About us
The Space Coast Hiking Meetup Group is a public outreach of the Florida Trail Association – Indian River Chapter. The Florida Trail Association (FTA) develops, maintains, protects, and promotes a network of hiking trails throughout the state, including the unique Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST). Together with our partners we provide opportunities for the public to hike, engage in outdoor recreation, participate in environmental education, and contribute to meaningful volunteer work. As a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation, we depend on an extensive network of volunteers to achieve our mission.
The Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST) is one of the United States 11 National Scenic Trails, and stretches 1,300 miles, from the edge of the everglades ecosystem in Big Cypress National Preserve to the white sands of Gulf Islands National Seashore at historic Fort Pickens. The FNST offers an outdoor experience that is unique to Florida.
The Indian River Chapter (IRC) is one of 18 regional FTA chapters, and is responsible for building and maintaining more than 120 miles of trail, including the FNST, that wind through the Three Lakes, Bull Creek, Triple N, and Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), and through Forever Florida, an eco-tourism destination. The IRC is 48 years old, has more than 200 members, and through this meetup group offers frequent opportunities for its wider community to experience the outdoors. Activities include not only trail maintenance hikes, but also leisure hikes and camping, backpacking, sightseeing, swimming, and paddling. We offer full moon hikes, beach strolls, and lighthouse tours. An annual Easter Egg Hunt is a favorite for children of all ages. Our monthly chapter meetings feature presentations on long-distant hikes, skill-building exercises, and knowledge exchange. While there is no fee to join our meetup group and to participate in our outdoor activities or chapter meetings, your FTA membership and donations of time, equipment, and money support the FTA mission and are greatly appreciated. For more information or to join the FTA, please visit https://www.floridatrail.org/.
Upcoming events
12
Bull Creek Maintenance Day #2
Location not specified yetEach year there is one weekend (10/29-11/1in the fall when the deer hunting is on hold in Bull Creek. We use this weekend to get as much trail maintenance done as possible. Some of us will be camping at the Bull Creek hunters campground while others will drive in for the day. Some of our hunting friends have trailers, covered areas, trucks, etc., which make us more comfortable and more productive. There is no charge for camping. If you have a camper you are welcome to bring it but there are no hookups.
There will be a lot of mowing, lopping, and possibly some clearing of blow down depending on how many hurricanes we have. You are welcome to come out for a few hours or all three days. We need a lot of volunteers for this event. Last year we did 40 miles of trail in Bull Creek, Triple-N, and Forever Florida. Some of us will come out on Thursday to collect equipment, maintenance starts on Friday morning, state food starts on Friday night. This particular posting is for Saturday when we will likely be focusing on Bull Creek.
We are going to do this one as a state event so we will be getting some food from the trail association. If you want to be the camp cook please feel welcome to come out and help feed us. It helps to have a few people who stay in the camp, help cleanup after meals, watch over the equipment, help late arriving people, etc.
When doing maintenance, please wear long pants, hard hats, glasses, and gloves. If you are camping you will need to bring typical camping gear. Some people like to use bug repellant.
GPS coordinates at the campsite are 28.082692503563678, -80.96135697827222
If you have questions, please contact me, 321-693-7369 or at bill.m.alexander@gmail.com.
Please register on the State FTA Galaxy Digital Site here.
https://floridatrail.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1310288
You only need to register once for the three days of the Bull Creek event.3 attendees
Bull Creek Cemetery Halloween Hike and Campout with FTA (optional)
Bull Creek Florida Trailhead, 12378 E. Irlo Bronson Highway, St. Cloud, FL, USHIKE LEADER: Kathy Durkin 510-872-9201
Gary W. 248-943=5240 (cell)NOTE: Bring a head lamp for this event, or a flash light, as it will be dark out there! This event will be cancelled if the rains have not stopped and the grounds are all muddy. A notice would be sent out by the day before if we need to do this! We don't want to be hiking in the mud at night!
Event Details: Come as you are or who you would like to be as we venture out to the Bull Creek Cemetery to meet up with ghosts and goblins. Trail maintenance on the primitive orange-blazed hiking section should have been completed today by Florida Trail Assoc. volunteers, so we should be in good shape. You also have the opportunity to camp out at the ranger check station at Bull Creek where our Florida Trail Assoc. volunteers will be camping out.
We will start out on the Florida trail, and then break out towards the old Bull Creek cemetery on unpaved, sandy roads. Our total hiking distance will be about 4.5 miles, over 50% under the open night sky. So don't forget to bring hydration, insect repellent, PPE, and snacks -- and most importantly, a FLASHLIGHT!!!
The trail head for our hike is not visible from 192, and so it is difficult to find if you are unfamiliar with this venue. It is a dirt driveway up on a berm adjacent to the levee on the south side of the road To find the trail head, there are three options to locate the trailhead:
1. In google maps or Waze, type in the address: 12378 E. Irlo Bronson memorial hwy (US-192). Apple maps will drop you about 50 feet east of the trailhead.
2. Use the GPS coord(s); ( 28.116917, -80.932467 )
3. The trail head is located 2.9 miles west of the intersection of deer park rd. and US-192.If anyone would like to carpool with me from Sam's Club on 192, we can arrange that, because it might be dark out.
CAMP OUT (no charge for camping out this evening!):
The ranger check station is located at:
Bull Creek WMA
7525 Crabgraas Rd, · Saint Cloud, FL (see photo of check station)If you are camping you will need to bring typical camping gear. Some people like to use bug repellant.
28.082692503563678, -80.96135697827222
If you have questions, please contact Bill Alexander, 321-693-7369 or at bill.m.alexander@gmail.com.You should plan on setting up your campsite before our hike, and make sure that you are at our trail head before 7PM, It is a 12.5 mile ride between the camp site and our trail head. It is almost all fully paved road, and it will be very dark out there, so perhaps get out there in the day light.
7 attendees
Bull Creek Maintenance Day #3
Bull Creek Check Station, 6 miles down Crabgrass Road from US-192, Osceola County, fl, USEach year there is one weekend (10/29-11/1) in the fall when the deer hunting is on hold in Bull Creek. We use this weekend to get as much trail maintenance done as possible. Some of us will be camping at the Bull Creek hunters campground while others will drive in for the day. Some of our hunting friends have trailers, covered areas, trucks, etc., which make us more comfortable and more productive. There is no charge for camping. If you have a camper you are welcome to bring it but there are no hookups.
There will be a lot of mowing, lopping, and possibly some clearing of blow down depending on how many hurricanes we have. You are welcome to come out for a few hours or all three days.
We are going to do this one as a state event so we will be getting some food from the trail association. If you want to be the camp cook please feel welcome to come out and help feed us. It helps to have a few people who stay in camp, cleanup after meals, watch the equipment, meet late arriving people, etc.
When doing maintenance, please wear long pants, hard hats, glasses, and gloves. If you are camping you will need to bring typical camping gear. Some people like to use bug repellant.
Day 3 is the last day of the event. We will do maintenance in the morning. We will likely be focusing on Forever Florida. In the afternoon we will break camp and head back home.
The check station campsite is located at 28.082692503563678, -80.96135697827222
If you have questions, please contact me, 321-693-7369 or at bill.m.alexander@gmail.com.
Please register on the State FTA Galaxy Digital Site here.
https://floridatrail.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1310288
You only need to register once for the three days of the Bull Creek event.4 attendees
Past events
1375
