50 Hikes in Central Florida: Hikes, Walks, and Backpacks in the Heart of the Peninsula [Paperback]

Sandra Friend (Author)

Book Description

Series: Explorer's Guides: 50 Hikes | Publication Date: October 2002

Florida's landscape is a marvel of diversity, ranging from temperate Appalachian-style forests to tangled tropical jungles. The broad range of habitats and wildlife found there are surpassed only by Hawaii and California. Trails pass through desert-like scrub islands, jungle-like hydric hammocks, and deep, dark bayous. Footpaths range through salt marshes, river floodplains, and along coastal dunes and beaches. Florida has the world's only Everglades, and the delightful landforms of karst--disappearing lakes and streams, yawning sinkholes lush with ferns, and the world's largest concentration of first-magnitude springs. And more than 1,200 contiguous miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail stretch from the beaches of Pensacola, at the western edge of the Panhandle, to the Big Cypress Swamp in the Everglades. The 50 hikes in this new guide to the heart of the Florida peninsula range from one to 43 miles in length. Each hike description includes a topographic map, mile-by-mile directions, and information on distance, difficulty, time, and terrain.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sandra Friend is a freelance writer and photographer who has written for newspapers and magazines including Blue Ridge Country, Appalachian Trailway News, Florida Hiker, and Backpacker. She is an active volunteer with the Florida Trail Association, working with partners such as the Office of Greenways and Trails to increase public knowledge of hiking trails within Florida. She is also the author of Florida in the Civil War: A State in Turmoil. She lives in Orlando.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press; 1st edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881505234
• ISBN-13: 978-0881505238
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,431,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Hiking Guide!, December 16, 2002

By 

Diane (Montverde, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Central Florida: Hikes, Walks, and Backpacks in the Heart of the Peninsula (Paperback)

This is a hiking guide that has it all. Not only does it give clear directions on how to find the trails and precise information such as length and degree of difficulty, it includes lyrical narratives of the beautiful and interesting sights you will see as you hike.
For those who think of Central Florida as a land of theme parks and T-shirt shops, this book will open their eyes to the natural beauty that still exists, just minutes away from the tourist attractions.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "50 Hikes in Central Florida", January 9, 2003

By 

Joan (Oviedo, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Central Florida: Hikes, Walks, and Backpacks in the Heart of the Peninsula (Paperback)

This book is a terrific guide to the real Florida. The directions (both to the trailheads and on the trails) are easy to follow and accurate. The descriptions include interesting bits about flora, fauna, and geography as well as the occasional snippet of Florida history. It's an outstanding book for someone wondering how to get into the woods in central Florida; even those who hike central Florida regularly will find some new gems to explore. This is a great guidebook!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, January 5, 2009

By 

Linda (SW Forida, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Central Florida: Hikes, Walks, and Backpacks in the Heart of the Peninsula (Paperback)

The book provides excellent descriptions of various trails as well as clear directions on how to find them. My husband and I are enjoying the discovery of trails we never knew existed in our backyard!