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Alafia Hiker
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 19 มี.ค. 2019
An avid hiker based near the Alafia River in west central Florida, seeking wildlife and natural surroundings.
This is to be a 7 year project. I'd like a video posted for every day of the year so I can look back on my adventures.
This is to be a 7 year project. I'd like a video posted for every day of the year so I can look back on my adventures.
9th Annual Hiking Spree of Hillsborough County
Here are the many wildlife encounters I filmed while completing my 8 required hikes of the 2024/2025 Hillsborough County Hiking Spree.
Some years I do more trails. This year I would have done the designated trails at Little Manatee River State Park and Hillsborough River State Park, but they were still closed during December due to damage from Hurricane Milton. That's also the reason this season was postponed for a month. This is the first time it's run form December through April. Normally it's November through March.
I chose not to do trails I did last year, just to break things up a bit.
I've visited and filmed all the places I chose to do this year, except one. This was my first trip to McIntosh Preserve. I'll link @antsy_does video of that park below, with the links to my videos of the rest of the trails.
New sightings this year include the first time I've seen bucks practicing their fighting skills, the first time I've seen an otter at Lower Green Swamp(even if it was very brief), the first time I've seen a pig at Cockroach Creek Greenway, and I found lots more than I have before at Lake Rogers(turtles, gator).
McIntosh Preserve
th-cam.com/video/zuNaZkmOEOA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ok0a8ZgGeJRnsqlp&t=17
Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/M3Q77SbU9hU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=42agXK-ZJrlwVVi4&t=66
Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve North
th-cam.com/video/fci3UJiUloA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=n2qtsR-M0U7kCTwe&t=114
FishHawk Creek Nature Preserve North
th-cam.com/video/fRypE-SbrfQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ggBMl9my0j9oyRSa&t=16
Cypress Creek Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/LP4UkSf5Iu4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_C-86SmEBanLCU6k&t=55
Lake Rogers Park(included in this compilation)
th-cam.com/video/Qz9j4ivuhow/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7LfdOIpqJB8i4ZG0&t=109
Cockroach Creek Greenway Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/Lr7QGusJTrE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aRdgyYGJJXS-wfPQ&t=15
Rhodine Scrub Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/kKkE4TtiCUI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=l4qyeqXFEzefIfBM&t=14
#TakeAHikeHC
Some years I do more trails. This year I would have done the designated trails at Little Manatee River State Park and Hillsborough River State Park, but they were still closed during December due to damage from Hurricane Milton. That's also the reason this season was postponed for a month. This is the first time it's run form December through April. Normally it's November through March.
I chose not to do trails I did last year, just to break things up a bit.
I've visited and filmed all the places I chose to do this year, except one. This was my first trip to McIntosh Preserve. I'll link @antsy_does video of that park below, with the links to my videos of the rest of the trails.
New sightings this year include the first time I've seen bucks practicing their fighting skills, the first time I've seen an otter at Lower Green Swamp(even if it was very brief), the first time I've seen a pig at Cockroach Creek Greenway, and I found lots more than I have before at Lake Rogers(turtles, gator).
McIntosh Preserve
th-cam.com/video/zuNaZkmOEOA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ok0a8ZgGeJRnsqlp&t=17
Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/M3Q77SbU9hU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=42agXK-ZJrlwVVi4&t=66
Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve North
th-cam.com/video/fci3UJiUloA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=n2qtsR-M0U7kCTwe&t=114
FishHawk Creek Nature Preserve North
th-cam.com/video/fRypE-SbrfQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ggBMl9my0j9oyRSa&t=16
Cypress Creek Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/LP4UkSf5Iu4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_C-86SmEBanLCU6k&t=55
Lake Rogers Park(included in this compilation)
th-cam.com/video/Qz9j4ivuhow/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7LfdOIpqJB8i4ZG0&t=109
Cockroach Creek Greenway Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/Lr7QGusJTrE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aRdgyYGJJXS-wfPQ&t=15
Rhodine Scrub Nature Preserve
th-cam.com/video/kKkE4TtiCUI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=l4qyeqXFEzefIfBM&t=14
#TakeAHikeHC
มุมมอง: 27
วีดีโอ
My Stay at Gold Head Branch State Park
มุมมอง 16516 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา
While filming in the area, I chose to stay at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park for a few nights. While I was at camp I tried to find as much wildlife as I could. I hiked the trails and walked the roads. My hikes passed by lakes and went around ravines. It was nice and diverse. I camped in my van as usual, not that I really show that. I mainly want to shows the landscapes and animals I fin...
