After my experience navigating the Kitching Creek Loop, I needed to get back out there and try again. I had heard that the Dupuis Wildlife and Environmental Area was dry, and I was determined to get on the trail earlier in the day, before it got too hot. Although easy to find, it took an hour to drive to the location. I arrived around 8:30 a.m.—the only car in the small parking lot.
I entered the trail at 8:45 a.m. under clear, hot skies. I opted for the shorter hike, Loop One, about 5.5 miles, and considering the heat, happy I did so. Shortly into my hike, I paused briefly at the picnic tables, taking in a few moments of shade before the next five miles. I enjoyed the well-marked grassy trail., and I did not see another soul in the three hours I hiked. Just the birds and me.
If fall ever arrives in Florida, I will return to Dupuis and hope to hike the longer loops.
Footprints and Ripples 