Outdoors & Nature Insider

Speer Hammocks at the Florida Hiking Festival Credit: Kevin Mims

It's time to dust off that gear and take a trip to White Springs for the Florida Hiking Festival! Join the great folks from the Florida Trail Association on March 27-29 at Stephen Foster Folk Culture State Park. There will be organized hikes along the Suwannee River led by FTA leaders, walking tours of White Springs, and activities for the whole family.

On Saturday, attendees can enjoy informative workshops, participate in contests, browse through the vendor village and learn Leave No Trace principles. It's a great time, and I can't wait to get back up to White Springs! Plan on camping Friday and Saturday nights, that way you can have the full experience.  There's great campfire activities planned, the Campfire Pickin' session is fantastic! Bring along your instruments and get in on the action.

Oh, there's great geocaching here too. Last year, while at the Hiking Festival, I went out for a little geocaching and locked the keys in my vehicle. I'm sort of scatterbrained, and always find a way to make the day more interesting by doing stuff like this. I walked up to the ranger station and used their phone to call a locksmith, who opened the door in about 30 seconds. I'm such a goof, and I'll share a picture here of me sitting by the ranger station explaining my situation to my insurance company. Remember - double check for your keys before you get on the trail!

For more information on the event, head on over to the Florida Hiking Festival web site. See you in White Springs!