The Florida Madcaps

The Florida Madcaps

A podcast about Florida’s natural areas around the state that offer fantastic recreation opportunities. There is much more to Florida than theme parks and overcrowded beaches. Three veteran Florida enthusiasts Chris, Chelsey, and Ryan share their travel experiences and perspective for exploring the Sunshine State. Each episode will delve into the natural and fascinating aspects of Florida, including the trails, beaches, springs, history, ecological issues, and recreational opportunities.

Episodes

January 7, 2026 36 mins

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This week, our returning guestis  Lars from Adventure Outpost.  Lars discusses some of the paddling opportunities on the Ocklawaha River during the drawdown of the Rodman pool.  Also, Patrick Connolly (from our previous Torreya Hike Episode) joins us as well.


To book a tour with Lars go to https://adventureoutpost.net/ and see his calendar of guided paddles.

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In this podcast, the Madcaps discuss the various hiking events and programs that occur statewide and locally.  

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can be fo...

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December 3, 2025 35 mins

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With the "downdown" of the reservoir, much if what is underwater is currently exposed until January.  Lost springs, old forests, and Florida history are visible now.  The Madcaps discuss their experiences exploring the Rodman Reservoir.  

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This week the Madcaps reflect on the podcast as well as balancing volunteering, exploring Florida, and life in general.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan c...

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This week, we have an incredible guest, Bob Lee, who spent decades in law enforcement in Florida.  He has some amazing stories about his detective work to track down poachers, chase down illegal fishermen, and survive a boat sinking at night in gator infested waters.


More info on Bob can be found here:  https://bobhlee.com/

Bob's books can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Lawman-Stories-Florida...

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October 22, 2025 7 mins

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Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!

Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_fl_excursionist/

Chris and Chelsey can be found at ...

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This week, the Florida Madcaps have a special guest, Martin Uman who is a professor emeritus with the University of Florida and has worked six decades in the field of lightning.  In this episode, he discusses some interesting facts about lightning and answers our questions when it comes to recreating in Florida in the presence of lightning.  

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This week, the Madcaps discuss some of the graves, cemeteries, and pioneer burial grounds they have seen while hiking in Florida and visiting small towns.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at theflori...

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This week, the Madcaps discuss some of the weird things they have encountered on the trails as they have explored Florida.  From burnt underwear to unattended fruit bowls, this episode has some of the more light hearted aspects of hiking.

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September 24, 2025 32 mins

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In this episode the Madcaps discuss a few of the many ghost towns that exist in Florida.  These are settlements that are long gone and have few visual reminders.  Towns discussed:

Ethel https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/historic-town-ethel

Ellaville:

https://abandonedfl.com/the-town-of-ellaville/

Indian Key;

https://www.floridastateparks.org/IndianKey

Oleno

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/oleno-state...

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Fresh out of the Venomous Handling Course (hosted by the Rattlesnake Conservancy), Ryan and The Madcaps learn all things venomous snakes and about the great work the Rattlesnake Conservancy is doing to conserve a largely unappreciated species that is vital to our environment here in Florida.

Website: http://savethebuzztails.org
Venomous Handling Certification Course schedule: http://savethebuzztails.org/classes

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This week is part 2 of 2 of our podcast of National Public Lands Day and Florida's National Parks.  Started in 1994 and occurring on the 4th Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day celebrates our public lands with volunteer opportunities and events.  Many of our national parks are free, so we decided to discuss the significant ones in Florida!  Enjoy!

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-land...

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This week is part 1 of 2 of our podcast of National Public Lands Day and Florida's National Parks.  Started in 1994 and occurring on the 4th Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day celebrates our public lands with volunteer opportunities and events.  Many of our national parks are free, so we decided to discuss the significant ones in Florida!  Enjoy!

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-land...

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This week, the Madcaps were extremely fortunate to have special guest Anthony Sleiman, who is well known for his dark sky photography in the Everglades.  Anthony shares how he became fascinated with the Everglades and some interesting stories of his adventures.  To see Anthony's amazing work, check out the links below.

website:  https://www.anthonysleiman.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/Anthsleiman/

FB: https://w...

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Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!

Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_fl_excursionist/

Chris and Chelsey can be found at ...

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This week the Madcaps continue on their list of parks and places that have cabins for rent in Florida.  Sometimes, dealing with the heat while camping and lugging around a ton of gear isn't for everyone.  Some want to enjoy what the park has to offer, then retire to a climate-controlled space with a comfortable bed.  Well, there are just over 20 Florida State Parks that offer cabins with varying amenities from bu...

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Sometimes, dealing with the heat while camping and lugging around a ton of gear isn't for everyone.  Some want to enjoy what the park has to offer, then retire to a climate controlled space with a comfortable bed.  Well, there are just over 20 Florida State Parks that offer cabins with varying amenities from bunkhouses to modern buildings, these parks are worth checking out.  The cabins can be quite affordable an...

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With the summer heat at all time highs, one of the best ways to cool off is in some of our springs and rivers.  The Santa Fe River has some fantastic springs and things to do.  We discuss them here in this episode from summer a couple of years ago!

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This week, the Madcaps discuss activity leading in Florida.  Leaning on their training and experiences, they discuss sharing some of the natural areas of Florida with others in a group setting.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

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July 16, 2025 33 mins

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A repost of one of our popular episodes last year, it's the Madcaps tips for having fun in Florida's outdoors with the heat other 

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmai...

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