scrub. This rare community provides habitat for one of the densest concentrations of endangered communities in the world.
Jack Creek Preserve




Stop #14  Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area

Each sub-unit has its own address so please refer to the direct website.
Hiking trails are located on the Royce Unit, Lake Placid Scrub tract and the Carter Creek tract. On other sites, hiking is allowed but there are no trails.During the late 1980s, a group of 40 scientists gathered to design a system of sanctuaries that would protect what remained of the Lake Wales Ridge. Since then local, state, federal and private organizations including The Nature Conservancy have spent more than $75 million in purchasing the best remaining scrub land. The Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Working Group, a consortium of nonprofit organizations, federal and state organizations, and local governments, was founded in 1991 to insure the long-term protection of the native plants, animals, and natural communities of this unique region of Florida.

Lake Wales Ridge WEA

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Stop #15  Archbold Biological Station   no fee   2 hours   

 (A Private preserve and research facility that is open to the public)

123 Main Dr  Venus, FL 33960  Just east of US 17, south of Sebring.
Archbold Biological Station, founded in 1941, is a non-profit organization established by Richard Archbold. Archbold Biological Station protects a 5,193-acre globally significant Florida scrub preserve located on the southern end of the Lake Wales Ridge, an ancient sandy ecosystem of south-central Florida. All visitors should register at the new visitor center and complete a liability waiver. Weekend visitors should register at the Information kiosk at the north end of the Plaza. Pictoral exhibits about the Station and its history are in the visitor center M-F 8-5. "Islands in Time,"an 19-minute video narrated by Ken Curtis about the biodiversity and conservation of the Lake Wales Ridge, is available to view free of charge in the Lounge adjacent to the Main Office, M-F 8-5. A half-mile Nature Trail, emphasizes plant identification and scrub ecology. The trail begins at south end of the Main Grounds. Trail booklets are available at the Plaza Kiosk and the Main Office.The original owners of this site, the Roeblings, donated a large sum of money to help Highlands Hammock State Park get purchased and ready for visitors. They then gave this site to world adventurer Richard Archbold so he could study the eco-systems of the Lake Wales Ridge. Archbold, a noted world explorer and scientist, was also part of the team that surveyed Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary east of Naples.

Link to Archbold Biological Station
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Stop #16  Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest $2 Day Use Fee  4 hours

6265 County Road 832 Felda, FL 33930 thirty miles east of Fort Myers, in southeastern Hendry and northeastern Collier counties. There is a boardwalk out into the wet area of the Slough off of Sic Island Loop Rd. South of CR 832.
Historicly, the area of Okaloacoochee Slough was heavily logged in the early 1900s as timber was ideal for making railroad cross-ties for a growing railroad system that was developing in southern Florida. During this time, sawmills began to spring up producing small towns dependent on these sawmills. One of these early towns, Sears, stood on the northern border of the forest. After a fire destroyed the sawmill, the town of Sears went into decline and eventually disappeared. During that same time period , the Atlantic Land Improvement Company, Inc. continued harvesting operations by utilizing two portable sawmills, which were referred to as the Twin Mills. Although the sawmills no longer exist on the forest, remnants of sawdust piles can be found on the forest near Twin Mills Grade, which is a "Trailwalker" trail. The Okaloacoochee Slough is one of the few places in south Florida in which the pre-Columbian landscape, north of the Everglades or Big Cypress National Preserve, can be observed. This unique natural system provides a large roaming area of contiguous habitat for a variety of wildlife species. The forest is home to listed, threatened, and endangered species such as the Florida panther, Florida black bear, sandhill crane, wood stork, and gopher tortoise.

Direct Link to this State Forest's website.

