Florida Trail
National Scenic Trails - Florida Trail Overview
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| The Florida Trail reaches dune-like 1930s canal diggings just west of the land bridge at I-75 |
Route: From the Panhandle and Gulf Islands National Seashore down the length of the peninsula to Big Cypress National Park
Highlights: Wildlife and a succession of lush, subtropical environment
Completion: 85%
Hiker Purity: Good. Strong footpath orientation. Limited sharing with bikes
Partnership Organizations: Florida Trail Association
The Florida National Scenic Trail offers hikers a chance to discover the natural beauty linking Florida's wild and rural areas. Added to the National Trails System in 1983, the Florida Trail will one day extend 1,300 miles from Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida's western panhandle to Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida.
More than 700 miles of certified Florida National Scenic Trail stretch across some of the state's most picturesque areas: Apalachicola, Ocala, and Osceola National Forests; St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail; South Florida Water Management District lands, including Kicco, Bluff Hammock, and lower Kissimmee sections; Avon Park Bombing and Gunnery Range; and Big Cypress National Preserve.
James Kern, a wildlife photographer and real estate broker, envisioned the Florida Trail in 1964 while hiking the Appalachian Trail. To generate support for the project, Kern created the Florida Trail Association. The Association is a nonprofit group of trail enthusiasts who have dedicated themselves to building a trail stretching the length of the state. This Association helped construct more than 1,000 miles of trail, including the main Florida Trail and numerous side and loop trails.
On weekends, Florida Trail Association members fan out to maintain trails. They routinely wade through swamps to build bridges, cut back thick, subtropical vegetation, and paint trail blazes. Blazes are patches painted on trees or other landmarks to help hikers find their way. Maintaining specific sections of the trail is the responsibility of section leaders. The Florida Trail Association and the USDA Forest Service develop and maintain this trail through cooperative agreements with various public and private authorities.
Published: 28 Oct 2008
The details, dates, and prices mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication.
Florida Trail Highlights
- Wander the length of the Sunshine State on the 1,400-mile Florida National Scenic Trail. While it's not as challenging as the Appalachian or Continental Divide trails, even small changes in elevation can take you from marshy swampland to pine forest. The Florida Trail Association has information on planning, from day hikes to an end-to-end thru-hike. The best times for hiking are late fall through early spring.
- Set off northward on the Big Cypress National Preserve leg of the trail, a 42-mile section through swampland, dwarf cypress forest, and sawgrass prairie. Big Cypress is one of the last remaining habitats of the endangered Florida panther.
- Pitch in to help build or maintain sections of the Florida Trail, and enjoy the camaraderie as a volunteer on one of the American Hiking Society's trailbuilding camps.
- Cool off after a hard day of hiking with a refreshing dip in one of the springs or creeks in central Florida's Ocala National Forest. Alexander Springs is an especially good spot for inland snorkeling and diving, with crystal-clear conditions and wildlife-rich limestone sinkholes.
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Florida Trail Travel Q&A
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Articles & Advice on Florida Trail
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- Cumberland Island National Seashore, GA (87 mi.)
- Suwannee River State Park, FL (169 mi.)
- Lake Griffin State Park, FL (276 mi.)
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