TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (October 26, 2021): It’s easier than ever for travelers to find their way to Florida’s best outdoor adventure trails. With a new digital hub dedicated to biking, hiking and paddling in the Sunshine State, VISIT FLORIDA is making sure that visitors have all of their options available in one convenient location.
While travelers often dream of Florida’s sandy beaches, VISIT FLORIDA wants to remind them that the state is more than just salty-aired relaxation. Adventure awaits in all directions with forests, marshlands, and waterways that stretch across the state. And, with almost 70 million searches for content related to trails, hiking, biking and paddling on Google in the U.S. each month, this new hub seeks to focus attention on Florida’s adventure options.
For cyclists, the hub offers guidance for finding biking trails, beach biking opportunities, mountain biking, and paths in state parks. Alafia River State Park, for example, offers some of the best mountain biking in the state.
Leisure riders will want to cruise along the paved paths of Jacksonville Beach or South Beach, Miami, with a bike rented from a local shop. The portal demystifies the process by letting users filter their wants and needs, whether it’s in-town or off-road.
For hikers, VISIT FLORIDA maps out the best trails and beach walks for all levels. Enjoy Florida’s beaches in a different way on one of these beach hikes or test yourself on the famed Big “O” Hike around Lake Okeechobee, an intense 109-mile trek. A total of 175 state parks dot the state, making it easy to find a stretch of green space to hike through, and the new portal helps break them down by location and category.
The Florida Trail is one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, accessible all year without any threat of snow or cold. Diverse flora and fauna await those who trek through the state’s seemingly endless network of food trails, with birdwatching and scenic views at every turn.
For water lovers, it’s easy to find the best places to kayak, to paddle board or even to skim the water under the stars. There are 190 miles of the Great Calusa Blueway kayak trail joining a total of 750 miles of paddling trails statewide.
The hub lets visitors find the best waterways to suit their needs as they plan their next trip, whether it’s paddle boarding on Sanibel Island, kayaking in St. Petersburg, or mingling with manatees on Crystal River.
There’s even horse-riding trails, accessible with Choyce Horseback Trail Riding. The adventures are all there for visitors to choose.
Other destinations need to convince travelers to try their outdoor experiences, but Florida has travelers begging for it. Ideal weather year-round and varied topographies permit all sorts of adventure on foot, on two-wheels or on the water. Florida’s trails are pathways to exercise, nature, wildlife and, above all, discovery.
For more information on Florida’s commitment to outdoor experiences, visit VISITFLORIDA.com/Trails.
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About VISIT FLORIDA
As the Sunshine State’s No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming 79.8 million visitors in 2020, a decrease from the record 131.4 million visitors in 2019, attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the latest economic impact study, Florida visitors contributed $96.5 billion to Florida's economy and supported 1.6 million Florida jobs in 2019. According to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA, the official tourism marketing corporation for the State of Florida, $3.27 in tax revenue is generated. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 13,000 tourism industry businesses, including major strategic alliance partnerships with Busch Gardens Tampa, Disney Destinations, Hilton, LEGOLAND Florida Resort, SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando and Universal Orlando Resort. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA follow @FloridaTourism on Facebook and Twitter or visit www.visitflorida.org. For inspiration from the Sunshine State, follow @VISITFLORIDA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.visitflorida.com. For media resources, visit www.visitfloridamedia.com.
Media Contact
Chiara Peretti, Publicist