Florida - Rice Creek Conseration Area Hike

We haven't hiked in ages so I found this 5.2 mile hike online.

This is part of the 3 mile bike trail

 but we turn off after about 1/2 mile

 It's a Jungle in here!

 Tucson is just happy to not  be home alone

Lots of planks to walk on - only there were none in the muddiest section.

 I keep expecting to see a Boa Constrictor hanging off a branch

 There are 36 bridges on the trail

and since it is so swampy - lots of Cypress Trees

 Not quick enough to get pictures but saw 3 deer and an Owl flew by.

an old hollowed out Cypress you could take shelter in.

 and more boardwalk

 This one leads to the 8th largest Cypress in Florida

 It is that light colored tree in the distance.  As of March 2007, it stood at 107 feet tall, 24 feet 9 inches in circumference, and a crown spread of 48 feet by 42 feet

 we are just over half way through the loop

We happen upon the camping area for the Florida Trail

It is the Rice Creek Hilton.  A screened in picnic area below and a trap door above the ladder leads to sleeping quarters.  Quite swanky for the wilderness.

 Bridge 36 - we must almost be back.

Home in time to grill dinner

It was a beautiful hike.  If we have time we will go back and do the bike trail and then hook up to another hiking trail that goes to Hoffman's Crossing an1886 yard boardwalk through large cypress trees.  However we will not bring Tucson and I will not go off trail as I found almost a dozen ticks on Tucson and 3 on me.