Florida Hiking For American Heart Month

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Yesterday, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez was joined by State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Shawn Hamilton to encourage Floridians to prioritize heart health by becoming more active. Florida’s network of hiking and accessible trails in Florida provides opportunities for a variety of activities for the whole family, including walking, or running.

“Today, we gathered in beautiful Camp Helen State Park, in Bay County, to celebrate two important observances for the month of February,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “Florida’s system of state parks provide more than 10,000 miles of hiking, bicycling, equestrian, and shared-use trials and over 5,000 miles of paddling trails. We encourage Floridians to enjoy our parks, trails, paths, and waterways to engage in physical activity, relieve stress, improve their health, and enjoy Florida’s clean air.”

As Floridians are encouraged to learn more about physical activity and establishing healthy habits, you can visit HealthierYouFL.com. In addition to American Heart Month in February, the observance of Florida Hiking Trails Month promotes the state’s more than 10,000 miles of trails, including the 1,100-mile Florida National Scenic Trail.

“Physical activity is vital for overall health. It helps you feel better, function better, and sleep better, and it reduces anxiety,” said State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. “The Florida Department of Health encourages Floridians to create and maintain healthy habits that can help lead to better health outcomes, especially through our Healthier You initiative.”

The first four-time winner of the Gold Medal honoring the nation's best state park system, the Florida Park Service is one of the largest in the country with 175 state parks, trails and historic sites spanning nearly 800,000 acres and 100 miles of sandy white beach.

“Here in Florida, we are fortunate to have hiking trails that span the entirety of our state and even paddling trails for kayakers and canoeists,” said DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “Florida State Parks promotes a healthy, outdoor lifestyle that the whole family can enjoy and provides unparalleled opportunities to find your path to fitness.”

Florida has thousands of miles of hiking, bicycling, equestrian and shared-use trails and over 5,000 miles of paddling trails that provide enormous benefits for the health of residents and visitors. These trails not only allow for incredible birding, ecological sightseeing and exposure to a large variety of plants and animals, but they are also a fun source of recreation and fitness opportunities.

Find trails in Florida’s State Parks here, or on DEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails online trail guide.