This page is for all you active folks!. Listed are some web sites to help you identify sports, activities in our area. Living in Tallahassee, you are never far away from outdoor activities or indoor pursuits. Several state parks are within a day's drive *See WIKI section: State Parks where you can hike, camp, fish, boat, or just hang out. www.floridastateparks.org Find your interest, add a new one, leave your comfort zone and try rock climbing,or our zip lines. Just enjoy our wide open spaces, and make sure you holler loud and often "I'm Loving It!"
AQUATIC: WATER SPORTS
Tallahassee parks and recreation offers aquatic sports programs at seven public pools. They offer swim lessons, water aerobics, lifeguard training, synchronized swimming. Go to www.talgov.com/parks to learn more.
Forestmeadows Pool 4750 N. Meridian Road 850-891-3922
Jack McLean Aquatics Center, 700 Paul Russell Road 850-891-1822
Levy Pool 625 W. Tharpe St. 850-891-3950
Robinson Trueblood Pool 1115 Dade St. 850-891-3911
Trousdell Aquatics Center 298 John Knox Road, 850-891-399
Wade Wehunt Pool 907 Myers Park Dr. 850-891-3985
Walker Ford Pool 2301 Pascoe St. 850-891-3973
The Apalachee Branch of the YMCA has a pool for members, offer swim lessons, aerobics.
Maclay Gardens State Park offers the Lake Hall beach area for swimming, picknicing.
"The Rez", FSU's Reservation has swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing among it's outdoor pursuits. www.fsu.campusrec.com/reservation
A little further south, you'll find Wakulla Springs State Park, with swimming as one of its amenities. 850-224-5950 www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
Nearby beaches on the pristine Gulf of Mexico are Alligator Point Beach, a secluded natural dune beach, with nearby camping.
Carrabelle Beach is a coarse, sandy beach, has restroom, picnic tables, shelters.
Dog Island Beach is secluded , pristine, sandy beach accessible only by boat or water taxi.
St. George Island State Park Beach is pristine, with restrooms, showers, camping, trails, etc.
Heading south you'll come to Dekle beach, which is popular for boating, fishing, scalloping, etc.
Keaton Beach is another coarse sandy beach for swimming. Has restrooms and picnic tables.
Steinhatachee and Econfina Rivers area has lots of space for fishing and boating.
Wakulla County Beaches include Mashes Sands Beach, which is on shallow bay water. Has restrooms, showers, tables, shelters, nearby camping.
Shell Point Beach is another coarse, sandy beach with sailing, wind surfing, boat rentals, charter fishing, and right next to St. Maarks Wildlife Refuge.
GROUPS THAT LOVE THE WATER
Apalachee Canoe and Kayak club www.clubkayak.com/ackc
Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club 850-891-3994 www.swimatac.com
Tallahassee Canoe and Kayak 850-656-9257 www.bluewatersports.com
Serinas (synchronized swimming) 850-891-3994 www.serinas.org
Tallahassee Rowing Club www.tallahasseerowing.org
Tallahassee Scuba Club 850-321-4299 www.tallyscubaclub.org
BIRDING
Our area is a birder's paradise. There are at last count, 497 birds that reside in or visit Florida. 372 can be seen here. We have a Great Florida Birding Trail, www.FloridaBirdingTrail.com There are 489 sites on the trail, throughout Florida, 30 of the sites are in this area.
J.R. Alford Greenway, 2500 S. Pedrick Rd., 850-606-1470, www.leoncountyfl.gov/parks/greenways There are more than 800 acres of old pastures. Is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.
St. Marks National Wildflife Refuge,/ 1200 Lighthouse Rd. 850-925-6121, www.fws.gov/saintmarks/birds
BUTTERFLIES
The Hairstreak Chapter of butterfly lovers is extremely active. Their newsletters will list not only meetings, but field trips and overseas trips.
BOWLING
Capital Lanes Bowling www.bowlsrc1.com/19acp
Crenshaw Lanes, FSU campus, 850-644-1819, www.union.fsu.edu/crenshaw
Galimore Lanes, FAMU campus, 850-599-8081
Seminole Bowl, 1940 W. Tennessee St. 850-561-0894 www.bowlsrc1.com
ATHLETICS
Tallahassee Parks and Recreation sponsor adult teams for basketball, Flag foorball, softball and Ladies Volleyball. 850-891-3866 or www.talgov.com/parks
Tallahassee Soccer Association 850-893-8989 www.tallahasseesoccer.net
Football clubs: Tallahassee Thunder, 505 W. Pensacola St. 850-201-2352
BIKING: Be careful out there, don't forget your helmet or your water!!
Off Road paths have an OR after their name
Bradwell Bay Loop, OR, 32 miles going thru Wakulla county to the Ochlockonee River
Cadillac Trail, OR, 4.8 miles running from Tom Brown Park past Lake Lafayette and Piney Z lake.
Maclay Gardens Trails, OR, 9.1 miles of diverse terrains thru Maclay Gardens off Thomasville road
Munson Hills, OR, 8.3 miles going thru the wood of the St. Marks Trail. A shorter loop of 4.2 miles is also available.
Phipps-Overstreet Trail, OR, 8.2 miles of varied terrain with entrances off Meridian Road, north of Maclay School
Red Bug, OR, 3.6 miles of challenging terrains at the ForestMeadows Athletic Club off Meridian Rd.
San Luis Trails, OR, Various paths and types of terrain thru out San Luis Mission Park offf San Luis Road
St Marks Trail An 8 foot wide path stretches 14 miles along Hwy 319 from Tram road to the St. marks River
Tom Brown Park, OR, 4.5 miles around a wooded loop circling the park off Capital Circle NE.
Magnolia Hills Trail at Tom Brown Park, OR, Strenuous, near the Animal Shelter.
Capital Circle NE, From Park Avenue to Thomasville Road
Deerlake Road, winds throughout Killearn Lakes Plantation
Ocala Road from Tharpe Street to Pensacola Street.
Equestrian
The perfect place for horse back riding is Tallahassee, nestled in the Red Hills big region of beautiful landscapes, and rolling hills. Numerous trails are available, as are competitions of national and Olympic level. See article titled HORSES. Also go to www.stateparks.org/horsetrails and/or www.talgov.com/parks www.leonco.gov/parks
FISHING
With the coast, rivers and lakes close to us, Tallahassee is a prime spot for angling. Below is a list of some of the best fishing holes.
Lake Jackson--contains bass, shellcracker, speckled perch and bream
Lake Talquin State Park has laragemouth and striped bass, speckled perch, shellcracker and bream.
Ochlocknee River State Park, has fresh and saltwater species
St. George Island State Park, salt water fishing in the waters of Apalachicola Bay
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge The river and bay are home to speckled trout, redfish, grouper, snapper, kingfish, etc.
GOLF
Capital City Country Club, 1691 Golf Terrace drive, 850-222-0419, 18 holes, driving range, pro shop
Golden Eagle Golf Club, 3700 Golden Eagle Drive, 850-668-1071, driving range, pro shop, 18 holes
Killearn Country Club, 100 Tyron Pass, 850-893-2186, 27 holes, driving range, pro shop
Cross Creek Golf Course, 6701 Mahan Drive, 850-656-4653, 9 holes, pro shop, lighted course and driving range
Hilaman Park Golf Course, 2737 Blair Stone road, 850-891-3935, 18 holes, driving range, pro shop
Jake Gaither Golf Course, 801 Tanner Drive, 850-891-3942, 9 holes and pro shop
Seminole Golf Course, 2550 Pottsdamer Road, 850-644-2582, 18 holes, lighted driving range, pro shop
SouthWood Golf Club, 3750 Grove Park Drive, 850-942-4653, 18 holes, clubhouse and golf shop
The Golf Club at SummerBrooke, 7505 Preservation Road, 850-894-4653, 18 holes, driving range, pro shop
Disc Golf at Tom Brown Park. Played with a frisbee like disc. www.talgov.com/parks
HIKING
The absolute best place for information re trails, places to hike is the Florida Trail Association, Apalachee Chapter. Go to www.floridatrail/apalachee They have a very active chapter, with an excellent newsletter. Look for activities. Hikes are offered along the Florida Trail, in the Apalachicola National Forest, Lake Talquin State Forest, Tate's Hell, with canoe/kayak options available, as well as after-work hikes locally. Also, visit www.talgov.com/parks Pull up a park near you and try the trails! Also visit www.leoncountyfl.com/parks to pursue the county parks for trails. You'll find trails of less than a mile, to trails stretching out to 8 - 10 miles. Have fun!!
To find more of the additional opportunities for hiking, visit the following web sites for extra info and maps.
Florida Greenways and Trails: www.floridagreenwaysandtrails.com
Florida State Forests: www.fl-dof.com
Florida State Parks: www.floridastateparks.org
USDA Forest Service: wwwls.fed.us/r8/florida
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: www.myfwc.com
Visit Florida: www.VISITFLORIDA.com
The Florida Trail is one of only eight National Scenic Trails in our country. It stretches 1400 miles from the wilds of Big Cypress National Preserve outside Everglades City to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola Beach. Volunteers of the non-profit Florida Trail Association build and maintain this linear footpath and work with land management agencies to acquire and protect lands along the corridor. Look for the diamond-shaped "FT" signs to recognize access to the Florida Trail system.
The Florida Division of Forestry has a Trailwalker program that encourages you to hike designated trails in Florida's state forests and become a member of the program. For a brochure, call 850-414-0871 or visit the website: wwwfl-dof.com As you complete each hike you send in a postcard to the program, and after 10 hikes you receive a patch and certificate.
MARTIAL ARTS
Martial Arts Fitness Academy, Master Chad Wilbur, 2819 Capital Circle, NE, 850-329-7643, adult and youth classes, including kick-boxing, tai kan do, etc. www.maritalartstally.com
ROCK CLIMBING
Tallahassee Rock Gym, 629 Industrial Dr. 850-224-7625, www.tallyrockgym.com Lessons, practice sessions, has 11 rope stations, and a bouldering area. Walls are three stories high, 600 holds and pickets
ROLLER SKATING
Skate World, 2563 Capital Circle NE, 850-386-4807, www.skateworld1.com
Tallahassee Roller Girls, roller derby matches, www.tallyrg.com
RUNNING
Gulf Winds Track Club, 850-383-1361 , www.gulfwinds.org has an extensive calendar covering the entire year. They hold, or help sponsor races, marathons, half-marathons all over the area. You can download the calendar, along with registration forms for the races you are interested in.
SKATEBOARDING
Mike Blankenship Skate Park: 26,000 square foot facility, located on Jackson Bluff Road between Messer Fields and the TalTran Admin Offices, You must wear a helmet to skate.
TENNIS
Forestmeadows Park and Athletic Center, 4750 N. Meridian Rd. 850-891-3920, 19 courts
Fourth Avenue Tennis Courts, 450 W. Fourth Are.
Hilaman Park, 2737 Blair Stone Road, 850-891-3935
Jack McLean Park Tennis Courts, 700 Paul Russell Road, 850-891-1822
Jake Gaither Tennis Courts, 801 Tanner Drive, 850-891-3942
Dorothy Cooper Spence Community Center, 4768 Chaires Cross Rd. 850-606-1480, 4 courts
Lafayette Park Tennis Courts, 403 Williams St., 850-891-3946
Myers Park Tennis Courts, 912 Myers Part Drive, 850-891-3866
Tom Brown Park Tennis Center, 501 Easterwood Ave., 850-891-3966, 12 courts, and have racquet ball courts, also
Walker-Ford Tennis Courts, 2301 Pasco St., 850-891-3970
Winthrop Park Tennis Center, 1601 Mitchell Ave. 850-891-3980 6 courts
To locate other courts, fees, locations, go to www.talgov.com/parks/tennis
MOTORCYCLES
Canopy Road Cruises, local motorcycle club, recently made a safety film with the Dep't of Transportation on age 50 plus. www.canopyroadcruisers
Lively Tech, 850-487-7555, offers classes in learning to ride, and safety instructions
Motorcycle Rider Course, Allen Road, 850-386-6792
ZIP LINES
The Museum of History and Science has recently installed zip lines of varying heights where you can soar over some of the attractions. 850-576-6453
There are three courses to choose from with varying difficulties, including a course for children. Children between the heights of 39 and 60 inches are welcomed on one of the courses when accompanied by an adult. It is estimated that this course will take about 45 minutes to compete. The adult courses can take up to 2 hours to complete. Costs range from $15 to $45, depending on the course, with discounts for Museum members. You are fitted with a safety harness, and a required safety briefing. For additional information go to wwwallahassee Museum.org.T
