June is Great Outdoors Month, and there are many associated holidays and events going on to celebrate. In addition to listed events on our Community Trails Calendar, check out what else is happening this month:
Many Floridians enjoy viewing and photographing wildlife while out in nature. Join us on June 12th at 10 a.m. eastern for the next installment of the Outdoor Florida Webinar series featuring renowned photographer John Shinner. He will showcase the opportunities for wildlife photography across the state including examples from coastal settings, forests, and marshes and will share a few ideas for shooting in your own backyard and local areas. Sign up today using the webinar RSVP form.
On June 20th the Office of Greenways and Trails is organizing a kickoff meeting for the Collier to Polk Regional Trail Alliance at Highlands Hammock State Park. With Collier to Polk being the newest regional trail addition to the Florida Greenways and Trails System, the meeting will include a discussion about the trail’s emerging needs, updates from local trail managers, and the development of strategies moving into 2025 and beyond. Sign up to attend via Eventbrite, or reach out to OGT Regional Coordinator Katie White for more information.
The second Florida Greenways and Trails Council meeting of the year will take place in Brooksville on June 25th at City Hall. For more information on the agenda once it has been published, please visit the Council webpage. Brooksville recently celebrated the official opening of the Good Neighbor Trail extension which completed one of the few remaining gaps in the 250+ mile Coast-to-Coast Trail. View a short video produced by Florida’s Adventure Coast highlighting the ribbon-cutting here.
For more information on requesting a speaker, visit the Contact Us webpage.
The Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail (C2C) was conceived as an ambitious effort to create a continuous paved multi-use trail across the state of Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, the first state trail of its kind in the United States. It will span approximately 250 miles and is currently 88 percent complete. The trail will link communities between St. Petersburg and Titusville along its entire length, allowing residents and visitors to explore Central Florida by bicycle or foot. The trail is linking all or part of several existing multi-use trails and will be managed by a broad range of communities and agencies. The Coast-to-Coast Trail Alliance is coordinated by OGT. For more information, visit OGT's C2C Alliance webpage.
The Coast-to-Coast Story Map Guide is the culmination of efforts to create a practical, adaptable, accessible mode for communicating information about the trail including wayfinding, alternate routes for large gaps, amenities and local information.
The initial scouting and mapping of the 1,515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail (CT) was completed in 2007, but periodic updates are needed for a trail of this length and magnitude. For our latest map upgrade, we changed the appearance and scope of the 26 segment maps to make them clearer and more informative. For more information, visit OGT's CT segments webpage. We have also created a CT Story Map and a Suwannee River Wilderness State Trail Story Map.
For more information, visit the Outdoor Florida Webinar Series webpage.
With our sunny skies and active lifestyles, Florida’s residents and visitors enjoy exploring our numerous miles of trails. Trail safety is important, particularly where trails and roadways cross. We all need to do our part to protect one another and prevent accidents. Whether as a motorist or trail user, we have a shared responsibility to:
The Florida Department of Transportation and the DEP's Division of Recreation and Parks joined together to put the spotlight on this important topic by developing a Trail Safety Video.
Feel free to share or download the video along with the extra information found below ... and remember to Always Put Safety First.
| More Trail Safety Information |
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| Trail Safety Poster |
| Trail Safety at Crossings |
For even more information on trail safety, please visit our Assistance and Resources webpage.
Do you enjoy hiking, biking, paddling or horseback riding? OGT, within the Division of Recreation and Parks, provides statewide leadership and coordination to establish, expand and promote non-motorized trails that make up the Florida Greenways and Trails System, pursuant to the Florida Greenways and Trails Act (Chapter 260, Florida Statutes). More can be found in the OGT office overview and historical timeline.
"Florida's Growing Trail System" article in the March/April 2019 issue of Quality Cities Magazine provides an overview of Florida's trail system and Trail Town program.
To be included in OGT's online calendar, send regional and state event announcements to Doug Alderson.
Featured Publications:
Florida trails 500-plus miles in length:
Florida Bike Touring and State Trail Public Camping Options
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Sign UpThe Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship – protecting our air, water and land. The vision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystems.
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