Hiking Central Florida: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Hiking Adventures

Award-winning O’Keefe (journalism, Univ. of Central Florida; Amazing Sea Creatures) pens a book that contains 30 recommended hikes along the 1,500-mile Florida National Scenic Trail System. This expansive trek enables trail users to view some natural, undeveloped parts of Florida. Hikes are categorized as “Short Family Hikes,” “Day Hikes,” “Overnight Hikes,” or “Long Haulers.” Owing to Florida’s flat terrain, most of the featured hikes are easily done, but O’Keefe warns that hikers along this expansive trail system need to be aware of the local wildlife, poisonous plants, weather conditions, and other dangers and risks such as sunburn and dehydration. Each hike listing includes a map, a short summary describing the history of the trail, approximate hiking time, difficulty level, type of surface, recommended hiking seasons, nearest town, operating hours, information on local events and attractions, lodging options on the trail or nearby, and the trail organizations responsible for upkeep and maintenance.