Rob and Trish Martin started as trail guides at Cactus Jack’s Trail Rides more than five years ago. Now, after a year of running the farm, the couple is proud to call the farm theirs. Cactus Jack’s offers adventurous riders a choice of two locations the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and Rock Springs Run State Preserve, which is attached to the Seminole State Forest and connects to the Ocala National Forest.
“On the Greenway portion of our ride only horses are allowed on the trails,” says Trish. “There are beautiful live oaks and plenty of wildlife and birds. It’s a beautiful, relaxing walk through the woods on dirt trails. Where the Greenway ride is a bit more Central Parkish, Rock Springs is a little more wild, wild west.”
Hit The Trails
Rob and Trish Martin started as trail guides at Cactus Jack’s Trail Rides more than five years ago. Now, after a year of running the farm, the couple is proud to call the farm theirs. Cactus Jack’s offers adventurous riders a choice of two locations the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and Rock Springs Run State Preserve, which is attached to the Seminole State Forest and connects to the Ocala National Forest.
“On the Greenway portion of our ride only horses are allowed on the trails,” says Trish. “There are beautiful live oaks and plenty of wildlife and birds. It’s a beautiful, relaxing walk through the woods on dirt trails. Where the Greenway ride is a bit more Central Parkish, Rock Springs is a little more wild, wild west.”
Orlando Magazine
Florida has some excellent hiking trails. Let s go exploring!
May 1, 2021
“Get some fresh air.” This phrase acts as an all-encompassing solution for whatever problem is at hand. Stressed at work? Get some fresh air. About to lose your cool? Get some fresh air. While overused, the sentiment does hold true: There’s rarely anything that a little outdoor time can’t fix, which is why hiking is a wellness habit that’s hard to beat.
“Besides physical fitness, hiking keeps your mind agile because you are paying attention to everything around you, from where you put your feet to what’s up ahead,” explains Sandra Friend, Florida author and founder of FloridaHikes.com. “Immersing [yourself] in nature is great for mental health, too. I find myself doing my best introspection and problem-solving while hiking,” she adds.
An environment advocate, Jay Exum, makes a last minute plea for the state Legislature to increase the amount of money it will spend this year on preserving environmental land.
Hiking is one of my very favorite ways to spend my leisure time. Between the Ocala National Forest, the Seminole State Forest, several State parks, an abundance of wildlife management areas, and a beautiful variety of local parks, I am fairly certain I could spend every weekend in the woods and still not discover all that Central Florida has to offer.
My Australian Shepherd, Annabelle, is my trusty hiking partner and provides equal parts entertainment and companionship on these weekend adventures. A couple of weeks ago Annabelle and I were exploring a wildlife management area near the St. Johns River when we had a close encounter of the slithery kind. I, being a somewhat oblivious human, would have had a far closer encounter had it not been for Annabelle’s barking, which alerted me to the presence of a well-camouflaged Pygmy Rattlesnake.