Jupiter. You can also pick the optimum places and times when you section hike. Timucuan Preserve. Alligators patrol this river on the regular and can be seen sunning themselves on the banks. It is actually one of the oldest pieces of the Florida Trail in the Panhandle and is our trail’s connector to the greater Eastern Continental Trail. Biscayne Bay. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Daytona Beach. Leesburg. Starke. On the banks of the Suwannee River, hikers wind through blufftop saw palmetto with views of the dark, tannic water before descending down to sandy beaches. Coral Gables. The trail dive back into dense vegetation and follows this pattern during the entire 7.8 mile hike. Bushnell. Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides, Section hiking the Florida Trail provides some logistical challenges, but a sense of satisfaction in being able to complete an 1,100-mile walk across Florida over time. Baldwin. The dense vegetation is a terrific home to small creatures and lots of butterflies. Bring your binoculars to admire them from a distance. Lake Wales. Niceville. Hopkins Prairie Campground is a short .4 mile hike from the trail and offers campsites for $10 a night with minimal facilities. With significant botanical beauty, rugged climbs, and nice campsites, the Alaqua section of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base is … Merritt Island. Geneva. Stuart. We discuss that trail and the specifics for hiking it in Florida here:Eastern Continental Trail. Please be sure to credit us and to link them back to the appropriate section page. Ocala’s 75-mile section of the 1,300-mile Florida National Scenic Trail is widely considered one of the best and most beautiful. Because it is close to the water oceanside, this section was badly … Not only is it diverse, it’s also one of the older sections, giving it some well-established character. Most people who have completed an end-to-end hike of the Florida Trail have done so as section hikers. Kissimmee. Hike this trail for the terrain and the flora. New Port Richey. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Cedar Key. Parking is free, but camping is not allowed at Pat's Island. Blountstown. Don't mistake the short, two-mile length of this section of trail for easy. If 10 miles is more than you want to undertake, there are additional access points to shorten the distance. From a dense wooded forest to wide-open spaces, this is one of the finest section hikes on the Florida Trail. Pine Island. One of the Florida Panhandle’s most spectacular day hikes, the Juniper Creek Trail introduces you to inviting sandy beaches along curves of the creek, pitcher plant bogs on seepage slopes, fields of blueberries ready for the picking, and colorful pink and white blooms of mountain laurel in spring. Dense vegetation makes navigation somewhat difficult. Crawfordville. Walt Disney World. Hop on I4 headed east and within 30 minutes you'll be at the trailhead. Apalachicola National Forest. As you head further north on the Florida Trail, the scenery changes from thick oak trees to tall, slender pines. The Florida Trail Association (FTA) is a volunteer organization that manages and maintains the FNST. This is the only segment of the Florida Trail which runs almost continuously beside a major river. If you hike the Big Bend and Lake Okeechobee in the winter, it’s the perfect time to marvel at the masses of migratory birds that arrive. Key West. The USDA Forest Service is the administrator of the Florida Trail, charged with planning routes, overseeing development and establishing partnerships to complete the trail. A prehistoric walk in the woods along the Florida Trail, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/fnst/home/?cid=STELPRDB5415163, An Adventurer's Guide to the Brunswick Islands of North Carolina, Insider Tips for Watching the Boise Twilight Criterium 2015. Ding Darling NWR. Lake Placid. Cover multiple sections of the Florida Trail in one geographic region, NORTHWEST FLORIDA Apalachicola. 8 of the Best Section Hikes on the Florida Trail 1. DeFuniak Springs. There is one primitive campsite available at Hidden Pond for no charge. Olustee. Pahokee. Tarpon Springs. Keep an eye out for trail markers and you'll stay on course. These books of ours contain information on hiking parts of the Florida Trail throughout the state. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Carrabelle. Section hiking has its advantages in that you can do it on weekends (as Sandra did early on when she had a full-time job) and knock off a significant amount of trail during prime hiking season, October through April. The trail is approximately 1,500-miles long and is intended to offer a continuous, permanent non-motorized recreation opportunity for hiking and other compatible activities. Homestead. Birds soar high in the air while deer and other game graze in the fields and grab a drink of water from the water sources. Mims. Being so close to Orlando, you’d never expect to find 7.8 miles of trail with such a wide variety of vegetation. Ebro. Port Charlotte. It is pretty simple to know whether you've made a wrong turn or not — if the blazes are blue, you're off the trail. There are lots of hiking options: There are 16.3 miles of trails, including an 8-mile section of the Florida Trail and a straight trail called the Flagler Trail because it follows what was Henry Flagler’s historic railroad line. Sanford. Keystone Heights. Charlotte Harbor. Boca Raton. Chipley. Key Largo. Melbourne Beach. Hike in after work for a night under the stars, hike out at first light and you can be back in the office with the fresh smell of a campfire as your scent for the day! Coast to Coast Trail. The varied terrain, multitude of camping sites and frequent access points make this portion of the Florida Trail the guidepost by which all others must be measured. Jacksonville. The Florida Trail lends itself to section hiking more than most National Scenic Trails, as trailheads are within an hour of most major metros in the state. After more than 50 years, the Florida Trail – one of eleven Federally designated National Scenic Trails in the United States – is still a work in progress. Miami. Mount Dora. Clearwater Beach. Live like an Orlando local whenever, wherever, Outdoor destinations + local stories & exclusive outdoor events. Orange pine needles cover the ground giving you a feeling of fall as the richly