Hiking Rice Creek Conservation Area
มุมมอง 30914 วันที่ผ่านมา
I had a few choices for the last hike of this trip. Rice Creek turned out to be a good call. The trails were interesting and there was just enough wildlife to keep me on the lookout the whole time. I did the loop clockwise and once you pass the cabin, aka the Rice Creek Hilton, you'll start find lots of short bridges or boardwalks. Makes for a fun hike, as long as you don't fall. I tend to have...
Paddling Palestine Lake
มุมมอง 14021 วันที่ผ่านมา
Paddleboarding around the edge of this lake was an adventure. Mainly because I hadn't found much info about how challenging it is as far as length or wind etc. Thankfully the day turned out well. I guess it's good to be nervous once in a while. I started at sunrise like I would normally do. Wanted to give myself plenty of time. Someone was camped at the boat ramp so I felt bad about inflating m...
Hiking Dunns Creek State Park
มุมมอง 49828 วันที่ผ่านมา
Finding details about this particular Florida State Park was more difficult than usual. It was hard to plan my route without a for-sure map so this was a bit improvised. Pretty happy with the way it turned out, though it was a big surprise to see that there was an event going on the day I arrive. Didn't come across anything about that in the days leading up to this trip. The event didn't affect...
A Walk at Ravine Gardens State Park
มุมมอง 127หลายเดือนก่อน
This hilly Florida State Park is a lot of fun. There are clear creeks, swinging bridges, and trails the climb in and out of the ravines. I didn't go during the big azalea bloom but I was lucky a couple flowers were showing. I was also fortunate to find several birds and some happy squirrels! The extra time I speak of is between my two hikes at the Santa Fe Swamp. I also checked into my campsite...
Hiking Santa Fe Swamp WEA
มุมมอง 172หลายเดือนก่อน
Being only around a 3 mile loop, I decided to do it twice to maximize my opportunity to find wildlife. As usual with the sites that allow hunting, filming the local animals can be a challenge. Deer were present but too shy to get on film. Thankfully other critters didn't mind getting their pictures taken. This was my first stop for this camping trip. I had originally planned to leave Saturday b...
Beach, Bogs, & Seals! Visiting Cape Cod
มุมมอง 117หลายเดือนก่อน
Finishing up our Massachusetts trip in Cape Cod. We start by stopping at a few cranberry bogs. We got lucky at one because they were beginning to harvest. That was really fun to see in person. We don't have that in our part of the country. Next up, we went to Marconi Beach. Unfortunately there was a sign at the entrance that said no beach access. The boardwalk stairway was damaged during a stor...
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
มุมมอง 117หลายเดือนก่อน
Our journey continues in Lenox, MA. The main goal was to film beavers, but this property had some nice hiking trails, so exploring we went. We chose the Trail of Ledges, a very steep climb up to the top of Lenox Mountain. Not sure I'd consider any of it scrambling, but it was steep for sure. Along the way we found a few birds, insects, frogs, and chipmunks. We took our time and did a loop that ...
Floridian in Massachusetts
มุมมอง 1222 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this video we fly from Tampa to the Boston airport. Take the bus to downtown. Walk around sightseeing. Then take the train to Salem before picking up a rental car and heading further into the state. I didn't film a lot of the touristy stuff. Mainly just our travel and what wildlife I found in town. That amounted to a couple squirrels and several birds. It's once we got away from the coast th...
