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The Florida Trail Association develops, maintains, protects, and promotes a network of hiking trails throughout the state, including the unique Florida National Scenic Trail.
Together with our partners we provide opportunities for the public to hike, engage in outdoor recreation, participate in environmental education, and contribute to meaningful volunteer work.
| | Central Florida Chapter Update | | |
Hello, Trail Family!
Have you missed us? We’ve been a little quiet lately—but only because exciting things are in the works! Our media coordinator, Chris Stevens, has been pouring his energy into finishing his latest book with coauthor Sandra Friend, and he’s taken the summer off to bring it across the finish line. We can’t wait to see the fruits of his labor—and share them with all of you once it’s ready.
In the meantime, we’re gearing up for our next meeting and want to hear from you! Tell us where your summer adventures took you—or where you’re dreaming of going in 2025. Whether you hit the trail, crossed an ocean, or discovered a hidden gem close to home, we’d love for you to share your story in a brief PowerPoint or Word doc (12 minutes max, please!). Bring your thumb drive and take us along for the ride.
To get us started, Mary-Slater will present her unforgettable bike-and-barge trip along Italy’s Po River. If you'd like to be added to the agenda of presenters, text her at 407-701-6475.
We know many of you have been missing our “Hike of the Month” events—believe us, we miss them too! With summer in full swing and schedules packed, we’ve had to hit pause. But once the weather cools and life slows down a bit, we plan to bring those monthly hikes back. We can’t wait to lace up our boots again with you this fall!, and we’re looking forward to hitting the trail together again soon.
As you read through the rest of the newsletter, please take a moment to review the proposed budget—we’ll be voting on it at our next meeting, along with reelecting our 2025–2026 leadership team.
Until then, stay cool and keep exploring.
Happy hiking,
Chelsey Stevens
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📬 Note on Newsletter Distribution
We’re excited to share that our chapter membership is growing — and that’s a great thing! To ensure we’re able to continue sharing updates with our active members, we’ve begun the process of removing individuals from our email list who are not current members of the Florida Trail Association.
Due to the limitations of our current email platform, we’re capped at 500 subscribers. As much as we’d love to send the newsletter to everyone, the cost and platform restrictions make it unsustainable.
If your membership has lapsed, this newsletter may no longer arrive in your inbox — but you can still access it anytime on our website and social media pages.
Want to keep receiving updates by email? Simply renew your membership and we’ll gladly add you back to the list!
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August Chapter Meeting
We Want to Hear from YOU!
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📅 Thursday, August 21
🕡 6:30 PM – Social Time | 7:00 PM – Meeting & Presentations Begin
📍 Leu Gardens – Magnolia Room
Bring a snack to share and join us for an evening of community, stories, and planning for the trail year ahead!
🧭 Share Your Summer Adventures
You’re on the Agenda!
At our next meeting, we want to hear from YOU—our members and guests! Tell us about your summer travels or a dream trip you’re planning for 2025. Whether you ventured deep into the backcountry, explored a new national park, or wandered somewhere off the beaten path, we’d love for you to bring your stories to life.
🖥️ How to Share
Create a short presentation in PowerPoint or Word (12 minutes max), save it to a thumb drive, and bring it with you. If you’d prefer to simply show photos and speak casually, that works too! This is a fun and informal way to connect with fellow members, inspire new adventures, and celebrate the spirit of exploration.
🚲 To get us started, Mary-Slater Linn will share highlights from her recent bike-and-barge trip along the Po River in Italy—an adventure that blends pedaling, paddling, and pasta!
📲 Want to be part of the lineup?
Please text Mary-Slater at 407-701-6475 so we can include you in the agenda. We’ll accommodate as many speakers as time allows!
Let’s travel vicariously together before we hit the trails this fall!
🗳️ Chapter Leadership Vote: 2025–2026
We’ll also be voting on our new leadership team for the upcoming term. Interested in stepping up? We’d love to have you on board!
We are still looking for a Chapter Secretary, so please reach out if you’re detail-oriented and want to help guide the future of our chapter.
Proposed Leadership Slate:
- Chelsey Stevens – Chapter Chair
- Jerry Rogers – Trail Coordinator
- David Magness – Membership Coordinator
- Kelley Galvin – Treasurer
- Doug Kucklick – Outreach Coordinator
- Chris Stevens – Media Coordinator
- Bill Turman – Activity Coordinator
- Mary-Slater Linn – Program Coordinator
- Vacant – Secretary (that could be you!)
See you there—and bring your stories, ideas, and hiking spirit!
Let’s make this trail season our best one yet.
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💰 Treasurer’s Report:
2024–2025 Fiscal Year Snapshot
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We’re proud to share a transparent look at our finances for the current fiscal year (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025), ahead of our chapter vote to approve the budget. Thank you to our treasurer for compiling this thorough update and to all of you, our members, whose donations and participation keep our chapter thriving.
As of August 17, 2025, our ending balance is $7,429.69, a modest increase from last year—evidence of our community's continued commitment and generosity.
📈 Year-to-Date Income: $3,974.79
Thanks to donations, raffles, creative fundraising, and a few resourceful aluminum can drives, we exceeded our projected income. Key contributions include:
- General Donations: $1,871.00
- Cost-Share Reimbursements: $735.45
- Raffles & Merchandise Sales: $724.84
- Advertising and Aluminum Collection: $373.50
- Membership Rebate: $270.00
Special thanks to everyone who contributed raffle items, made direct donations, or recycled with us!
💸 Year-to-Date Expenses: $3,807.49
Our expenses reflect responsible use of chapter funds to support trails, outreach, and events. Notable spending includes:
- Trail Maintenance: $1,281.94 — Fuel, parts, and repairs to keep our mowers, chainsaws, and bridges in shape.
- Media & Communication: $705.59 — Includes Constant Contact fees, Meetup, and newsletter costs.
- Meetings & Special Events: $1,000.00 in space rentals and $300.00 for hospitality.
- Misc. Chapter Support (e.g., first aid, volunteer snacks, outreach materials): $510.00
- Major Trail Projects: $9.96 — Funds spent on securing trail bridges and walkways.
We are also holding onto funds designated for the Virginia Barton Memorial Bench and new equipment purchases, which have not yet been spent.
📊 Budget Performance
Our total income for the year came in at $3,900.79, exceeding our projected budget of $3,150.00 by $750.79—a testament to your generous support and our creative fundraising efforts.
On the expense side, we remained under budget, spending $3,835.59 compared to our allocated $4,873.00, resulting in a positive variance of $1,037.41.
While we initially anticipated a net cash decrease of $1,723.00, we’ve instead seen a slight increase of $65.20 in our cash position. This leaves us in a strong financial position as we move into the remainder of the fiscal year.
🔍 A Closer Look
Want to dive into the details? You can review the full line-item activity log at the next meeting, where we’ll also vote to approve the annual budget and confirm our 2025–2026 leadership team.
We encourage members to ask questions and share feedback. Your voice and support guide our decisions—and your generosity keeps our trails well-tended and welcoming.
Thank you for helping us stay on the right path—financially and physically.
See you at the next chapter meeting!
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Lake Louisa State Park is a Great Place to Hike, Camp, Cycle, Ride Horses, and Enjoy Sunsets
Local Adventure Spotlight: By Rob Rogers
With rising temperatures and storm frequency and the reblooming tick population, summer has traditionally drawn me back from the Florida Trail to Florida’s state parks for hiking (when I’m not enjoying the beaches and springs, of course). One of my favorite nearby state parks for hiking is Lake Louisa State Park—and it’s also a great place to cycle, camp, ride horses, and do so much more.
Set on 4,500 acres just south of Clermont, this state park sits on hills south of Lake Louisa that were originally settled by homesteaders at the beginning of the 20th century, who initially used the land to graze cattle and cut timber. Its lands once included a sawmill, turpentine still, shingle mill, and even a church and school, the traces of which are now long gone. After being converted to orange groves after World War II, the land was sold to the state of Florida and turned into a state park in the 1970s, and in the time since has been allowed to grow wild.
Lake Louisa State Park now remains an oasis of nature in a region of suburban growth, with more surrounding lands being surrendered each year to the construction of subdivisions and apartment complexes. Its hills also provide some of the prettiest spots in our region to view sunsets and sunrises. My family and I have also enjoyed guided horse rides on the friendly horses kept in a corral near the Eco Tents south of Dixie Lake.
Lake Louisa is popular with hikers and particularly cyclists, as it has miles of paved roads rolling over hills with minimal traffic. It also attracts the RV set because of its quaint RV spots, and it has popular cabins overlooking Dixie Lake that are booked months in advance by theme park enthusiasts who prefer to avoid the resort hotels. But Lake Louisa is also perfect for hiking and primitive camping, as it has two easily accessible primitive campsites that sit beside pretty trails, but which still feel like serene backcountry sites on scenic trails. When I started backpacking last year, I honed my skills at both campsites and had a great time doing it.
Each campsite has its own appeal. Pine Point is nestled beside a bridge crossing a small creek (deceptively named “Big Creek”), in an open space beneath longleaf pines inhabited by owls that hoot through the night. Wilderness Point sits in a cozy oak and scrub hammock at the foot of several sandhills closer to Lake Louisa. Both campsites are equipped with a fire ring and picnic table and sit within a half-mile of reserved parking spaces. Both campsites (particularly Wildness Point) are also within easy reach of west facing hills that provide VIP sunset viewing—views that cannot be seen for very long if you’re not spending the night at the park, which closes to daytime visitors at sunset. Primitive campsites can be booked for $5.55 per night.
