Outdoors & Nature Clockwise: Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail; Sanibel-Captiva; Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail; Blackwater Heritage State Trail Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail PHOTOS: WILLIAM S. SPEER; ANDREW WARDLOW; MARK BIAS A wide concrete levee encircling Lake Okeechobee inspires many to hike the “Big O”–no small task considering it’s roughly 110 miles to walk around Florida’s largest freshwater lake (with Army Corps of Engineers modifi cations adding barriers and detours). You could go solo or wait until November when the weather cools to join enthusiasts for a multi-day hike. There are several closures on the trail through 2020, so check for the latest information online before you go. Blackwater Heritage State Trail The state’s westernmost trail is short, sweet and reminiscent of Old Florida. From the historic small town of Milton on the outskirts of Pensacola, the eight-mile trail spans small creeks via wooden bridges, leads through piney woods and past native wildfl owers, and passes a cypress swamp before reaching the Naval Air Station at Whiting Field. Feet tired? Relax on the water. Rivers and creeks within the more than 210,000-acre Blackwater River State Forest have made this area the “Canoe Capital of Florida.” General James A. Van Fleet State Trail While it’s open daily, on Saturdays this trail tends to attract skaters, bicyclists and walkers wanting to shake o the stress of the work week. The nearly 30-mile-long trail near Polk City passes through a rural area that in some places looks as it did in the 1800s. Cedar forests, cypress swamps, citrus groves and cattle ranches remain largely untouched in this section of Central Florida’s scenic 322,690-acre Green Swamp. ð OFFICIAL VISITOR’S GUIDE 4 37
Visit Florida Visit Florida 2017: Page 37
