family nature club


Outings
You can refer to this page for a list of scheduled outings along with directions, details and links. Information and pictures from previous outings will also be included. We will keep directions and links up for all of the locations in case you missed the official outing but still want to explore those areas on your own. We hope to see you soon!

For a listing of other upcoming outdoor opportunities in the area, please click here.
Upcoming
Monday, May 28, 2012 (Memorial day holiday!)
10am - Noon

JR Alford Greenway - Tallahassee, FL
The JR Alford Greenway is a big park on the northeast side of town with lots of trails. There is a huge open space and many internal trails to explore. The trails are dirt, but jogger strollers work just fine. Here is a map.
Past Adventures
It was a gorgeous morning at Wakulla Springs. We had eight kids and six parents out to enjoy the park.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012
10am to Noonish

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park - Wakulla Springs, FL
Directions: Head South on U.S. 319/State Road 61 (Crawfordville Highway). Two miles beyond the intersection with Capital Circle, bear left onto State Road 61(Wakulla Springs Rd) for six miles. Turn left onto State Road 267 at flashing stop light. Turn right into Park entrance.

Admission Fee:

$6.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.

Boat Tour Fees:

$8.00 per adult, $5.00 per child, 12 and under.
We had a great time at the Mounds park again. The weather was nice and we had about 15 kids and 8 adults out exploring
the creeks and its surrounds.

Saturday, February 4th, 2012
10am to Noonish

Lake Jackson Mounds Archeological State Park - Tallahassee, FL
Directions: Head North on US 27 towards Havana. 2 miles north of I-10, turn right on Crowder Road. Follow it around a few curves and then turn right
on Indian Mound Road. The parking lot is at the end of that road.
Website: http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakejackson/default.cfm
Details: Great wooded trail, wide open grass field, interpretive exhibits, restrooms, picnic tables, creek, not stroller-friendly, $3 per car honor fee
It was cooold again at Lafayette Heritage Park but the sun was shining and the kids were ready to go! We walked out to the edge of the lake to check out the birds sunning themselves and then took off down a trail. As if they knew we were coming, we found a giant pile of dirt! The kids climbed up and down and worked up an appetite. We also heard the train just beyond the trees but were unable to get a clear look. Fun morning.

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 (the kids are still out of school!)
10am to Noonish

Lafayette Heritage Trail Park - Tallahassee, FL
This park is a hidden gem between Piney-Z and Tom Brown Park. Directions: Take Capital Circle south towards Tom Brown Park, turn east (left) on Conner (the extension of Park Avenue across Capital Circle). Follow Conner around a few turns and turn left into Piney-Z on Heritage Park Drive. Follow Heritage Park Drive to the end - going straight at the roundabout. The parking lot is at the end of the road.  Check out this link for a description and here's a map.

Details: Lots of trails through the woods and around the lake, a little bumpy but a running stroller would do well. Plenty of parking and restrooms and picnic tables at the parking area. Fishing fingers and boat access ramps allow for access down to the lake and a couple of shallow areas. Bring boots if you have them and maybe a fishing pole or net.
Friday, December 23, 2011 (the kids are out of school!)
9:30am to 11

Miccosukee Greenway - Thornton Road Entrance - Tallahassee, FL
The Greenway runs along Miccosukee Road from Fleishmann Road to I-10 and beyond. We will meet at the entrance across from Thornton Road. Check out this link for a map.

Details: Big open field, trails through the woods, trees to climb; a little bumpy but a running stroller would do well. Plenty of parking and portable restrooms at the parking area. No need for rain boots, unless of course it is raining!
It was a bleak afternoon, but the boys had fun tromping through the mud at Brinkley Glen again. They've made some changes, rebuilding one of the bridges and reinforcing the slope in a couple of places. We picked up one bag of trash (and found the local teens' hangout as apparent by the empty BudLime bottles and cigarette packs)! We still want to get out to this spot in warmer weather next time. Hope you can join us. It's a great spot!
Friday, December 9th, 2011
4pm

Brinkley Glen Park, Tallahassee, FL
We may make this a yearly thing! Last year it wasn't too cold to trudge around and pick up trash. Please bring mud boots, a towel and change of clothes for the car. We may go warm up with some pizza immediately following this outing. For more information on the park, see the past outing from last year near the bottom of the page.

