🌴Suncoast Outdoors🥾

Richloam Fire Tower to Devil's Creek!!! 12 miles */- in Webster FL WEAR ORANGE

Fri, Feb 27 · 8:15 AM EST

Florida Trail Richloam Fire Tower Trailhead, 38294 Richloam Claysink Rd, Webster, FL, US

UPDATE: TO ATTEND, YOU MUST WEAR ORANGE AND CARRY A WHISTLE. IT IS STILL HUNTING SEASON. READ ABOUT A RECENT ISSUE IN THE COMMENT SECTION.

It's time for me to lead a devilish hike in the Withlacoochee State Forest!!! Richloam is off the beaten path so it feels rugged and magical. As I recall, the terrain is forever changing, with wonderful winding trails, clearings that offer panoramic views, lots of shaded areas through old, fragrant forest, and finally, there's a honey of a bridge that spans Devil's Creek. If we're lucky, we will see and hear lots of Red Shouldered Hawks who happen to enjoy this earthy habitat. But there's more...

After the hike, we will stop for ice cream at the Richloam General Store. A visit to the historic general store is like stepping into a time machine and if the stars align, there will be a musician or two on the porch, playing some delightful hillbilly rock just for you.

If you signup for this hike, you don't want to focus on the end time as this is my first time leading here and my second time hiking here (enough said). It will be a great day and don't forget your map. You will also need at least 3 liters of water, snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, a hat, hikers, and anything else you deem necessary for your comfort. You may want to bring a ground cloth to sit on during the snack break.

On the day of the hike, please meet me in the Richloam Fire Tower parking area at 8:15 a.m. We will leave at 830am sharp. There is no day use fee and no restrooms available at trailhead. A water spigot available at trailhead.

We will hike at least 12 miles.

Please do not signup for this hike if you can't maintain a pace of 2.5 miles over 4 hours on uneven terrain. If this is your first hike with Suncoast Outdoors, please message me before hand to introduce yourself.

Because of the season, this should be a dry hike with lots of sun. If it looks like rain, I will still see you there, maybe with your rain gear on :). We will hike at a steady and moderately-brisk pace and take a couple of short breaks plus one 20 minute break for a snack.

For information about the hike/area, visit https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/82304/file/RichloamHikingTrailBrochure-032020.pdf.

My number on the day of the hike is 813-713-2492.

I am asking that everyone signs up (no guests) so everyone can agree to the waiver and agree to the following conditions:

ASSUMPTION OF RISK
YOUR ATTENDANCE AT A "SUNCOAST OUTDOORS " SPONSORED EVENT IS YOUR EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF FULL PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR ALL ASSOCIATED RISKS.

Possible risks from participation include, but are not limited to: injury from a trip and fall, venomous snakes, stinging insects, venomous spiders, wildlife encounters, heat stroke, dehydration, hypothermia, noxious vegetation, weather related injury, insect or airborne transmissible virus and disease, smoke inhalation, wildfire, and falling trees.

I am not a professional guide, just a volunteer for the group.
Any questions or concerns, please comment below. Thanks.

Backpacking Lake Arbuckle 2.0

Sat, Feb 28 · 9:00 AM EST

Lake Wales Ridge SF Reedy Creek Campground, 1585 Rucks Dairy Rd, Frostproof, FL, US

Day One, Day hike <--- sign up at this link if you want to make this the first day of this three-day-weekend, OR if you ONLY want to attend the day hike.

Sign up here if you wish to go backpacking with me (Sat/Sun). Limited to 10. If you want to also attend the day hike on Friday please sign up for that one separately.
Where: For the trailhead coordinates pls see pin on the map under directions, it is near the Reedy Creek campground and right by the trail kiosk on Rucks Dairy Rd. If you’re driving on the red clay road you’ve gone too far.

Trails are sandy and most of them exposed to sun. Florida may be flat but sandy trails are a workout.

The plan:
Friday, 2/27/2025: ****SEE SEPARATE LINK ABOVE FOR SIGN-UP*****8 mile day hike on the Walk-In-The-Water blue and red trails, then heading down the road to Reedy Campground at Lake Arbuckle Tract to spend the night. Please make your own reservations for this campground or choose any other place where you may want to stay the night before we start on Saturday : https://floridastateforests.reserveamerica.com/camping/map_of_reedy-creek-campground-lake-wales-ridge-state-forest/r/campgroundMap.do?page=map&search=site&contractCode=FLFS&parkId=1120188

Saturday, 2/28/2025: starting the 19 mile backpacking trip around Lake Arbuckle on the yellow loop trail. We'll take a lunch break at Lone Oak Camp and will spend the night at the Hidden Hammock campsite along the trail. The Hidden Hammock campsite is much smaller than Creekside camp from last year. There are some spots to camp right outside of the campsite if we get too crammed. IMPORTANT: there is an "artesian well" water source within 0.55 miles of our campsite, but I've been told is yucky sulfur water. If you want to try and filter it you can, but I will cache drinking water jugs about a mile before camp. That means that everyone will help carry water to camp. Whatever we don't use we can dump (fire?) and we’ll carry out the empty jugs.
Unlike last year, we’ll start at the northern end and hike counterclockwise.
Day One: Approx. 10.5 miles to Hidden Hammock Campsite. Lunch break at Lone Oak camp, about mile 5.
Day Two: 8 miles to complete the loop along Lake Arbuckle, ending at our cars.
You must have prior backpacking experience and your own gear, including a water filter. This is not an event for first-timers testing their gear.
If anyone can carpool it will help save space at the trailhead, parking is limited.