Episode 7: Our guest is Terri Mashour, Jacksonville mom, hiking enthusiast, and author of the book “Backcountry Trails of Florida, A Guide to Hiking Florida’s Water Management Districts.” In this episode, Terri talks with us about what led her to write a book, her favorite hiking spots in Jacksonville, and even gives us a few day trip ideas to help get the kids outside and engaged with nature.

Episode 7: Show Notes

Follow Terri on Instagram

Order Terri’s Book:
Backcountry Trails of Florida, A Guide to Hiking Florida’s Water Management Districts

Terri’s Favorite Hiking Trails:
Julington Creek Preserve
Bayard Conservation Area
Timucuan Preserve Spanish Pond Trail

Terri’s Favorite Day Trips from Jacksonville:
Florida Springs Day Trips
Blue Springs State Park
Alexander Springs State Park
Wekiwa Springs State Park
Big Shoals State Park

Hiking Gear:
(affiliate and referral links used)
Hiking Backpacks for Babies

Episode 7: About our Guest

Terri is a 3rd generation Jacksonville native and local mom of 2 young children. She worked for almost a decade alongside cowboys, Florida black bears, snakes, spiders and prescribed fires managing forests in northeast Florida. She’s hiked the Incan Trail to Macchu Picchu, the big wilderness in Alaska, to a volcano in Guatemala, and almost every trail in northeast Florida. She enjoys traveling and exploring, heading to the beach to fish with her family, and playing beach volleyball. She is the author of, “Backcountry Trails of Florida, A Guide to Hiking Florida’s Water Management Districts.”

Experience wild Florida with this guide to 100 off-the-grid hikes from every corner of the state. Florida’s five water management districts encompass millions of acres of public property that include thousands of miles of public trails. Terri Mashour explains where to find these little-known routes, which ecosystems they feature, and how to plan your perfect outdoor adventure.  
 
Mashour describes the hidden wonders hikers will discover in each district. Northwest Florida offers views of sandhills, clear and cold springs, and river bluffs. The Suwannee River area is crisscrossed with meandering creeks. In the St. Johns River watershed, conservation lands include large cattle ranches, lakeshores, and levee restoration projects. In Southwest Florida, manatees swim up rivers from the Gulf of Mexico. And the South Florida district is home to water treatment areas, pine flatwoods, and the mangrove islands of the Everglades.  
 
Whether you are a hiker, trail runner, off-road bicyclist, or equestrian, this guidebook will help you locate and enjoy wide expanses of pristine nature not far from your own backyard.  

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