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Stop #17  Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge No Fee  2 hours

 Florida Panther Refuge is located 20 miles east of Naples, Florida at the northwest corner of the intersection of I-75  "Alligator Alley" (Exit 80) and State Road 29.
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge consists of 26,400 acres and is located within the heart of the Big Cypress Basin in southwest Florida. The refuge encompasses the northern origin of the Fakahatchee Strand, the largest cypress strand in the Big Cypress swamp.  The refuge is due west of the Big Cypress National Preserve and due north of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and Picayune Strand State Forest. Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is located in the northern portion of the Fakahatchee Strand of the Big Cypress Swamp. Each month, about a dozen Florida panthers den, hunt, and roam within the refuge. Black bear, bobcat, white-tailed deer, Big Cypress fox squirrels and wood stork utilize the refuge. Large concentrations of wading and water birds feed, nest, and roost on the refuge. The refuge is composed of a variety of wetland and upland habitats including pine flatwoods, cypress strands and domes, wet prairies, tropical hardwood hammocks and hydric pinelands. Rare orchids and bromeliads are found throughout the refuge. Two hiking trails are open to the public on the refuge. The trails are located about a quarter mile north of the intersection of State Road 29 and I-75. Open during daylight hours only, the trails provide the refuge visitor with a chance to experience the various habitats found on the refuge. The Duncan Memorial Trail is a 1/3 mile wheelchair-accessible loop trail that winds through a hardwood hammock dominated by ancient oak trees and tropical vegetation. A small boardwalk and overlook allow visitors to view a small, recently restored, seasonal pond.  The longer 1 1/3 mile loop trail is not improved and often floods during the summer, fall and early winter. Additionally, wet conditions prevent the refuge staff from mowing this trail from June through December. The trial is well marked, but during wet conditions, overgrown vegetation on the trail may challenge the hiker. The remainder of the refuge is closed to the public.

Florida Panther NWR website

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Stop # 18 Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park   no fee  2-4 hours

Location US-41 about 7 miles west of SR-29, 137 Coast Line Dr. Copeland, FL 34137
The Fakahatchee Strand is a linear swamp forest, approximately twenty miles long by five miles wide and oriented from north to south. It has been sculpted by the movement of water for thousands of years and clean fresh water is the key to its existence. Beneath a protective canopy of bald cypress trees flows a slow moving, shallow river or slough that is warmer than the ambient temperature in the winter and cooler in the summer. The buffering effect of the slough and the deeper lakes that punctuate it shield the forest interior from extreme cold temperatures and this fosters a high level of rare and endangered tropical plant species.
The Park hosts a wide array of habitats and forest types from the wetter swamps and prairies to the drier islands of tropical hardwood hammocks and pine rock lands. Its groves of native royal palms are the most abundant in the state and the ecosystem of the Fakahatchee Strand is the only place in the world where bald cypress trees and royal palms share the forest canopy. It is the orchid and bromeliad capital of the continent with 44 native orchids and 14 native bromeliad species.  Florida panthers still pursue white-tailed deer from the uplands across the wetlands. Florida black bears and Eastern indigo snakes, Everglades minks and diamondback terrapins can still be found here. An eleven-mile drive down Jane's Scenic Drive truly showcases the park's different natural communities. Accesable from US 41 Tamami Trail a 2,000-foot long boardwalk at Big Cypress Bend,  (PICTURED ABOVE) meandering through the old growth cypress, enables the visitor to experience the beauty of this unusual swamp.

Direct link to the Preserves website.
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 STOP #19 Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge  no fee 2 hours

Marsh Trail has a new parking lot and paved trail on the south side of US 41 Tamiami Trail about 14 miles west of SR 29. The ADA compliant paved trail leads to an observation Tower overlooking the refuge.  Ten Thousand Islands NWR is located in Collier County on the southwest coast of Florida. Established in 1996, this 35,000 acres refuge protects important mangrove habitats and a rich diversity of native wildlife, including several endangered species.  The refuge is part of the largest expanses of mangrove forest in North America. Approximately two thirds of the refuge is mangrove forest, which dominates most tidal fringes and the numerous islands (or keys). The northern third of the refuge consists of brackish marsh and interspersed ponds, and small coastal hammocks of oak, cabbage palms, and tropical hardwoods such as gumbo limbo. 


 Ten Thousand Islands NWR website
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STOP # 20 Big Cypress National Preserve.  no fee  up to 8 hours.

