Florida Trail Activities in Your Area

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Check out our chapter websites and Meetup groups for activities in your area.  Visit the Chapters page, scroll down to the bottom and look for your county.  Click on the chapter for a county to go to its web page.  Florida Trail Association activities include day hikes, backpacking trips, canoeing and kayaking, bicycling, picnics, and campouts.  Day hikes may focus on birding, plant identification, geocaching or historic sites.  Most activities are held locally, but some chapters travel to other parts of the state or out of state for extended trips.  However you like to enjoy the great outdoors, there's a Florida Trail activity for you!
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Home arrow Trail arrow Hiker Safety arrow Personal Safety
Personal Safety PDF Print E-mail
Hiker on the Ocean to Lake section

It is dangerous to assume that just because you are on a trail in the wilds of Florida, you are removed from the two-legged dangers faced in urban areas. The people you may encounter on and near a trail represent the broad mix of society: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The following are some basic recommendations to assist the hiker with personal safety issues when heading out on a trail. They are not all-inclusive but should serve as a guide for a safe and pleasant hiking experience:

 

1. Hike with a buddy. Hiking with at least one partner reduces the potential for harassment and provides a personal safety net if you are injured.

2 File an itinerary. Always leave information where you are hiking with family and friends. Include phone numbers for local law enforcement and land managers. These numbers are included on the FTA maps.

3. Dress conservatively. Select attire that avoids unwelcome attention.

4. Don’t broadcast your itinerary. Do not discuss trip plans with suspicious strangers, do not reveal the plans of fellow hikers and if hiking alone, claim to be lead of a larger group following behind you.

5. Be sociable but cautious in conversations with strangers. Pay attention to details such as location and their appearance, and behavior. Avoid anyone acting strangely, provocatively, openly hostile or drunk.

6. Avoid all provocation and confrontation. Do not respond to taunts or attempts at intimidation.

7. Camp away from roads and motor vehicles. Areas accessible to motor vehicles pose more danger of harassment. If there is concern, hide your camp or camp as a group with several others.

8. Do not carry firearms. The FTA member code of ethics prohibits firearms when on the trail and it might end up being used against you or fellow hikers.

9. Eliminate opportunities for theft. Never leave your pack unattended. If possible, check it with a local business. Never leave cash or valuables in your car at trailheads

10. Trust your instincts. If confronted by an individual or situation that you just feel is “wrong,” keep moving down the trail until you feel safe once again.

11. Have current trail guides and maps. The more current the information, the better informed the hiker. FTA maps contain the most current information on local law enforcement and land manager contacts in each area.

12. Obey all land manager/owner regulations. Be particularly courteous on private property.

13. Wear safety orange during all hunt seasons. A mesh vest and/or blaze orange pack cover work well in Florida.

In the event that you encounter an untoward incident while hiking the Florida Trail or one of the trails within the Florida Trail System, please do the following:

•Immediately contact the local law enforcement agency, as listed in this guide and on the maps.

•Contact the Florida Trail Association. Help keep us informed so that proper follow up is accomplished. Provide as much detailed information as possible.

In the words of AT and PCT thru-hiker Jim Owen, “There are volumes more that could be said about safety and security, but for me it comes down to this: personal safety is a matter of common sense and mental attitude. Pay attention to your surroundings, to the people around you and to your own feelings. And don’t play with things that bite.”
 
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