Walk on the bottom of the ocean and explore the Ancient Dunes trail. This lush green forest was once the floor of the ocean, covered by salt water, marine life and sea oats. Thousands of years later, winds, waves, and time have formed what is now the beautiful shell-embossed sand dunes on the beaches of Anastasia and the contrasting lush green forests only steps away.

Believe it or not, waterfalls do exist in Florida and Falling Creek Falls is your chance to see a 10-foot tea-colored waterfall. That is, if you hike here on a day when the water levels are just right. The Suwanee River feeds this tributary and when the water levels are too high, the waterfall disappears. When the water levels are too low, the fall trickles like a leaky spigot. Either way, Falling Creek is surrounded by a lush green county park and it’s a great place for a picnic. You’ll find easy access to this park only a mile from Interstate-10 as you enter Lake City.

Bring your bathing suit on this hike! This leisurely stroll through a shaded forest meanders along the banks of the Ichetucknee River, a natural wonder and national landmark. The crystal clear spring-fed river is 72 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Hike the Trestle Point Trail, plunge into the Blue Hole Spring for a swim and enjoy a lazy tube float down the river.

Digging up relics of Florida’s storied past, we visit a bog and woodlands that provided the landscape for a water-powered industrial complex in the 1800s. An elevated boardwalk meanders through the bog over the archaeological remains of a lumber mill and textile mill.

Steeped in memories of war and segregation, this trail covers land once used to prepare hundreds of thousands of American troops for World War II. After the war, the land reverted from federal to state control where today it remains a joint training center for military operations and training maneuvers of the Reserves and National Guard. The trail is also home to Magnolia Lake, a defunct state park that operated in the 1950s and 60s as a water recreation park for African Americans during segregation.

Witness the results of millions of years of natural erosion in this Florida rain forest. Devil’s Millhopper highlights a magnanimous sinkhole 120 feet deep which you can descend into on a shaded boardwalk.

150 acres of outdoor recreation and camping along Black Creek and the St. Johns River in North Florida. You might expect to see alligators, manatees, and osprey on  your visit.  A rustic log cabin built during the depression era still stands and can be rented for weddings, reunions, and other events. Camp Chowenwaw operated as a Girl Scout Camp for more than 70 years and is now owned by Clay County. The County purchased it with Florida Forever Funds to preserve historical and natural resources of Florida. Hiking, fishing, paddle boarding, camping and a nature center are the highlights.

We begin our Walking Florida journey at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights, Florida. Marshes, ravines, rolling sandhills, scrubs and pine forests, this is one of the oldest state parks in Florida. It’s a magical place.