 
The entrance to Big Cypress is located on Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) and US Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail). These are the main roads that traverse the site. Visitor facilities and most activities originate from the Tamiami Trail.  Big Cypress National Preserve is located in some of the most rugged terrain in the state. The preserve encompasses approximately 729,000 acres of a freshwater swamp ecosystem, offering refuge to a wide variety of plants and animals. Plants and animals in the Preserve are protected from unauthorized collection. Big Cypress National Preserve was created in 1974, to protect the water quality, natural resources, and ecological integrity of the Big Cypress Swamp.Big Cypress borders the wet freshwater prairies of Everglades National Park to the south, and other state and federally protected cypress country in the west, with water from the Big Cypress flowing south and west into the coastal Ten Thousand Islands region. In the 1960s, Native Americans, hunters, and conservationists succeeded at fighting an effort to move Miami International Airport's international flights to a new airport in the Big Cypress area. They followed up with a campaign to have Big Cypress included in the National Parks System. Although construction of the new airport had already begun, it was stopped after one runway was completed. The best  place to begin your visit is at the Big Cypress Visitor Center at Oasis, which is located on Tamiami Trail (U.S.41) approximately halfway between Naples and Miami. The visitor center offers a 15-minute movie about the preserve as well as a wildlife exhibit. There is also a short wildlife viewing boardwalk trail and access to the Florida National Scenic Trail. Two scenic drives through the preserve provide leisurely wildlife viewing. The Loop Road is a 26-mile, single-lane, unimproved road beginning and ending on highway 41. Turner River Road and Birdon Road are a 17-mile graded-dirt self directed drive. There are over a hundred miles of hiking trails within the preserve. The Tree Snail Hammock Nature Trail is a short self-guided trail located on Loop Road.

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STOP # 21 Shark Valley Slough of Everglades National Park  $10 fee

Shark Valley Visitor Center 36000 SW 8th Street. Miami, FL 33194
From the Naples area, take U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail) approximately 70 miles east to Shark Valley.
 Shark Valley Visitor Center offers educational displays, a park video, an underwater camera and informational brochures. Books, postcards, and other suvenirs are available in the gift store.  Guided tram tours, bicycle rentals, snacks and soft drinks are available from Shark Valley Tram Tours, Inc.
\Two short walking trails (one  ADA accessible), are located off the main trail for your enjoyment.
There is a concrete observation tower (Identical to the one on Clingman's Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park), seven miles down the paved road used by Trams and bicyclists.

Shark Valley Entrance- Everglades National Park website

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Hiking and Boardwalk Facebook Page
Hikers Exchange Point Facebook Group Page
Billy Boardwalk Virtual Hiking Videos







West Coast Enviromental Tour- Big Bend to the Everglades


 West Coast of Florida Hikers Driving Tour.

Big Bend to the Everglades


 A driving tour of the entire west coast of Florida's parks, preserves, forests, and refuges. Each stop has hiking trails or boardwalk hiking trails and is open to the public, although some require a fee. The tour could take three days or a week depending on which trails you hike. This list is a companion to the Boardwalks and Longwalks page on Facebook, and to the book of the same name.






Stop 1
Forest Capitol Museum State Park- Museum and interpretive homestead.
 $5 fee  2 hours max.
204 Forest Park Drive Perry, Florida 32348






Stop 2
 Geothe State Forest- Trailwalker trails, boardwalk, carnivorous pitcher plants.
  No Fee. 2-6 hours
 9110 SE CR 337 Dunnellon, FL 34431
Black Prong Trail (north) and Tidewater Trail (south) are part of the Florida Forest Services "Trailwalker" program. The Black Prong trail has the pitcher plants and a boardwalk.
 Big Cypress Boardwalk- Cow creek road, north of SR 12, has huge cypress trees over 900 years old.


Click Here for a video of Florida Wildlife








 Stop 3
Rainbow Springs State Park- formal and native gardens, nature trail, first magnitude spring.
 $5 fee  2-4 hours
 19158 S.W. 81st Place Road  Dunnellon, Florida 34432
 A native garden, which is a special attraction to butterflies and hummingbirds, lies behind the formal cultural gardens. A nature trail winds back behind the gardens through natural oak hammock and sandhill communities. This trail runs 2.5 miles from the Visitors' Center.

