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by Sandra Friend (Author), John Keatley (Author)
From the Prairie Creek Preserve to Rainbow Springs State Park, Gainesville and Ocala are polar opposites in many ways, but both offer much for those that share a love of the outdoors. With several hundred miles of trails throughout the region to choose from, Five-Star Trails: Gainesville & Ocala helps you find the best. Authored by Florida hiking expert and long-time Ocala resident Sandra Friend along with 40-year Eagle Scout and Florida Trail Association life member John Keatley, this handy guide provides a fresh perspective on the region's ever-expanding array of hiking trails. Covering more than 35 hikes across a three-county region, all within an hour's drive of either city, Five-Star Trails: Gainesville & Ocala gives you a reason to get outdoors now. Hikes are rated and highlighted according to their strengths from five perspectives: scenery, trail conditions, good for children, difficulty, and solitude. This handy guide makes planning your trip easy and enjoyable
Front Jacket
Immerse yourself in the natural wonderland of North Central Florida. Discover urban places for reflection such as Sholom Park, a carefully manicured woodlands in a retirement community, and Bivens Arm Nature Park, surrounding a marsh in Gainesville. Explore the vast longleaf pine flatwoods of the Ocala National Forest on the Florida Trail near Lake Delancy and the shady swamp forests of Goethe State Forest along the Big Cypress Trail. See more alligators than you've ever seen in your life in the home of the Gators along the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.
Author Biography
An avid outdoors enthusiast, Sandra Friend is known beyond her books for keeping up with the cutting edge of online communications. She owns and manages the popular hiking website FloridaHikes.com and is now working on her 28th book.
A native of Rockledge, FL, and a member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association John Keatley grew up along the Space Coast and spent most of his youth in the woods or on the water. While preparing for a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail he met Sandra, and they have been hiking and writing together ever since. They live in Sanford, FL.
