Timber Lake bike trails

When I head out for my photo hikes, there are places that I love returning too, but I’m always looking for new trails. That’s not easy when I’ve pretty much exhausted all the known venues. That’s when I have to get creative.

I live near a huge, and I mean HUGE, military installation. Not all of the reservation is dedicated solely to the function of that base. Hundreds of acres are open to the public for recreation. To access these areas, you have to get a permit. I have one, and along with my annual membership to Florida State Parks, I put it to use whenever I can. The military access pass is free, but is renewed annually. In just two months, I pay for my $60 park pass – that’s how often I enjoy my regional parks. If your state offers a pass, and you live near any state parks, I encourage you to take advantage of a true bargain. Where else can you have hours of fun for less than $5.

Back to my photo hike… I’ve been on many of the military walking trails, but had shied away from some of the mountain bike trials. When I arrived at the trail head, mine was the only car in the lot, so I’d have the place to myself… just the way I like it. Where most of the other trails I hike are primarily flat, this one was clearly not designed for the walker in mind. The elevation changes, the slopes and hairpin curves, were definitely more suited to bikers, making the hike that much more strenuous for someone on foot. It was great!

In the hour I spent wandering around Timber Lake, I covered only a fraction of the trails, and will be going back to explore more.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.