 Rainbow Springs State Park- Virtual Hike- Click Here







 Stop 4
Withlacoochie Gulf Preserve  Trails, Boardwalk, Observation tower.
 No fee      1 hour
1001 Old Rock Road Yankeetown Florida 34498
This little town put together this 413 acre estuarine wild land preserve, with a boardwalk through wetlands and salt marshes.






Stop 5
Cross Florida Barge Canal- Landmark, ecological disaster, bike and hike trail.
No Fee   1 hour
Just south of stop 4 on US 19, under the tall bridge. The canal is arrow straight to the gulf. A bike and hiking trail runs along the south side of the canal. The limestone blasted from this trench ended up in many of the buildings in nearby Yankeetown.




 Stop 6
Crystal River Archaeological State Park- Museum, Indian Mounds.
 $5 fee    2 hours max.
3400 N. Museum Point  Crystal River, Florida 34428

Click Here for a video tour of some of Florida's Indian Mounds







Stop 7
Crystal River Preserve State Park-  Multiple Trails.
  No fee.  Up to 6 hours depending on trails hiked.
3266 N. Sailboat Avenue  Crystal River, Florida 34428
Churchhouse Hammock Trail and Boardwalk. (South on US 19 from main trail heads)

    Click here for virtual hike video of Churchhouse Hammock Boardwalk.


Eco-walk Trail is a 2 mile loop trail. The trailhead to the Eco-walk Trail is located at the intersection of North Tallahassee Road and Curtis Tool Road.
Ft. Island Trail is off US Hwy. 19 in Crystal River.
Dixie Shores Trails. Entrances to the Dixie Shores Trails are located off Ft. Island Trail.
Lake Loop Trail is located on the right hand side of Dixie Shores Drive. The trail is approximately a mile long and winds around three man-made lakes.
Hammock Island Trail is located on the left-hand side of Dixie Shores Drive and is approximately ¾ of a mile. This trail carries you from coastal scrub through a salt marsh and onto a hammock island.






Stop 8
Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area- Driving tour with side hikes, two trails, one boardwalk.
 $5 fee 2-4 hours   16121 Commercial way (US 19) Brooksville Fl. 34614
A driving tour will take you from upland pinelands, through transition zones to deep within the largest and most pristine hardwood swamp south of the Suwannee River. Two stops along old forestry tramways allow hikes into the swamps.From the Indigo Road/3 Bridge Road Trailhead are two marked trails through flatwoods, sandhills, cypress domes, and scrub. The east trail is the Cypress Circle trail and has a pinned log primitive boardwalk as part of the trail.




Stop 9*
Weeki Wachi Springs State Park- Tourist attraction and first magnitude spring.
 $13 fee   6 hours max
6131 Commercial Way Spring Hill, Florida 34606
Mermaid show, water park, or take a river boat cruise and canoe or kayak on the Weeki Wachee River. 







Stop 10
Key Vista Nature Park-Hiking trail, Observation Tower with view of Anclote Key Lighthouse
$2 Fee  2 hours
2700 Baillies Bluff Rd. Holiday, FL  34691 
Start your hike south out of the parking lot through the coastal strand habitat that shows impact from 4 tropical storms in the last 6 years. At the coast, climb the tower for a view of the Gulf of Mexico, the Anclote Lighthouse, and the coast for miles in both directions. Hike clock-wise and come back to the parking lot along a coastal stream habitat.