Exploring Pellicer Creek Conservation Area
มุมมอง 3012 หลายเดือนก่อน
Not far from Faver-Dykes State Park, but in a different county, this trail was a perfect choice. I included a spur across the land bridge, over I-95, which led me to the property of the Florida Agricultural Museum. I looked around at a couple ponds and headed back over the interstate. I also continued on into the neighboring Princess Place Preserve. I wanted to see the covered bridge and some o...
Hiking Julington-Durbin Creek Preserve
มุมมอง 1252 หลายเดือนก่อน
Julington Creek to the north and Durbin Creek to the south form the peninsula this slice of wilderness sits on. It's just a few miles from the city of Jacksonville, so you probably won't be totally alone on the trails, but I wouldn't say it's overly crowded. I had plenty of time to seek out wildlife with no one around. The highlight of my day had to be the young fox squirrels leaving their nest...
Hiking Faver-Dykes State Park
มุมมอง 1142 หลายเดือนก่อน
This was a camping destination for me while I explored neighboring counties. Soon I'll have a video up from each county in Florida. Well, relatively soon. One day. lol This Florida State Park doesn't have a lot of trails but I made sure to walk them all at least once during me stay. If weather was better I may have tried to put the paddle board in the creek. Looked like a nice place to float ar...
Hiking at the Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve
มุมมอง 1882 หลายเดือนก่อน
I expected to get my feet wet, but really there were only a couple spots where it was necessary. I did basically the outer loop of all the trails. I could see far into the distance throughout most of the day. That made it a little surprising to not see a lot of deer or other large animals. In the end it was the smaller wildlife I ended up finding, though I did spot at lease one deer. I also too...
Snorkeling at Phil Foster Memorial Park
มุมมอง 1153 หลายเดือนก่อน
How about a snorkeling trail this week? This was a different experience than my first snorkel video. Here there are some small manmade reefs you can swim to from shore. The allotted time we had to visit didn't match up well with the tides but there were still plenty of fish to see. The main draw back was the current. The first time in the water it was quite strong. Almost took us under the brid...
Hiking the Sunnyhill Restoration Area South Tract
มุมมอง 5143 หลายเดือนก่อน
Hiking the Sunnyhill Restoration Area South Tract
Hiking the Sydney Dover Conservation Park
มุมมอง 1743 หลายเดือนก่อน
Hiking the Sydney Dover Conservation Park
Hiking Paynes Creek Historic State Park
มุมมอง 1534 หลายเดือนก่อน
Hiking Paynes Creek Historic State Park
Hiking the Palm Bluff Conservation Area
มุมมอง 3285 หลายเดือนก่อน
Hiking the Palm Bluff Conservation Area
Sunnyhill Restoration Area: West Tract
มุมมอง 2735 หลายเดือนก่อน
Sunnyhill Restoration Area: West Tract
Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve Driving Tour
มุมมอง 1845 หลายเดือนก่อน
Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve Driving Tour
Rocktop at Crowders Mountain State Park
มุมมอง 1026 หลายเดือนก่อน
Rocktop at Crowders Mountain State Park
Vogel State Park & Helton Creek Falls
มุมมอง 1976 หลายเดือนก่อน
Vogel State Park & Helton Creek Falls
Thank you for posting this. It was a great way to start my morning. Happy New Year.
Happy New Year! I really enjoyed my time in that area.
love this video awesome wildlife I have to go there it was already on my radar now much higher thanks from greg in alachua
"Mount Cockroach" is a pretty neat feature. Last time I stopped by I mostly found mosquitos. Lol. But I was just passing through that day. The day I filmed this I basically spent the whole day there, and that paid off with lots of wildlife footage!
As usual, excellent photography. Thank you.
Hey, thanks!
Great! The sound of the wind in this video, so beautiful!
Yes! I think it was my second day there when the wind kicked up.
I think the first bird was an Ovenbird. I have never seen one, and I have looked. Your lucky!! Do you think one of the woodpeckers was a Red-cockaded woodpecker?
