Category Archives: Hiking

Nature Tourism – Bald Point State Park

Posted on January 8, 2017 by John

Some of the most picturesque and scenic natural areas along north Florida’s Gulf Coast are found in Bald Point State Park. The 4,065 acre park is located on Alligator Point, where Ochlockonee Bay meets Apalachee Bay. Bald Point State Park … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecotourism, fishing, Florida Panhandle, Hiking, Kayaking, Recreation | Tagged | Comments Off on Nature Tourism – Bald Point State Park

The Once Mightier Ochlockonee, Dismembered by Sea Level Rise

Posted on October 22, 2016 by John

What do the Ochlockonee and Aucilla rivers have in common? Not much, it would seem, beyond the fact that both have headwaters in Georgia and flow through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. These two rivers do share the distinction … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Environmental Education, Florida Master Naturalist, Florida Panhandle, Geology, Hiking | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Biking to a Healthier Community

Posted on September 16, 2016 by John

If you told me earlier this summer that I would “accidentally” bike 18 miles one afternoon, I’d have laughed. I’ve always loved biking, but rarely have time for long distance rides. As part of the mobile workshops for an Extension … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecotourism, Florida Panhandle, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Recreation | Leave a comment

Nature Tourism in the Panhandle – Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) – Pensacola Beach

Posted on February 12, 2016 by John

  All Photos by Molly O’Connor We began our series on Nature Tourism along the ICW at the Alabama state line on Perdido Key and discussed the ICW itself.  This month we will continue in Escambia County with a visit … Continue reading →

Posted in Barrier Islands, Ecotourism, Environmental Education, Florida Panhandle, Hiking, Kayaking, Recreation | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Florida Master Naturalist projects impact local communities

Posted on February 5, 2016 by John

The Florida Master Naturalist Program is a 40-hour experiential learning course offered by UF IFAS Extension. While we spend time in class with presentations, by far everyone’s favorite aspects of the course are field trips and “project day.” As part … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Education, Estuaries, Florida Master Naturalist, Florida Panhandle, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Watershed, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Panhandle Outdoors LIVE – Watershed School – Week’s Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Posted on February 5, 2016 by John

Mobile Bay?… part of the Florida panhandle?… Really?… Well… yes… during the colonial period “West Florida” extended west to the Biloxi area and besides, all western panhandlers know we are really “lower Alabama”; we hear it a million times a … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecotourism, Environmental Education, Estuaries, Hiking, Kayaking | Tagged | Leave a comment

2016 Gulf Coast Agritourism and Ecotourism Business Development Conference

Posted on January 19, 2016 by John

In 2014, five Extension agents involved with http://www.naturallyescarosa.com launched the first Gulf Coast Agritourism & Ecotourism Business Development Conference. Over sixty business owners and members of the hospitality industry met to discuss marketing, sustainable tourism, and how to handle insurance … Continue reading →

Posted in Agritourism, Ecotourism, Events, Florida Panhandle, Hiking, Kayaking, Recreation, Upcoming Events | Leave a comment

Panhandle Outdoors LIVE! Hikes the Aucilla Sinks Trail

Posted on November 6, 2015 by John

Hernando de Soto and his party crossed the Aucilla River sometime in October of 1539 and celebrated Christmas in what is now Tallahassee. Many things in Florida have changed since de Soto passed this way, but when the 2015 Panhandle … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecotourism, Environmental Education, Florida Panhandle, Hiking, Recreation, Sinkholes | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Endless October Options in Northwest Florida!

Posted on October 9, 2015 by John

October is a glorious time of year in northwest Florida. Temperatures are cooler, skies seem bluer, and the summer crowds have left the still-warm waters of the Gulf mostly to us locals. It is also the perfect time to explore … Continue reading →

Posted in Agritourism, Ecotourism, Environmental Education, Events, Hiking | Leave a comment

Panhandle Outdoors LIVE – Aucilla River Sinks Hike

Posted on September 21, 2015 by John

A portion of the Aucilla River flows through a landscape of dramatic and unusual geologic formations. Join us for this tour to see an amazing sequence of sinks and river rises, created as the river alternately disappears into the underlying … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecotourism, Environmental Education, Geology, Hiking, Sinkholes | Tagged , | Leave a comment