Leon Sinks Hike & Ecological Tour with Friends of Leon Sinks

Leon Sinks Geological Area has two trails that connect to form a ~5-mile loop: the 3.6 mile Sinkhole Trail and the 2.8 mile Gum Swamp Trail. The Sinkhole Trail contains wet and dry sinks of various sizes and other geological features, and the Gum Swamp goes past some cypress domes. We will plan to do both trails, though attendees will have the option of finishing early after the Sinkhole Trail and taking the 0.5 Crossover Trail back to the parking lot. If you do that, please plan to comment here in Meetup to let me know you made it back safely. Children accompanied by a parent or guardian and dogs on a leash are welcome. We will meet in the parking area at 9:45 and start the hike at 10.

The Friends of Leon Sinks have been leading recurring hikes at this location since 2022. Hosting those hikes and joining us for this hike are Dylan Ryals-Hamilton and Alexander McKelvy. We will pause at several points for Dylan to share some fun facts about the local environment, and for Alex to hopefully share a snake or other reptile from the area, given that they are feeling social.

Bios:

• Hiking is a hobby that gives Dylan Ryals-Hamilton extra time to hone his skills as an ecology enthusiast, plant nerd, and budding wildlife tracker. He currently works for Florida Environmental & Land Services, Inc. (FELSI) as an environmental consultant specializing in wetland assessment and species surveys, and is an Associate Instructor with the Florida Master Naturalist Program.
• Alexander McKelvy is the director of Snake Evolution and Biogeography, a nonprofit that professionally mentors avocational naturalists with resources to advance snake science. SEB conducts and facilitates original research, provides training in field collection and museum science techniques and offers outreach and identification services to the public through /r/whatsthissnake.

All trails are wide and well-marked, which along with a few slight elevation changes, makes this an easy to moderate hike. Watch out for ticks, poison ivy, and the occasional root that might trip you. Bring water, sunscreen, bug spray, and a snack if you think you might get hungry.

Please bring $5 in cash for the Leon Sinks paybox.

Trail information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/florida/recreation/leon-sinks-geological-area

Friends of Leon Sinks: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofLeonSinks/

Activity leader: Jules Bailey (850) 210-5779

If you would like to share any photos or videos of the event on social media, please tag @Apalachee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association on Facebook or [@apalachee.fta](http://apalachee.fta/) on Instagram, OR email your photos and videos to apalachee@floridatrail.org.