I like the way the Ovenbirds wander around the forest floor. I was thinking the woodpeckers in this one are immature Red-headed, Downy, and then mature Red-headed towards the end. Pretty sure I filmed a Red-cockaded in my Ochlockonee video. I'm no expert though. Always have to look them up when I get home.
Beautiful! I hiked thru about a week ago but it was a full moon hike. Awesome to see it in the daylight. Good captures!
That sounds like a great experience!
Beautiful, relaxing video 🙂
Just a peaceful stroll through the swamp. :)
awesome video of the baby gators too!
Smallest I've seen. Like 6 inches. Had to be just days old.
another amazing video...thank you!
Thanks!
Beautiful and relaxing. I wish your videos were a little bit longer. Great job! 👏🏻 🦌🦆🐝🦋🌳 🌼 🌹👍🏻
Thank you. I've got a longer one on the way in a couple weeks.
That’s great! 😀Thanks.
SO. MANY. PIGLETS.
Just doing my pig whispering thing as usual.
beautiful views. looks like you've hit some of my favorite spots over your years of posting. I will have to catch up!
Nice! If you know of any good spots I've missed, let me know!
Thank you for the beautiful video. My friend, have a happy day today~❤
Thank you.
Very beautiful!
Yes! Love those trees!
another great video
Thanks!
Ive wondered about this park, its close enough for a day trip. Thank you.
It had a nice variety of scenery. I'd say it's worth the trip. The Blue Pond side looks like it might be nice too, but I didn't make it there. Maybe next time.
The birds are so beautiful, the video is so good. Vietnam also has many species of birds. Please visit!
It would be awesome to visit Vietnam!
so many baby pigs! 😂
Had to wait a while to see what was making all that noise in the bushes. Glad I did!
Cute little wild baby hogs. A few months ago I was running alone at Alafia River State Park when I saw a mother with her little hogs. They were far enough but I got scared and ran in the opposite direction.
Probably a smart move. One day my luck's gonna run out and I'll get chased!
❤❤❤
Great video! The seals look so relaxed.
Oh, yes, very chill.
Great footage! Judging by the pogonia orchids and gallberry flowering, this must have been during Spring time!
Yes! Filmed in May. Thanks!
@AlafiaHiker you're welcome! I hope to make my way out there one day!
what a lovely place!
Absolutely, and the steep trails and bridges are so much fun.
This place looks great! Quite the workout with all those stairs! Definitely would like to check this out. The hawk was very cool!
@@spellsforsale6871 I read that February is a good time to go to see the azaleas.
When I go back country camping and at night on my tent and I hear them rustling in the saw palmetttos they always sound alot bigger then they are..lol
They sure do!!!
another awesome video
Thanks!
Are their wild hogs in the town n country nature preserve
I didn't see any there during my visit. The hogs shown in this video were during my recap of what I saw at Lower Green Swamp the same weekend.
@ thanks
👍21 Thx for sharing with us, enjoy watching to the end ~
The best parts are at the end, in my opinion. :)
Beautiful! Special thanks for the bunny 😊
Poor thing had a mosquito trying to get in its eye.
@AlafiaHiker 😳
Thank you for sharing your video! I had to subscribe to your channel. I became the 757rd friend. Have a great day my friend ~❤🤗
Thanks and welcome aboard!
The seal floating on his back was so cool. Beautiful scenery!
They did that a lot! ...and right by the dock too!
Great video, I really enjoyed it!
Thanks! Was a memorable day.
excellent beaver footage... glad you got to see them!
We were very fortunate to find our target animals every day of the trip!
The beavers look they have been very busy.
LOL. I'm glad they were active!
Great video! Massachusetts is beautiful!
Especially that time of year, right?!
Awesome! My daughter went to college in Northampton, MA. We went to the dinosaur tracks - so cool!
@@spellsforsale6871 It was great! Didn't know we could see things like that on this side of the country until I researched this trip.
Beautiful, relaxing video! I loved the owl and the boardwalk through the woods ❤
Yes, the owl was a nice bonus towards the end of the day! Part of the trail the boardwalk was on was closed, but I don't know if there was more boardwalk. Looked freshly redone.