As for hiking, Lake Louisa State Park has 23 miles of trails, some mixed hiking and mountain biking only, others also shared by horse riders. Most trails are remnants of old orange grove roads now used by rangers, so there are no specific routes, but all are well marked with numbers corresponding with the easy-to-use map you receive at the ranger station. The most popular trail runs from the parking lot near Lake Louisa east to Big Creek, much of which sits in a quaint grove of live oak and cypress and makes for an easy 2+ mile hike. To the west of Big Creek but closer to Lake Louisa lie longer loops linking to spur trails up the west-facing hills loved by sunset watchers, although many of those loops can have tough sugar sand in the summer and fall.
My favorite loop is the Dixie Loop (called that only on AllTrails), a six-mile loop which circles Dixie and Hammond Lakes in the parks’ southeastern quarter and passes the Pine Point campsite. Portions of the loop climb gently over sandhills and provide great places to catch the breeze while having a break during a morning hike. The portions near Big Creek, in a more thickly wooded pine and live oak hammock, are great places to see deer and hawks. Most of the trail surface on this loop is free of sugar sand, with the notable exception of the tallest hill rising to the cabins overlooking Dixie Lake.
If you live in Central Florida and are looking for a place to hike with plenty of options for different distances, Lake Louisa State Park is a great place to try.
Rob Rogers is the author of Finding My Way Home: Fighting Depression Backpacking in Central Florida, which will receive a 2025 President’s Book Award from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association this August. He also writes a blog called the “Central Florida Backpacking Desk Jockey” (http://backpackingdeskjockey.blog) and has published essays on FloridaHikes.com.
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The Northern Region of the Florida National Scenic Trail
Originally published in The Sabal Minor, a newsletter of the Florida Native Plant Society
By Chelsey Stevens
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The Northern Region of the Florida National Scenic Trail offers an immersive experience through some of the state’s most diverse and ecologically significant landscapes. This section begins at Blackwater Creek in Seminole State Forest, heads north into Ocala National Forest, then continues through Rice Creek, Etoniah Creek State Forest, Gold Head Branch State Park, Camp Blanding, Osceola National Forest, and finally to the banks of the Suwannee River.
Tall red maples and bald cypress border the dark waters of Blackwater Creek as the trail crosses on a concrete bridge. Following an ecotone between floodplain forest and oak scrub, orange blazes wind through a jungle of palmettos underneath huge loblolly pines, passing the crystal clear waters of Sharks Tooth Spring along the way. Crossing over SR 44, the trail weaves through a mosaic of pine scrub and depression marshes before reaching the Ocala National Forest at Clearwater Lake.
Moving across Ocala National Forest, hikers traverse huge swaths of scrub and sandhill communities showcasing desert like landscapes and savannahs of wiregrass under towering longleaf pines. The trail traces along an edge of open marshy wetlands at Farles, Juniper, and Hopkins prairies. Entering Rice Creek Conservation Area, once a 17th-century rice plantation, the terrain shifts to a lush wetland forest where tupelo, bald cypress, and swamp dogwood thrive.
At Etoniah Creek State Forest, hikers have the rare opportunity to see Etoniah rosemary in the wild (Conradina etonia), an endemic species found only in this part of Florida. This plant clings to dry, sandy ridges and is a testament to the fragility of Florida’s native plant communities. We also had the pleasure of spotting the Ghost Plant (Monotropa uniflora) poking its skeletal fingers out of the earth. The trail then winds through Gold Head Branch State Park, one of the state’s oldest parks, where hikers encounter steep ravines, seepage streams, and diverse ferns in the cool shade of ancient oak hammocks.
From Gold Head, the trail crosses into Camp Blanding, a historic military training ground where pine forests surround deep sinkhole ponds, and swamp tupelo, pond cypress, and red maples dominate the shoreline of the lake. The understory is thick with saw palmetto and gallberry, creating ideal habitats for wildlife.
Transitioning into the notoriously soggy Osceola National Forest, hikers can expect to trek across vast wet flatwoods, cypress swamps, blackgum forests, and wet prairies, where pitcher plants, sundews, and rare orchids flourish in acidic soils. This section is rich in biodiversity, offering glimpses of Florida’s untouched wilderness.
The journey culminates at the Suwannee River, where the trail follows its otherworldly limestone bluffs and tannin-stained water. White sand beaches line the river bends, while majestic bald cypress, live oaks, and river birch stand as ancient sentinels along the banks. Wild azaleas bloom along the trail, their bright pink flowers adding bursts of color in the spring, while delicate rain lilies emerge after summer rains, creating a fleeting but stunning display of white blossoms. The Holton Creek Tract is home to the second-largest bald cypress, a humbling sight for any hiker.