Directions: This park is located along the western edge of the Waverly Hills neighborhood (located between Meridian Road and Thomasville Road, south of I-10). The entrance that we will be using is at the end of Lothian Drive. Here is a link to a map in case you aren't familiar.
Details: Rough trail set in the woods and along a stormwater stream. It is not great for strollers, although we won't be trekking down the trail too far. There is water and mud, rocks, and lots of vegetation. There are no restrooms and parking is limited to the cul-de-sac and along Lothian Drive.
It was another great turnout on this teacher planning day at Phipps. We had 9 adults and 20 kids out for this outing! We hiked down the trail to the lake's edge and checked out the overlook building with information about local plants and wildlife. Then we found our way back up through the woods. We got some fantastic pictures.

Monday, October 24th, 2011
10am - Noonish

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, Tallahassee, FL
One of our favorites, and so much to explore! We will have a weekday hike down to the lake and a lookout, then head back up the trail. Part of the Butterfly trail crosses our path and last time we were out there, we saw tons of butterflies. It will be a short hike but a great chance to get everyone outside on this Teacher Planning day. We'll meet at the 2nd marked trail entrance after the soccer complex parking. It's the drive closest to the number "3" on the map below.
There were just a few of us out at Birdsong on this Saturday, but what an amazing place! The butterflies were out and we took a hike around their grounds. If you haven't been out to this resource, you should definitely plan a trip. The Listening Place is a great screened-in porch overlooking the landscape.

Saturday, September 24th, 2011
9:30am - Noonish

Birdsong Nature Center, Thomasville, GA
It's "Take a Child Outdoors" day so let's go explore Birdsong Nature Center out Meridian Road. A volunteer will be out there to lead us and share more about the center and the winged wildlife that we might see. Here is a map to the center.
We had a grand old time in Lafayette Park, playing on the pile of red dirt and exploring the trails. We had 12 kids and
7 adults and it was nice and shady! Lafayette is such a great asset so close to Midtown. If you haven't been there,
be sure to check it out. Especially on the side closest to Gadsden - big, grassy hills, fallen trees and a dry stream
bed to explore.

Check out our pictures below!

Saturday, August 27th, 2011
10:30am - Noonish

Lafayette Park, Tallahassee, FL
It was a bit warm picking blueberries, but the clouds and the Wacissa River cooled us off! We got some super sweet blueberries (probably about half as many as the little guys ate) that we'll be eating for a while. The river was cold and clear and we spotted a great big owl and a few ibis. All in all it was a great outing and one we'll have to do again next summer.

Saturday, June 25th, 2011
10am - Noonish

Blueberry Springs, Wacissa, FL
Let's pick some blueberries! This u-pick-em blueberry farm is located right near the Wacissa River in Monticello. Wear your closed-toe shoes but bring your swimsuits and a picnic lunch. We will meet at 10am to pick berries and then walk about 100 yards to a small beach on the river where we can put our feet in, swim, eat lunch or all of the above! Berries are $12/gallon or $2.50/lb. We will all get gallon jugs to fill as full as you wish.
We had a great turnout and a gorgeous morning adventure at the Leon Sinks on Memorial Day. We had 17 kids and 12 adults hiking the green, but dry, trails. We spotted frogs a plenty down in the Fisher Creek Sink and came up on a large water moccasin on the Crossover Trail. Luckily, it was more scared of us than we were of it and some brave dads scared it further down the hill. It's always tricky out on these trails where you hope to see native wildlife but don't really want to see snakes. The kids did great and it'd be great to go back out there after we get more rain.

