News of interest for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
News
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Saturday, Sept. 21: Favorite Florida museums & gardens will be free
We love museums and we love freebies, so this is our kind of day. Participating attractions, some normally charging up to $25 admission, are free by downloading a ticket from Smithsonian Magazine.
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Thousands of birds migrate over the Florida Keys in fall; Hawkwatch keeps counts
Every fall, the skies over the Florida Keys fill with thousands of birds from hundreds of species heading south for the winter. A remarkable citizen science project, Hawkwatch, based in Curry Hammock State Park, keeps a tally. The star of the show here is the peregrine falcon, seen here in numbers unmatched by any other US location.
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Anne’s Beach in Islamorada re-opens after hurricane two years ago
One of my favorite stops on the drive down the Florida Keys — Anne’s Beach in Islamorada — re-opens Aug. 23, two years after it was devastated by Hurricane Irma. Located at mile marker 73.5, Anne’s Beach is a rare thing in the Florida Keys – a natural sandy beach. And it’s free.
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Florida Caverns State Park, Chipola River paddle trail reopen
Florida Caverns is the last of 31 state parks to reopen in the wake of 2018’s Hurricane Michael. While the park’s day-use area, and nearby Chipola River are open, the park’s campground remains closed.
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Florida circumnavigational trail guide updated
Florida’s longest non-motorized trail begins at Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola to Key West and then up the east coast to the Georgia state line. Changes made to to the 322-page guide include overnight accommodations, including Mexico Beach where one motel is set to reopen in 2020 while another will not be rebuilt in the wake of Hurricane Michael.
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The regular Florida lobster season is here
Recreational lobstering doesn’t end with the two-day mini-season in July. For many, it just begins in earnest with the start of the regular season, from August 6 until March 31.
State parks in Keys still recovering from hurricanes
Severe damage from hurricanes in 2017 (Irma) and 2018 (Michael) are still impacting a handful of Florida state parks. Early predictions point to a lower threat this year, but it only takes one.
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It’s firefly season at Blue Springs. Wait, what’s firefly season?
Blue Spring State Park, home to manatees in the winter and a favorite place for a swim in bracing spring water in the summer, will allow visitors to stay after closing during firefly season through March 31. If that took you by surprise, you’re with me. But there is a firefly season and Blue Spring, located 35 miles north of Orlando in Orange City, is firefly central.
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