From the rolling sandhills of Ocala to the rugged river bluffs of the Suwannee, the Northern Region of the FNST offers an unforgettable journey through Florida’s varied landscapes. Each step reveals a new piece of the state’s ecological and historical puzzle, reminding hikers that conservation begins with appreciation and action.
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Eldora Hammock Trail
Near the ghost town of Eldora, the Eldora Hammock Trail loops through the beauty of a lush coastal hammock, highlighting a semi-tropical understory in deep shade.
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Central Florida Chapter Activity Leaders
Bill Turman, Activity Coordinator
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🌄 A New Season,
A New Opportunity to Lead
As we gear up for another season of unforgettable hikes and adventures, we want to extend a warm invitation to those of you who feel the itch to lead. Whether you've been hiking with us for years or just joined your first sunset walk—if you love connecting people with the outdoors, this could be your season to step up.
Becoming a Certified FTA Activity Leader starts with co-leading two activities alongside two of our current certified leaders. That’s it! From there, you’ll gain access to training, support, and a chance to leave your footprint on the Florida Trail community in a lasting way.
📌 Here’s your action step: Reach out to one of our Activity Leaders and ask to co-lead a hike. Many of them are already planning fall events and would love an extra set of boots on the ground.
📞 You can also contact our Activity Leader Coordinator, Bill Turman, at 407-413-2950 or email him at HokieBill@bellsouth.net if you'd like help getting started or finding a co-lead opportunity.
💬 And speaking of expanding our trail family…Chelsey has been in contact with the leadership team at Girls Who Hike Florida to explore an exciting potential collaboration! This group is full of passionate, adventurous women who are already hitting the trails and could be a natural fit for some shared events, skill-building workshops, or even co-led hikes.
If you’ve heard from Chelsey already—thank you! She’ll be following up soon. And if this is the first you're hearing about it, but you’re interested in helping build this connection or have ideas for partnership opportunities, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Whether you're excited about mentorship, co-hosting an event, or simply making new friends on the trail, your voice and ideas are welcome.
Let’s keep growing this vibrant, welcoming hiking community—one step at a time! 🥾🌿
We're excited about the possibilities and will be sharing more updates soon. Stay tuned!
🌟 Welcome to Our Newest Certified Activity Leaders:
- Jim Krell – August 2024
- David Magness – October 2024
- Stuart Dropkin – November 2024
- Elda Larche – January 2025
- Ned James – February 2025
Thank you for stepping up—you are already making a difference.
✅ Our Current Certified Activity Leaders:
- Rachael Augspurg
- Mary Slater Linn
- Ron Aube
- Tom Regan
- Jerry Rogers
- Kelley Galvin
- Chelsey Stevens
- Joan Jarvis
- Erica Johnson
- Steve Grieger
- Russ Klette
- Judy Minter
- Bill Turman
- Chris Stevens
- Jim Krell
- Jackie Warren
- David Magness
- Stuart Dropkin
- Elda Larche
- Ned James
- Kristen Gilbert (Paperwork Processing)
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Leading Adventures in Florida:
The Madcaps Share Their Experieces
| | This week on The Florida Madcaps Podcast, we dive into what it takes to lead the pack—literally. From training to trail tales, we share what it's like to guide hikes and paddles through Florida’s wild spaces, and why helping others experience the outdoors is one of the most rewarding roles on the trail. | | |
10% off all regularly priced clothing, footwear, and gear
Offer limited & some exclusions apply
Travel Country Outfitters supports Florida Trail Members Simply show proof of membership at the register
www.travelcountry.com 407-831-0777
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Chelsey Stevens - Chapter Chair
Jerry Rogers - Trail Coordinator
David Magness - Membership Coordinator
Kelley Galvin - Treasurer
Doug Kucklick - Outreach Coordinator
Chris Stevens - Media Coordinator
Vacant - Secretary
Bill Turman - Activity Coordinator
Mary-Slater Linn - Program Coordinator
Media Committee
Rob Rogers
Outreach Committee
Rue Nilson
Stuart Dropkin
Roxane Abelow
Hospitality
Rue Nilson
Jean Williamson
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Join Our Committees!
Interested in getting more involved without the commitment of a leadership position? We're excited to announce the formation of committees to support our leadership roles, and we're seeking enthusiastic volunteers. Initially, we're focusing on the following committees, with plans to expand to additional roles in the future:
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Media Committee: This team will manage social media, share photos, write articles, and coordinate contributions from others.
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Outreach Committee: Members will help set up and staff tables at various outreach events.
If you're interested in joining one of these committees, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!
We hope everyone enjoys a cool and safe summer. Thank you for your dedication to our community and for taking the time to connect with your leadership team. Have a wonderful season!
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