What a special treat to watch your footage of those Fox Squirrels ! It's been years since I've seen one in my neck of the Florida wild. The variety of bird life at that preserve is outstanding ! You capture your animal subjects in an awe-inspiring way, really showcasing their beauty & mannerisms. The way you film is superlative. Florida flora & fauna is so precious and you do justice to the magnificence of each living treasure. Really am enjoying your channel !
I come across fox squirrels now and then, but this was the first time I found young ones. Thank you for all the kind words.
👣🙏
the endangered Sherman's fox squirrel!
So cool to see young ones!
Am so pleased to have come across your channel ! How wonderfully you filmed the nature "treasures" that call the reserve Home. The deer encounter was fantastic and loved the variety of flora & fauna which your video showcased. Beautifully filmed, truly showing how incredible wild Florida is !!
Thank you! Florida really does have a lot of nature to offer. I'm working on filming in every county to get the most variety out of our state.
That Is totally Awesome !!! I'd be happy to give you names of some great places to hike in Sarasota, Desoto and Charlotte County if you ever decide that may help. Am looking forward to delving into your fantastic content !!!
@@myfloridaourplanet.444 Very nice! I've done some hiking in that area but could always use more trails to add to the list.
Matahzas Inlet is premier birding in the Winter. If low tide can walk north to National Park and catch the boat across the Intracoastal to a cool fort and back, usually dolphins. During Milton a new Inlet opened just south. That should be interesting to see if it develops a new ocean access.
Thanks for all the info!
Beautiful video! I always enjoy researching what area you're in - it's inspiring. Did you make it through the hurricane okay?
Trying to visit every county in the state was definitely one of my better ideas. We lost power for a while, and some shingles, and our road was washed out. Things are starting to get up and running again. Didn't have to wait in line for gas today. That was a plus.
another quality video filled with wildlife as always!!!
Thanks, Mike!
I took a naturalist to Princess Place to see what they thought. One of their ideas was it had signs of an apex predator having cleaned out the place. So maybe we had a "big cat". It is pretty north from what I understand, but possible.
That's interesting. I definitely didn't see many mammals. I mainly filmed birds and smaller critters.
It is very strange why Faver-Dykes and adjacent Princess Place are empty of wildlife. The location is only on the other side of the A1A from best birding, Matanzas Inlet. Water and trees and even at Princess Place there are two natural springs surrounded by hammock, and almost nothing. I think it is passed odd. I can camp at Princess Place, being a local, for $8. But why?
I'm editing a video that includes some of Princess Place right now. Should be up in a couple weeks. I haven't visited that inlet though. Sounds like I should add it to the list.
another awesome walk in the woods with great footage of wildlife as always!
Always nice to get out there. I'm expecting more wet trails in the near future.
So cool! I've never heard of a snorkeling trail - sounds really fun. I read your description and it's very interesting how you're getting those shots. It's obviously working great 👍🙂
So far it's more enjoyable to just float at the surface using the selfie stick. Maybe one day I'll work on diving down like normal folk.
@@AlafiaHiker why be normal? Lol😊
cool I neeed to check this place out..I have hiked alongside the cattle too at half moon preserve
I really enjoyed this place! I'll have to look into Half Moon, after hunting season.
Great video! Loved the colors of the fish! And that eel was great! Also great description of the video.
Yeah for being right off shore there was such a variety!
What month were you there?
This was in late May.
So fun to watch! Really enjoy the mamma and baby bears. Do you ever get scared? That was a pretty big bear.
They were a good distance away and I had bear spray, unlike my bear experience at the West Tract. That encounter made me nervous.
Outstanding episode man, video is simply enjoyable so soothing! Love it
Thank you. Was a great day. Easily found lots of animals.
Another great video. I realized watching this, one of the reasons I enjoy your adventures. I appreciate the use of natural sounds and not artificial, or some kind of paid music, on top. It is the best.
Thanks! Sometimes I have to use music but I definitely prefer not to.