Monday, May 30th, 2011
10am - Noonish

Leon Sinks Geological Area
The Sinks are a great hiking destination, and one of geological interest as they are a karst environment. There are three main trails here and we will most likely be taking the 1/2 mile one to the main sinkhole. Bring your cameras, binoculars, bug spray and water. We should be able to see some wildlife as we visit a truly unique landscape.

Meet at 10am at the main parking lot off of 319 towards Crawfordville. There are restrooms and water fountains there and there is a $3 fee per car. The trails are not paved but could work for a more rugged stroller. There is no swimming allowed in this sinkhole so no need for bathing suits or boots (unless it has just rained - then it's PUDDLE time!) Click here for a map.
We had so much muddy fun this past Saturday! It was a gorgeous day and although the poison ivy was a plenty, we saw no signs of old "no shoulders." There were 5 adults and 6 kids with our feet in the creek. Check out the fun below.

Saturday, April 16th, 2011
3:30pm

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park - Tallahassee, FL
This park is a family favorite and is big enough to explore on multiple outings. For this one we will meet behind the Soccer Complex off of Millers Landing Road. Millers Landing is immediately north of Forest Meadows Recreation complex on the left. The soccer complex is your first left. The parking lot is dirt and rather large but follow the dirt road to the right of the fields and towards the back of the complex. We will meet back there to hike down a trail to a small creek. Check out the map below - the yellow star is round about where we will meet.

Details: Wooded trail to a small creek. Poison ivy and critters likely so please dress accordingly and try to stick close to your children. There is a water fountain near the parking lot and restrooms at the center of the Soccer Complex if needed before or after our hike. The trail we are taking is pretty narrow and not suitable for strollers.
We had a great turnout of 13 parents and 11 kids out at Governor's Park on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We were there, along with many others, enjoying the wide open landscape of the park and tromping around the abandoned house. This is a great spot if you've never been there and is a true "discovery" - nestled underneath Blairstone Road, right near the train tracks. It's worth a visit, and what an awesome hill!

Sunday, March 13, 2011
3:30 - 5:30pm

Governor's Park - Tallahassee, FL
Governor's Park is a huge passive park near downtown. The main entrance we will use is off of Blairstone Road, between Mahan Drive and Park Avenue. On the north side of the big overpass is a driveway. If you're headed south on Blairstone, then it is on your right just before you get to the top of the hill. It is an unmarked entry drive, but it is well landscaped! There is plenty of parking if you follow the drive around and back under the overpass. Please be mindful of the railroad tracks that are directly beside the parking area. There are no facilities and we will be heading up a pretty large hill. Here is a link to a map.
We had our biggest group yet on this warm President's Day adventure - 20 kids and 9 adults. We hiked quite a ways to find the lake (that we never reached!) but we did find an awesome climbing tree, got some exercise and had a great time. There is so much to explore in this park, we will surely go back.

Monday, February 21, 2011
10am - Noon

JR Alford Greenway - Tallahassee, FL
The JR Alford Greenway is a big park on the northeast side of town with lots of trails. There is a huge open space and many internal trails to explore. The trails are dirt, but jogger strollers work just fine. Here is a map.
We had a smaller group on this gorgeous Friday afternoon - around 6 kids and 5 adults. We ventured back into McCord Park, located on the edge of the Betton Hills neighborhood. This park has some really cool features, as it connects with the Betton Hills Nature Center and extends all the way to Betton Road. We checked out the stormwater creek and walked down to the outdoor campfire area. Check out the website for more information.

Friday, February 11, 2011
4pm

Guyte P. McCord Park - Tallahassee, FL
This is a small pocket park with paved and unpaved trails and a stormwater pond. It's a great spot for a shorter, late afternoon outing to kick off the weekend. Directions: From Thomasville Road headed north, turn right on Armistead Road. The park is on the corner and there is a small gravel lot just down the hill on the right. Here is a link to a map.
It was a coooooold one, but 7 kids and 7 adults braved the frosty temperatures and wind out at Lafayette Heritage Trail Park on a beautiful winter morning (pictures below). We took a short hike back on one of the mountain bike trails and saw some amazing heritage oak trees. We also hung out a bit by the shores of Lake Piney-Z. It was great to see some new faces and we do hope to see more of all of you as the temperatures rise!