Key Vista Park Hike on stop motion Video
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Stop 11
 James E. Grey Preserve- boardwalk, nature trail,  Pithlachascotee River. 
No fee  1 hour
Plathe Rd., New Port Richey, FL

Click here for a virtual tour of the Grey Preserve Boardwalk







Stop 12
North Anclote River Nature Park Observation deck, miles of trails, connects to Pinellas Trail.
No Fee   2 hours
550 Dixie Highway Tarpon Springs , FL 34689




Stop 13
John Chesnut Park 3 boardwalks, observation tower on Lake Tarpon
No Fee   2 hours
2200 East Lake Road Palm Harbor, FL 34685

The north shore boardwalk is almost hidden at the northern edge of the park.
Click Here for Video Tour of North Shore Boardwalk Trail

The Cypress Swamp Boardwalk connects to the Observation Tower, is centrally located, and the busiest.
Click Here for Video Tour of Cypress Swamp Boardwalk

The Wildlife Officer Peggy Park Memorial Boardwalk is on the south end of the park. It crosses a swamp, parallels the lake shore, and curves east along Brooker Creek. It connects to a trail that follows the creek east to the park boundary.
Click Here for Video of Peggy Park Memorial Boardwalk





Stop 14
Phillipie Park- Safety Harbor Culture type origin site- Indian Mound
No Fee   1 hour
2525 Philippe Pkwy. Safety Harbor, FL 34695










Stop 15
Weedon Island Preserve       Hiking and canoe  trails, 2 Boardwalks, Museum/ Visitor Center    No Fee
1800 Weedon Dr NE  St Petersburg, FL 33702
Weedon Island Preserve is an expansive 3,190-acre natural area located on Tampa Bay. It is comprised mostly of marine ecosystems with some uplands. Indigenous peoples occupied this site for thousands of years. Today, the preserve protects this wide diversity of natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.  There are virtual video tours of the boardwalks below.

Tampa Bay View Boardwalk at Weedon Island Video- Click here

Tower Circle Boardwalk at Weedon Island Video - Click Here










Stop 16
Sawgrass Lake Park    Education Center, Boardwalk, Observation Tower  No Fee       2 hours Max.
7400 25th St. N.,  St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Sawgrass Lake Park is 400 acres in size and allows people to walk through one of the largest maple swamps on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The park’s mile-long boardwalk and half-mile dirt trail provide opportunities to see birds, butterflies, plants and animals in their natural settings within the most densely populated county in Florida. Herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks, alligators and turtles can be seen along the canals and lakes. Thousands of birds migrate through the park during the fall and spring, attracting birders and eco-tourists from all over the country. A virtual video tour is available below.

Boardwalk at Sawgrass Lake Virtual Tour Video- Click Here








Stop 17
Boca Ciega Millennium Park   Boardwalk, Observation Tower, Hiking Trail  No Fee 2 Hours
12410 74th Ave. N. Seminole, FL 33772
 In this park, a 35-foot wooden observation tower offers a panoramic view of Boca Ciega Bay. The park supports seven natural communities: pine flatwoods, coastal oak hammock, mangrove swamp, salt marsh, bay head and wetlands.In 2007 a major discovery of Pleistocene age fossils offered a much older history of Boca Ciega Millennium Park. Fossil bones of Columbian Mammoth, Giant Sloth, Giant Armadillo, Saber Tooth Cat, Camel and many more amphibians, reptiles and fish are now at the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. A video virtual tour of the boardwalk is available below.

Boardwalk at Boca Ciega Millennium Park Video tour- Click Here





Stop 18
Ft. De Soto Park     Trails, Historic Fort, Beaches    $5 fee (+$.50 toll)
3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, FL 33715
The largest park within the Pinellas County Park System, Fort De Soto park consists of 1,136 acres made up of five interconnected islands (keys). These keys are home to beach plants, mangroves, wetlands, palm hammocks, hardwoods and scores of native plants. Each of these species plays a vital role in the preservation and protection of the natural environment. A 1-mile nature trail in the Arrowhead Picnic area, and a 3/4 mile nature trail in the Soldiers' Hole area provides a glimpse of some the native fauna and flora. A 2,200 foot Barrier-Free Nature Trail is a self-guided interpretive trail providing access to nature for all visitors to Fort De Soto Park, regardless of their physical abilities.










