Welcome Hikers and Paddlers in Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties!

Since 1982, the Apalachee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association has brought hikers together throughout the Capital Region surrounding Tallahassee. The Chapter has the distinction of maintaining the first certified section of the Florida National Scenic Trail, certified by the USDA Forest Service in 1988.

BEFORE YOU SIGN UP FOR AN ACTIVITY, please read the Activity Participant Guidelines at http://apalachee.floridatrail.org/guidelines-for-activity-participants This will make for a better outing experience for all concerned.

IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU RSVP "YES" THEN, IN ADDITION, YOU MUST CALL THE ACTIVITY  LEADER TO SIGN UP FOR THE ACTIVITY (WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A LIMIT ON GROUP SIZE).  PLEASE NOTE:  YOU MUST BE 'LOGGED IN' TO SEE THE ACTIVITY LEADER'S PHONE/EMAIL. THE LEADER WILL GIVE YOU THE CORRECT MEETING TIME AND PLACE and OTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE ACTIVITY (what to bring, best clothing/shoes to wear, etc.)

AFTER YOU'VE ATTENDED SEVERAL ACTIVITIES AND DECIDE YOU'D LIKE TO STAY WITH US, PLEASE SUPPORT THE COST OF OUR ACTIVITIES BY JOINING THE FLORIDA TRAIL ASSOCIATION and BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE APALACHEE CHAPTER. Go to http://www.floridatrail.org/OBM/Membership/... to join FTA online. Members receive many benefits, including automatic membership in the Apalachee Chapter, the Chapter's newsletter (The Blaze) pertinent to what's going on in our area; a subscription to the Florida Trail  state-wide newsletter (The Footprint); free trail maintenance training workshops, including ax, chainsaw, CPR and FirstAid certification; free participation in F-Troop--our team-building volunteer trail crews that tackle large projects like building bridges and boardwalks; a window decal and logo patch; opportunity to participate on decision-making committees covering major hiking issues; and voting privileges at the Annual Conference business meeting. [FTA office in Gainesville, toll-free 1-877-445-3352.]

The Apalachee Chapter conducts a wide slate of activities year-round, including the Annual Bradwell Bay Wilderness Swamp Stomp each March in the heart of the Apalachicola National Forest, where participants slog about 8 miles through one of the largest swamp forests in Florida along a section of the Florida Trail once rated by Backpacker magazine as one of the 10 toughest hikes in the United States.

In Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 we led a series of hikes called the "Apalachee Ambles" to hike all of the approx. 150 miles of the Chapter's section of the Florida National Scenic Trail, in conjunction with our 30th anniversary to be celebrated at our January and September 2012 Chapter meetings.

The Chapter has a program meeting the 2nd Tuesday of each month. A CHANGE IN MEETING PLACE: Beginning on May 8, 2012 our meetings are held in the Early Learning Coalition's training room, Northwood Centre, intersection of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Northwood Way.  Enter Northwood Centre, go to end of entrance road and turn right.  Look for the canopied building entrance with the ELC sign on the left of the entrance walkway.  Enter that door, keep to the left, and walk all the way to the back; the ELC entrance door (Suite 70) will be straight ahead.  Please try to arrive before 7:00 pm, otherwise you will have to call the phone number posted on the door so that someone can come from the training room to let you in the (locked) door.  Meeting program descriptions are here on Meetup and at:  http://apalachee.floridatrail.org/programs_...

Our FTA Chapter's main reason for existence is building and maintaining almost 150 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail, as well as several other local trails on public lands.  We have work hikes scheduled on weekends in the fall and spring, and a Weekday Warriors trail crew.  For information on the former, watch our newsletter or Meetups list.  For information on the Weekday Warriors, contact our Trails Coordinator, Terry Tenold, at (850) 877-1612.

To read our current newsletter and find the current 4-month list of activities, visit http://apalachee.floridatrail.org/newsletters

Here's a video about the Florida Trail: