Friend, Stevens publish Hiker's Guide 1,000+ trails

Sandra Friend and Chris Stevens have published a new edition of “Hiker’s Guide to the Sunshine State,” a Florida trail guide that catalogs more than 1,000 hikes across the state. Orlando Sentinel coverage published May 24 said the book is aimed at hikers and weekend travelers looking for route details and practical planning help. Florida Hikes and the University Press of Florida describe it as a second edition of a long-running guide first published in 2005. (floridahikes.com) The new book arrives as Florida outdoor travel continues to be packaged not just around marquee parks or beaches, but around shorter, drivable trail trips. The guide includes city maps, trail difficulty information and route notes intended to help readers compare options across regions of the state. ### How much bigger is this edition than the original? The second edition expands the book from roughly 580 hikes in the 2005 first edition to more than 1,000 trails, according to Friend and publisher materials. (orlandosentinel.com) Florida Hikes says the new version “doubles” the original’s scope, while the Orlando Sentinel’s syndicated coverage said it features “1,000+ trails.” A University Press of Florida listing calls the book a statewide guide for both beginners and experienced hikers. Publisher copy says the hikes span multiple terrains, including springs, pine savannas, prairies and coastal dunes, and include portions of the 1,500-mile Florida National Scenic Trail. (orlandosentinel.com) ### Who are Sandra Friend and Chris Stevens? Sandra Friend is a longtime Florida hiking author who has logged more than 5,000 miles on foot in the state and has written or co-written more than 40 books, according to retailer and publisher descriptions. (floridahikes.com) Florida Hikes says she is one of the site’s founders and has spent decades documenting trails across Florida. Chris Stevens is a contributor to FloridaHikes.com and a co-host of the Florida Madcaps podcast, according to publisher and Florida Hikes pages. (floridapress.org) Florida Hikes says Stevens has worked on recent editions of “The Florida Trail Guide” and has helped update trail information through field research and contacts in the hiking community. ### What does the guide actually give readers? Florida Hikes says every trail in the new guide was reviewed for inclusion after years of statewide exploration, with the authors setting foot on nearly all of them. (barnesandnoble.com) The site says the pair spent two years revisiting and reassessing routes, including after storm damage, to keep entries current. The Orlando Sentinel summary and publisher listings say the book is built for practical use. It includes route descriptions, trail ratings, maps and trip-planning details that can help readers choose a short local walk, a longer weekend outing or a segment of the Florida Trail. (ubcpress.ca) ### Why does this matter for Florida hikers now? Florida Hikes says the new edition reflects how much the state’s trail network has changed since 2005. In syndicated coverage, Friend said “a lot has changed” since the first edition appeared, a period in which new trails opened and older routes were re-evaluated. (floridahikes.com) That update cycle is central to printed trail guides, where closures, reroutes and storm impacts can quickly make old descriptions stale. Florida Hikes says the authors revisited some sites multiple times during preparation of the new edition. (orlandosentinel.com) ### Where can readers get it next? University Press of Florida lists the paperback at $29.95 and says it became available on May 15, 2026. Retail listings from Target and Barnes & Noble also show the second edition on sale, while Florida Hikes is directing readers to order through publisher and bookseller links. (travel.yahoo.com) (floridahikes.com 1) (floridahikes.com 2)