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Hit The Trail
Celebrate Greenways and Trails Month with Florida State Parks. // B Y M E L I S S A P E T E R S O N
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FLORIDA HAS MORE THAN 9,200 MILES OF HIKING, BIKING, EQUESTRIAN AND SHARED-USE TRAILS AND OVER 4,000 MILES OF PADDLING TRAILS THAT PROVIDE ENORMOUS BENEFITS FOR THE STATE’S ECONOMY, TOURISM AND THE HEALTH OF VISITORS AND RESIDENTS.
n celebration of Greenways and Trails Month, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) invites Florida residents and visitors to explore the unique paths found throughout the Sunshine State. According to the DEP, Florida has more than 9,200 miles of hiking, biking, equestrian and shared-use trails and over 4,000 miles of paddling trails that provide enormous benefits for the state’s economy, tourism and the health of visitors and residents. Long-distance trails in the state include the 1,515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail, the 1,300-mile Florida National Scenic Trail and the longest segment of the East Coast Greenway, a national trail project that extends from Calais, Maine, to Key West. These trails attract paddlers, hikers, horseback riders and cyclists from around the country and even the world. “Parks, trails and public lands strengthen communities, support economies and provide a wide array of recreational activities to stay active and healthy,” says Alex Cronin, with the Florida DEP press office. “For example, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway has more than 300 miles of trails for walkers, cyclists, paddlers and equestrians and occupies more than 70,000 acres of land formerly known as the Cross Florida Barge Canal. The Greenway is a 110-mile linear park that is more than a mile wide in places. The Greenway is also a wildlife corridor and the first in Florida to have a “land bridge” across a major interstate that both trail users and wildlife utilize. Black bears use the Greenway as a major corridor, especially on the eastern end near the Ocala National Forest.” Ready to hit the trail? Florida State Parks offers tons of amazing opportunities for hiking, and there are plenty of options not far from home. Here are a few parks and their accompanying trails that we think you’ll love.
BIG SHOALS STATE PARK White Springs, FL This park offers dramatic topography that isn’t seen in other parts of the state. With limestone bluffs that tower 80 feet above the banks of 14
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Suwannee River State Park