I'm convinced that the Twilight Trail near Woodville was named because people liked to ride the trail after work and often finished during the twilight. That was certainly the case for me on a recent Friday. I began my 9-mile loop ride at the Lewis Park in Woodville with the sun already dipping behind tall pines.

Since winter is an ideal season for hiking, it's time to introduce the premier hiking trail in our region-the Florida National Scenic Trail. The trail runs 1,400 miles from the Big Cypress National Preserve to the Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola. In our area, the trail enters from the east along the wild Aucilla River. The Aucilla Sinks, where the river repeatedly ducks underground and resurfaces in a series of sinkholes, is one of the trail's scenic highlights.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I hadn't ridden the Munson Hills Off-Road Bike Trail in a couple of years, and was I ever surprised. Instead of finding stretches of difficult to traverse sugar sand, the U.S. Forest Service and its volunteer partners have put down layers of clay that have been angled for sharper turns and raised in places for fun jumps. There is also an adjoining trail loop, the Twilight Trail, that adds more than nine miles. Added to the long established Munson east and west loops, and there is a total of 21 miles of off-road bicycling fun in this section of the Apalachicola National Forest!

The St. Marks River below Natural Bridge has been a frequent companion on Saturdays. I've been helping with paddling trips for the Wilderness Way and we usually launch our colorful flotilla of kayaks on private land along "the basin," a wide marshy area where the St. Marks River rises from underground. Paddlers who don't have this prime access usually launch at the Newport Bridge and paddle up the six miles to the basin and back down again. 

Manatees. They have a unique lure. As a follow-up to my earlier visit (and blog) on the subject, I awakened before sunrise on a recent frigid Saturday (a real effort for me) and drove to Wakulla Springs State Park. The front gatekeeper had just arrived and I was fortunate to meet a maintenance man at the swimming area who was kind enough to open the gate for me, since the swimming area isn't normally open until around 9 o'clock. I had the tower-and about twenty manatees in the spring bowl-to myself.

Ryan and Rebecca Means enjoy exploring wild places. But the adventuresome couple has taken their passion a step further by beginning Project Remote, an effort to identify and document the remotest locations in all 50 states. They have already traveled to and documented 12 states thus far, and their progress can be tracked on their website.

Bicyclists, joggers, hikers, strollers, birdwatchers and horseback riders can all find enjoyable off-road experiences at the Lake Overstreet Trails in Maclay Gardens State Park. Located near I-10 on the north side of Tallahassee, the trails are easily accessible to thousands of people, highly convenient during these short days of winter.

After reading Internet reviews that the Cadillac Trail is "awesome" and "a must ride trail," I had to venture over to Lafayette Heritage Trail Park just east of Tallahassee. I was not disappointed. Who would have dreamed that an off-road biking trail in Florida could be so well-developed and challenging!

Wakulla Springs State Park just south of Tallahassee is fast becoming a manatee haven. Each winter, more and more of the impressive sea cows are finding the constant temperatures of the springs to their liking. Climb up the diving platform on a cool morning and you might spot a dozen manatees swimming around the spring bowl. And you may find another dozen farther down the river along the jungle boat route.

Fall and cooler weather is here, and you know what that means? No, not football-hiking! Of course, there is football, too, but in between your favorite games, hiking opportunities abound in the Tallahassee/Big Bend region. And this time of year is perfect for long strolls since pesky bugs are taking a long siesta.