Tallahassee offers many year-round opportunities for gentle strolling, vigorous walking or challenging hiking. Walking in our neighborhood is a popular option, but some streets are safer than others. Try to stay on the sidewalks and where they are not available walk facing traffic (on the left side of the road) so it is easier for you to be aware of oncoming vehicles. Walking early in the day during the summer can help avoid the worst of the heat. Wear bright colors and consider wearing something reflective, especially if you plan to walk in the street and/or at poorly-lit times of day. 

You might consider forming a walking group or having a friend or two to walk with. This can make it safer and can help make you more likely to follow through with your intentions of actually going for a walk on a day you may feel less motivated. Several walking groups already exist in the neighborhood!

If you decide to begin walking (or any exercise, for that matter) make sure to wear good shoes. Lightweight supportive athletic shoes make walking easier and make stumbling or tripping less likely. Shoe options have exploded, and different shoes are customized for different purposes – don’t just grab the cheapest pair you can find. Walking shoes are not the same as running shoes, and the footwear needs of seniors differ from the needs of teenagers. Consider going to a shoe store where you can get a custom fit from a knowledgeable salesperson – it will be worth the effort!

If you have minor balance issues or just fear tripping, you might want to consider using a walking cane, stick, staff or even trekking poles. A cane may have a single foot, a double foot, or even a quad-foot base - these options all help make sure that you have a sturdy non-slip anchor point to rely on. Such canes are usually designed for indoor surfaces. A walking stick or staff will be more suited to softer or uneven terrain, and is likely to have a pointed tip. (Some have interchangeable tips for different types of terrain.) Trekking poles look like ski poles - walkers use two poles and get an upper body workout along with the leg exercise of walking. Also known as alpine walking sticks, trekking poles should be lightweight, the correct height, and have comfortable grip handles. They are widely available, but you may prefer to go to a sparring goods store to have someone help you find a good fit.

Where to walk? Options abound! If walking the Indianhead streets doesn’t appeal to you, we have several nature trails in the neighborhood.

• The Greenway between Kouky Park at Chocksacka Nene and Optimist Park at Hokolin Nene is wide and flat, but can be a bit muddy after a rain.
• The trail that runs behind Optimist Park from Hokolin Nene to Apakin Nene is a bit narrower with some uneven and/or slippery patches and some elevation change (especially at each end).
• The newest trail runs from Apakin Nene along the west side of the stream below Ostin Nene, around the beaver pond and up to Chowkeebin Nene, then back down along the pond to emerge from the trees along East Indianhead Drive. The beaver pond trail has a few obstacles to contend with including some roots to step over and some muddy/slippery places.

Outside the neighborhood, there are many free options for finding appealing walking routes.

• Mall walking is still a thing, and many people go to the Governor’s Square Mall (just across Apalachee Parkway from our neighborhood) to walk in the controlled climate.
• The Capitol Compound and the Tallahassee downtown area offer many different options for strolling the city sidewalks.
• Walking around Lake Ella in Fred Drake Park just off North Monroe Street is popular with seniors and families, and Cascades Park downtown has several different trails for all to use.
• The Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail is a wide paved walking, biking and equestrian trail that runs along Woodville Highway (FL 363) from the parking lot at Capital Circle SE all the way to the coast. For those with the stamina, a series of connecting trails and sidewalks make it possible to get from our neighborhood to the trailhead on foot or bike.
• Several other Tallahassee parks have popular walking trails, some paved, some not.

Several different organizations sponsor weekly or monthly group walks, some with guides. Check out the Tallahassee Senior Center, the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, etc.

Paddling

The Big Bend has many places to kayak or canoe. There are livery services that will help you get into and out of your boat (the hardest part for many of us) and you can explore on your own or with a guide. The Wacissa River is very popular and has very little current, and the FSU Rez on Lake Bradford rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and even sailboats! 

Dance

The American Legion and the Tallahassee Senior Center both offer weekly dances of various types. Tuesday is swing dance night at the American Legion while the senior center offers line dancing, contra dancing, square dancing, round dancing, swing dancing and ballroom dancing! There are also several other venues around town with themed dance nights, not to mention all the opportunities to see live musical performances.

Pickleball

Specifically created to allow whole families to be able to play together, pickleball is a net and racquet sport that combines elements of volleyball, tennis and ping-pong. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, and Tallahassee offers several places to learn and play the sport. Like any sport, pickleball does contain an element of risk, as there is considerable bending, twisting, and footwork involved.

Here’s a recent article from the Tallahassee Democrat about pickleball. The city offers lessons with certified instructors - check here for more information including where to find a court. 

Senior Games

The National Senior Games showcase the fact that advancing age need not result in declining physical activity. The Florida Senior Games include competition in Archery, Badminton, Bag Toss, Basketball Shooting, Bid whist, Billiards, Bowling, Cycling, Dominoes, Fencing, Golf, Horseshoes, Pickleball, Powerlifting, Race & Power Walk, Racquetball, Road Race (5K), Shuffleboard, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track & Field, Basketball, Softball, and Volleyball. They also offer non-ambulatory divisions for some of these sports! See

National Senior Games

The Tallahassee area boasts many parks and museums with wonderful walking and other recreational opportunities.

Mission San Luis de Apalachee (off Tennessee Street near Ocala Road), The Goodwood Museum and Gardens (off Miccosukee Road near TMH), and the Tallahassee Museum (just south of West Orange Avenue on the shores of Lake Bradford) all charge an entrance fee, but also all of them offer annual memberships with free admission for members. 

According to the city’s website, Tallahassee will soon have 100 parks with over 70 miles of trails, covering almost 4,000 acres. They also offer an interactive website for locating these parks and identifying the various amenities each has to offer.

There is a Tallahassee Parks and Trails App (called TallyParks) available for Android and iOS devices.

In addition to the city parks, Leon County maintains 57 additional parks, boat landings and greenways, with over 50 miles of trails. Their website offers a comprehensive Park Index which includes city, county, state, federal and FSU facilities. The park locator identifies over 175 parks within 15 miles of the Optimist Park clubhouse! See Park Index

Visit Tallahassee (a division of Leon County) has compiled several useful collections related to recreational opportunities in the region including several different interest-focused itineraries, such as a Taste of Tallahassee itinerary and a Brew Tour, as well as virtual tours of many local points of interest.

The Florida State Parks system website lists nine parks in the vicinity and 195 in the state. Parks are searchable by amenities, including by accessibility options available. Favorites include Alfred B Maclay Gardens State Park (just off Thomasville Road north of I-10), Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park (about 15 miles south of Tallahassee) and Florida Caverns State Park (in Marianna FL).

The Florida State Parks system offers a Parks Pass with an annual membership fee, granting free day-use access to all the state parks in the state. See Parks Pass

The National Parks Service also offers an annual pass (and a lifetime pass for seniors ages 62+) which can be used at any national park or national forest, including the Apalachicola National Forest and at the local Leon Sinks Geological Area (just south of town off Crawfordville Road/ US 319). See US Park Pass