Stop 19
Emerson Point Preserve     Trails, Boardwalks, Indian Mound, Observation Tower  No Fee 2 hours
 5801 17th Street West  Palmetto, FL 34221
Take I-75 to exit 224. After exiting, head west on U.S. 301. Once downtown, nstead of turning on U.S. 301, continue west on 10th Street West. Stay on this road, heading toward Snead Island. After crossing the bridge, take the immediate right (across from the Yacht Club). Turn left at the first stop sign and drive west into Emerson Point Preserve. Parking is available at the Temple Mound, Observation Tower, Canoe Launch, and Point Parking lots.
 Emerson Point has a special location at the mouth of the Manatee River where it meets Lower Tampa Bay. Explore the preserve's unique history and wander the shady trails through the tropical hammock.  It is a 365 acre preserve located at the tip of Snead Island in western Palmetto.Historical resources include the Portavant Temple Mound, southwest Florida's largest Native American Temple Mound, and the surrounding midden complex. Multi-use trails and boardwalks are aligned so that the natural habitat and cultural resources will be protected.There are several nesting boxes erected and an observation tower on a hill overlooking the bay.










Stop 20
De Soto National Memorial and Riverview Point Preserve

De Soto National Memorial
The Visitor Center is located at 8300 De Soto Memorial Hwy Bradenton, Florida 34209 and includes stunning displays of historic armor, weapons, and related period items. Helmets and armor are available to try on.The newly re-modeled theater and museum features a wide array of exhibits of Spanish and Native American artifacts. The new museum exhibits are designed to be rotating with new items and art that will be displayed periodically. Our theater shows our parks film Hernando De Soto in America throughout the year. During season the film is shown on a time schedule to coincide with scheduled living history programs.
The Nature Trail has a boardwalk and winds along the shoreline and through several Florida ecosystems, including a mangrove forest like the one that De Soto's men would have encountered when they landed. There are two remnant Indian Mounds at the border of the Memorial property and Riverview Point Preserve. Trails include interpretive signage and waysides that tell the story of the De Soto Expedition and the natural history of the area.The Living History Camp is opened December through April . Rangers and volunteers dressed in period clothing will present talks on a variety of historical topics related to the De Soto Expedition and Florida's Native Americans. There will also be weapons and Spanish and native craft demonstrations throughout the day.


 Riverview Pointe Preserve is located at 8250 DeSoto Memorial Hwy Bradenton, FL 34209 and is an 11-acre site located in northwest Bradenton, Florida. The site is adjacent to the DeSoto National Memorial but is managed by Manatee County's Natural Resources Department. Although small in acreage, the preserve is home to a variety of wildlife and uplands and coastal habitats including the rare scrub ecosystem, oak hammock, and mangrove forest. This location is also home to a thriving gopher tortoise colony.  Riverview Pointe Preserve is part of a large prehistoric coastal village inhabited by Florida Indians from about 356 B.C. to 110 A.D. The village and midden complex ran from the Riverview Pointe property northward into the De Soto National Memorial. The village complex included a huge temple mound, several smaller mounds, and a central freshwater spring, yet none of these features remain today. Most, if not all, of the complex was destroyed during the early twentieth century when its shell was mined for roadfill.It is the location of the giant cross and a monument to the De Soto Expedition.








Stop 21
Robinson Preserve    Boardwalks, Trails, Observation Tower   No Fee      3 hours
1704 99th Street Northwest Bradenton, FL 34209
Robinson Preserve is located in northwestern Bradenton, in the Palma Sola area, across the street from the Palma Sola Botanical Gardens (also free and a suggested side trip). This 487-acre preserve has undergone an incredible transformation from disturbed farmland to coastal and wetland habitats. Miles of hiking and bicycle trails, boardwalks, and excellent wildlife viewing are available. Just minutes from the De Soto National Memorial and Riverview Point Preserve.

Click here for a virtual hike of Robinson Preserve






Stop 22
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve     Nature Center, Extensive Boardwalk System      $5 Fee     3 hours
 7791 Penzance Blvd. Fort Myers, Florida 33966
Located on Six Mile Cypress Parkway, 1.5 miles north of Daniels Parkway, Exit #131 off I-75
Features a fully ADA accessible 1.2 mile long boardwalk trail system with seating enclaves, shelters, observation decks and a photo blind, and amphitheater. A 11,000-square-foot Interpretive Visitor Center has educational displays and “Explorer’s Companion” self-guided trail brochures, picnic areas, restrooms and water fountain.


