Swamp Splash

The Florida National Scenic Trail is in fact a work in progress. It will eventually be a continuously marked footpath of some 1,100 miles, starting about 40 miles west of Miami in the Big Cypress National Preserve and ending on the western end of the Florida panhandle near Pensacola. At present its route is divided into three categories.

• The first consists of officially designated stretches of the Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST) on an established, cut footpath.
• The second consists of sections that are part of the Florida Trail (which is distinct from the FNST). These stretches are usually a combination of cut footway and roadwalks. Sections in this category will gradually be incorporated into the FNST.
• Lastly there are still long sections where no trail at all has been established. A recommended route exists, which is described in the FTA guidebook. It consists of road walks, often along levees and canal service roads. Most of the western panhandle is presently a road walk.

The Florida Trail Association is an especially active and well-organized group, which can provide updated information about this evolving NST. For more information:

Florida Trail Association
PO Box 13708
Gainesville, FL 30604-4550
Phone: 1 (800) 343-1882
Fax: (352) 378-4550