On a warm summer day, what could be better than jumping into the cool waters of a Florida spring? Then again, maybe hiking under the shade of tall pine trees and old oaks is more your style. Or maybe breaking a sweat by jogging or rollerblading along a paved path through the Florida wilderness is exactly what you need.

Regardless of how you like to experience nature, the Florida Greenways and Trail Guide has you covered.

The guide, which breaks up Florida into seven regions, lists the trails designated by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection along with the activities that are available at each site. These activities include inline skating, mountain biking, hiking, walking, equestrian, paddling, motorized/ATV, and wheelchair accessible.

In looking closer at each trail, you’ll see details about the trail’s path, the length of the trail, the surface type, the fee to access the trail (if any) and notes about available facilities. Most importantly, you’ll see a map of where the trail is located and where you’ll need to park.

The Orlando area is within the East Central region of Florida and currently lists 14 separate trails to enjoy. Six of these trails are for paddling only, while the others offer a combination of the listed activities. I’d recommend the Wekiva River/Rock Springs Run Canoe Trail, since the Wekiva River travels through some beautiful areas and links up to the Wekiwa Springs.

If you are into paddling a canoe or kayak, there is also a site dedicated to just those trails. This site does not break up the state into separate regions, but instead lists each trail with a number that can easily be referenced.

Just to note, many of the paddling sites require that you bring your own canoe and/or kayak. You’ll want to read ahead about available rentals for the trail that you are interested in. The Florida Online Park Guide is a good resource for finding this information.

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