Tag: Deep South

Welcome back from the holidays, and Happy 2017, y’all!

We here at AIR Adventures hope you spent plenty of quality time with family, friends, and – of course – exploring the great outdoors.

For our part, we did all of the above. Our travels took us from the west coast back to the Deep South of the east (beast?) coast – specifically Georgia and Florida. We spent our first few days exploring the trails of North Georgia, in the beautiful Smithgall Woods, and later on to the swamps and sugar sand trails of North and Central Florida.

Some of our Florida favorites included:

1.  Tom Brown Park, a 255 acre park on the east side of Tallahassee. The park boasts several recreational areas – including a frisbee golf course, BMX track, and miles of trails. Perhaps most notable of the park’s offerings is the plethora of native plants, birds, and other wildlife that it protects. It borders Lake Lafayette, where one can expect to see a wide variety of wading birds – including the iconic great blue heron – as well as plenty of gators, of course.                                                                               Interested in exploring Tom Brown? Consider a trail running or mountain biking adventure: Like us, you can start on the Cadillac Trail – so named because of the old, rusted out 1960s model plopped conspicuously on one hairpin turn of the trail – and continue across the railroad tracks to the colloquially named ‘Bill’s Trail’ in Lafayette Trail Heritage Park. From here, you’ll catch glimpses of Lake Lafayette through the scrub oaks, as you head into the neighboring J.R. Alford Greenway. Check out our mapped trail run here! Fee? No. Dogs? On leashes. MTB? Yes – in some areas.

   

2. Seminole State Forest, which includes 1,725 acres of protected sand pine scrub around the Wekiva River Basin. This park provides important habitat for several rare and threatened species, including the Florida black bear and indigo jay. It also offers over 21 miles of hiking trails, 23 miles of designated horseback trails, and 25 miles of designated MTB trails. Horseback and MTB use are restricted to designated trails. Interested in exploring Seminole State Forest? We definitely recommend this for trail running and MTB alike – the trails are well-maintained, and the famous Florida sugar sand will definitely challenge you! We parked at the trailhead just off SR 46, and took the orange trail to the white trail for a 10+ mile loop. Check out our mapped run here! Fee? Yes – check website for details. Dogs? On leashes. MTB? Yes – on designated trails/ Check signs!
3. Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, a 22,000 acre protected area in Central Florida. The refuge provides a haven for numerous native plants and animals, including several threatened or endangered species like the bald eagle, whooping crane, manatee, and gopher tortoise. Gators are also abundant here – and can be seen sunning themselves on the banks. There are several miles of constructed trails that are open to hiking, trail running, and MTB. This area is truly a hidden gem in central FL. We recommend visiting in late afternoon, when the setting sun turns the marshland to varying shades of pink and gold. Fee? No. Dogs? No. MTB? Yes – on designated trails.

Overall, our holiday break not only reminded us of the importance of quality family time – but also of the beauty and diversity of the natural habitats in the Deep South. We encourage you to visit these and other parks in the near future, and learn more about the important work they do to protect these priceless natural resources.

Interested in supporting global conservation efforts? then visit the Alliance for International Reforestation, or donate now to help today.