Saturday, January 22, 2011
10am to Noonish

Lafayette Heritage Trail Park - Tallahassee, FL
This park is a hidden gem between Piney-Z and Tom Brown Park. Directions: Take Capital Circle south towards Tom Brown Park, turn east (left) on Conner (the extension of Park Avenue across Capital Circle). Follow Conner around a few turns and turn left into Piney-Z on Heritage Park Drive. Follow Heritage Park Drive to the end - going straight at the roundabout. The parking lot is at the end of the road.  Check out this link for a description and here's a map.

Details: Lots of trails through the woods and around the lake, a little bumpy but a running stroller would do well. Plenty of parking and restrooms and picnic tables at the parking area. Fishing fingers and boat access ramps allow for access down to the lake and a couple of shallow areas. Bring boots if you have them and maybe a fishing pole or net.
We had a great time out at the greenway on a beautiful day before Christmas (check out our photos below). There were 9 kids again and 5 adults. We climbed trees, hiked a little and ran in the open fields. If you haven't been to the Miccosukee Greenway yet, it is a gem that wasn't accessible when I was a kid. It's worth a visit, or ten, (and is a great place to run).

Tuesday, December 21, 2010 (the kids are out of school!)
10am to Noonish

Miccosukee Greenway - Edenfield Road Entrance - Tallahassee, FL
The Greenway runs along Miccosukee Road from Fleishmann Road to I-10 and beyond. We will meet at the entrance across from Edenfield Road. Check out this link for a map.

Details: Big open field, trails through the woods, a little bumpy but a running stroller would do well. Plenty of parking and restrooms at the parking area. Will probably stay dry unless there are some puddles left from the weekend rains.
We had 9 kids and 6 adults attend our outing at Brinkley Glen Park (directions below). It was a little cold and a lot wet, but great fun. We found some critter tracks and searched for salamanders . . . with no luck. A sulphur butterfly took to one of our "dirties" and he must have carried him around for 10 minutes! There was also some cool clay and we were able to get almost two trash bags full of litter out of the creek.

Friday, December 3, 2010
4pm

Brinkley Glen Park - Tallahassee, FL
Directions: This park is located along the western edge of the Waverly Hills neighborhood (located between Meridian Road and Thomasville Road, south of I-10). The entrance that we will be using is at the end of Lothian Drive. Here is a link to a map in case you aren't familiar.

Details: Rough trail set in the woods and along a stormwater stream. It is not great for strollers, although we won't be trekking down the trail too far. There is water and mud, rocks, and lots of vegetation. There are no restrooms and parking is limited to the cul-de-sac and along Lothian Drive.
November 13, 2010
10am to Noonish

Phipps Water Management Area - Tallahassee, FL
Directions: Head north on Meridian Road. Turn left on Miller's Landing Road, just past Forest Meadows. Pass the Meadows Soccer Complex and continue for just under a mile. There will be a small gravel area off on the left to park and a sign that identifies the site as the "Phipps Water Management Area."

Details: Trails and open fields in a beautiful setting. No facilities. Parking limited. Rocky and uneven trails not great for wheeled vehicles.
October 16, 2010
10am to Noonish

Lake Jackson Mounds Archeological State Park - Tallahassee, FL
Directions: Head North on US 27 towards Havana. 2 miles north of I-10, turn right on Crowder Road. Follow it around a few curves and then turn right
on Indian Mound Road. The parking lot is at the end of that road.
Website: http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakejackson/default.cfm
Details: Great wooded trail, wide open grass field, interpretive exhibits, restrooms, picnic tables, creek, not stroller-friendly, $3 per car honor fee