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Saturday, March 3, 9:30 a.m.: Hike in the Cary State Forest
Join us on a 5 mile hike in the Cary State Forest. We will be hiking through mesic pine flatwoods, then through wet flatwoods, where we will observe some carnivorous plants, and over a boardwalk through a cypress dome.
We will meet at the parking area next to the kiosk at 7465 Pavilion Road, Bryceville, Florida 32009. Arrive by 9:00 a.m. There are rest rooms at the beginning of the trail.
Bring bug spray, sun block, and water. No pets, please. Children capable of hiking the distance are welcome.
RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Bill Snow at wbsnow@gmail.com.
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Sunday, March 4, 10:00 a.m.: Hike the Rice Creek Conservation Area
Let's hike 5 miles through this historic, beautiful, lush wetland area. We'll hike on part of the Florida Trail, cross thirty-some foot bridges, see huge Cypress trees, maybe see a gator or two, and visit the famous "Rice Creek Hilton".
The official address for the Rice Creek Conservation Area is 103 SR 100, Palatka. The parking area is at coordinates 29.682369, -81.736847.
Bring water and bug spray. There are no restrooms at the trailhead. Parking is limited and it's a bit of a drive, so form carpools on Meetup.
RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Bill Armstrong, armsfam@yahoo.com.
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Saturday March 17, 10:00 a.m.: GTM Reserve Fitness Hike
This is an outing for those who enjoy hiking at a brisk pace while enjoying the outdoors. The hike will utilize the GTM trails to create a 7 mile hike. The route courses through the reserve providing excellent views of the Guana and Tolomoto Rivers. Participants should be capable of hiking at a brisk pace for an extended period and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots.
The official address for the park is 450 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. The hike will begin at the Trailhead Pavilion across the dam west of the GTM Exhibition Center.
Park fees: $3.00 for vehicles with up to 8 passengers. Bring water, snacks, insect repellent, and sun screen. No pets are allowed.
RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Logan Cross at jlogancross3@gmail.com.
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Sunday March 18, 3:00 p.m.: Hike Little Talbot Island State Park
Little Talbot State Park has hiking trails, great beach access, and nice facilities with paved parking. We will take an approximately four-mile loop that takes us through wooded areas with changing features to emerge at the beach for our return. The hike is timed to coincide with low tide so we will have some striking beach views. At the end of the hike we will propose
an early group dinner for those who wish to join in.
The park's address is 12157 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville, Florida 32226. There is a $5.00 entrance fee per vehicle (up to eight occupants), $4.00 for single occupant.
Bring water, sunscreen, bug spray and snacks. Children capable of moderate hiking for four miles are welcome, no pets allowed.
RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Mike DiAngelo at mfdiangelo@gmail.com.
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Saturday, March 24, 9:00 a.m.: Overnight Backpacking in the Ocala National Forest
We'll backpack from Juniper Springs to Salt Springs on the Florida Trail. This is a beautiful section through the Juniper Wilderness and through varied terrain of sandhills, pine forests, prairies, and swamp forests. We'll hike about 10 miles each day and camp overnight at Hopkins Prairie (about $2 per person).
Participants must be capable of long backpacking days in varied weather. The difficulty of this section is moderate to difficult.
Basic backpacking gear will be required for this trip.
We will meet at the Salt Springs Marina (29.34903, -81.73081), leave as many cars as possible ($5 per day parking), then shuttle ourselves to Juniper Springs (29.18222, -81.7125) ($13 per day parking) to begin our hike.Everyone will chip in on parking costs.
A pre-hike conversation to discuss gear, experience, medical considerations, etc. will be required. You will be contacted by email after you RSVP.
RSVP on meetup or to Outing leader Bill Armstrong at armsfam@yahoo.com.
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Sunday, March 25, 9:00 a.m.: Hike the Cedar Point Preserve (National Park Service)
Join me on a 4 mile hike at the National Park Service 's Cedar point Preserve at the end of Black Hammock Island. We will hike through sandhill pine and live oak hammocks with vistas of our treasured Timucuan Preserve. We will even see the remains of an old plantation house.
The address is 9023 Cedar Point Rd, 32218.
Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent and a hat. No pets please. Restrooms available near the trailhead.
RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Richard Yelton at raptor43@juno.com.
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