Stop 23
Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge       Motor Tour, Indian Mound, Hiking Trail   $5 fee (+$7 Toll)
1 Wildlife Drive  Sanibel, FL 33957
***The WILDLIFE DRIVE WILL OFFICIALLY CLOSE ON MONDAY MAY 20 for construction. The Wildlife Drive will be closed through the summer for resurfacing and anticipated reopening is October 1. The refuge and trails remain open.

 The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel in the Gulf of Mexico which has a $7 toll bridge from the mainland. The refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird populations.The separate Bailey Tract has several hiking trails.The refuge consists of over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes, and West Indian hardwood hammocks. Approximately 2,800 acres of the refuge are designated by Congress as a Wilderness Area. The refuge's visitor/education center, features interactive exhibits on refuge ecosystems, the work of "Ding" Darling, migratory flyways, the National Wildlife Refuge System, and a hands-on area for children. The Center is open daily except most federal holidays. The Center hours are January - April from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and May - December from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Center is located two miles west of Tarpon Bay Rd. on Sanibel Captiva Rd. 
 Wildlife Drive (motor tour) is open Sunday through Thursday. *** See note on Construction closure above. This is to give the wildlife an opportunity to feed along the Drive on Fridays with no human disturbance. It also gives refuge staff the opportunity to do maintenance along the road without endangering the public and allows biologists to do surveys and other research without human interference. 










Stop 24
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary & Blair Audubon Center  Historic Boardwalk   $12 Fee   3-4 hours
375 Sanctuary Road West  Naples, FL 34120
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is located northeast of Naples, Florida, in Collier County. It is at the end of Sanctuary Road West, north of Immokalee Road (County Road 846), approximately 15 miles east of Exit 111 on I-75. A 2.25-mile raised boardwalk takes visitors through four distinct environments: a pine upland, a wet prairie, a cypress forest, and a marsh. Interpretive signs along the boardwalk and a field guide and Children's Activity Book available at the admissions desk in the Blair Center allow each visitor to take the self-guided tour. Benches and rain shelters are along the trail. For those who do not wish to walk the full 2.25 miles, an optional trail shortens the walk to one mile. Volunteer naturalists are usually on the boardwalk to answer questions.The Welcome Center has a multimedia presentation, bookstore, and informational displays.


Click here for a video tour of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.





Stop 25
Collier Seminole State Park   Boardwalk, Historic Bay City Walking Dredge    $5 fee    2 Hours
20200 E. Tamiami Trail Naples, Florida 34114
The 7,271-acre park lies partly within the great mangrove swamp of southern Florida, one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world. Collier-Seminole also contains one of the three original stands of the rare royal palm in Florida. The park is the site of a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, the last existing Bay City Walking Dredge. Built in 1924, it was used to build the Tamiami Trail Highway (U.S. 41) through the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp, linking Tampa and Miami and opening southwest Florida to travelers.  The park has three trails for hiking or biking. A 0.9 mile walking/nature trail and boardwalk is located by the boat basin. There is a 3.5 mile mountain bike/ hiking trail, and a 6.5 mile hiking Adventure Trail. During the rainy season, water may cover parts of the adventure trail.





Stop 26
Picayune Strand State Forest.    Historic swampland in Florida Site.  No Fee  4 Hours Max.
2121 52nd Ave. SE  Naples Florida
Picayune Strand State Forest is located in southwest Florida in western Collier County, approximately two miles east of the town of Naples. The forest can be accessed on Everglades Boulevard from the north or Janes Scenic Drive from the east. Public parking and restroom facilities are located at 2121 52nd Ave. SE, west of Everglades Blvd.
The Sabal Palm Hiking Trail is a 3.2 mile trail that gives hikers an opportunity to view the many cypress trees that were considered too small to harvest by loggers of the 1940s and 50s. Some of these cypress trees are now over 100 years old. Bird watchers might be able to catch a glimpse of wood storks, hairy woodpeckers and red-cockaded woodpeckers. Picayune Strand State Forest is part of the Trailwalker Hiking Program.