scented pine needles crunch beneath your feet. Navarre Beach . Kenansville. The Florida National Scenic Trail, better known as the Florida Trail, is a federally-designated, non-motorized recreation trail that meanders approximately 1,300 miles across some of the most beautiful, unique landscapes in the entire country. There are many intermediate access points as well. Alexander Springs to Farles Lake. Section hikers, hike the trail a day or weekend at a time experiencing smaller sections of the trail, many times in an ‘out-and-back’ style of hike. Crestview. Salt Springs State Park rents out campsites for $20 and change a night, but it can be well worth it considering the nice warm showers, flushing toilets, and dump station at the campground. Weeki Wachee. Fort Myers. The Georgia Florida and Alabama Trail (GF&A) is but a small section of a proposed 52-mile rail-trail, which will one day stretch from Tallahassee to Carrabelle, on the Gulf of Mexico. Section hiking the Florida Trail provides some logistical challenges, but a sense of satisfaction in being able to complete an 1,100-mile walk across Florida over time Thru Hike the Florida Trail A thru-hike in Florida takes 60-90 days through lush landscapes you won’t see on other long distance trails Thru-hikers and day hikers alike enjoy this 8.4-mile section of the trail, making it more crowded than other areas. Scrub terrain consists of sandy soil, shrubs, and dwarf oak, and it's essentially a desert-like environment. Overseas Heritage Trail. Orlando. You can also explore Florida Trail by Region for general section descriptions, land management agencies, and local chapter information, related to the section of trail that you are looking to hike. Check with the forest service for any prescribed burns and whether or not it's safe, due to the amount of rain or lack thereof, to have a campfire in a designated fire ring. Black bears also roam the woods so watch out and make sure you mind your distance should you encounter one of these massive mammals. De Leon Springs. St. Tallahassee. Englewood. The dense vegetation makes it tough to spot "intriguing" animals like deer, fox and bobcats. Tampa. Everglades City. The maps below lead to each of the section pages, which provide details on the hikes found in those sections. The most established section is a hiking trail that winds about 115 miles (185 km) from the North Georgia mountains into North Carolina. Palatka. Eglin Air Force Base. Each of the below groupings of sections correspond to an individual piece of our app. DeBary. Within minutes of hitting the trail, the land opens up into a jaw-dropping, big sky vista. If you’re new to Florida hiking, the Big Scrub, the largest sand pine scrub ecosystem in the world, will be an exciting discovery. Green Cove Springs. St. Augustine. Macclenny. But it's crowded for good reason. Camping is allowed at Farles Lake during the fall hunting season for $5 a night. Deltona. Hike it or lace up your running shoes and hit this section as a fresh training route for your next marathon or half marathon. Eastern Panhandle. Experience the best of this section on a 30-mile, three-day trip starting at the Swift Creek Campsite. There is a need to shuttle or place two cars, plus the drive to and from the trail. You can choose to be out in the woods during spring and fall wildflower seasons. White Springs. Alexander Springs Campground charges $21 a night per camp spot and you get full use of the amenities like flushing toilets, bathhouse, plus the spring is awesome for swimming. Come to see the big wildlife and leave happy to have seen the smaller wildlife. Florida Trail Ocala Section Pt. The hiking season in Florida is somewhat backwards from much of the United States. Here you'll find bountiful hills, ponds, pine forest and boardwalks through cypress and gum swamps. Ocala National Forest. Panama City Beach. Salt Springs. You’ll go right through it on the 8.4-mile section of trail from Alexander Springs to Farles Lake. Long distance hikers tend to follow the trail south to north, so you can navigate through the sections of the trail in that fashion using the sidebar on any of our Florida Trail pages. One of them, the Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail, is a spur from Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean and is not part of the National Scenic Trail. Chattahoochee. There are two types of hikers on the Florida Trail, section hikers and through hikers, and in my experience through hikers are few and far between. Jensen Beach. Ponce De Leon. Blazed in 1966, this well maintained, 11-mile stretch is one of the oldest sections of the Florida Trail. Melbourne. Port St. Lucie. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. A nice alternative to hiking the side spurs to CR 127, and even the west leg of the lower loop through the river bottom, is to hike the section along the bank of the … Sections of the FNST that traverse the Eglin reservation are maintained by the local chapter of the FTA. Ten miles in, Horton and Buehler came to Camp Noble, where they noticed … For instance, you can avoid hunting seasons entirely. The Florida Trail through the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge traverses a greater variety of forest types and wildlife zones than any other north Florida section of the trail. Little Manatee River State Park's 6.5-mile loop is perfect for hikers … There's no reason not to spend a night here with a free campsite and picnic table at your disposal. One of the newer stretches of the Florida Trail, this 4.3-mile section travels through high, dry pine scrub, and back downhill to the flood plains. Trail users are required to purchase an Eglin permit to access the FNST. Branford. There are 10 available spots available and be ready to share the area with eager hunters. Osteen. Hiking by Section South Florida. Pine forests tend to have vegetation close to the ground and pine boughs up... 3. Lakeport. Explore an interactive map of the Florida Trail. Dunnellon. I think the best bike trail in all South Florida is Shark … This is also a great stretch of trail to get away from the city for a night. The narrow trail winds through dense woods, to the point that you'll start wishing the trail would open up, and voila, you've got wide open wilderness. This area also makes for a great place to string a hammock to relax beneath the tall pine trees while watching the clouds float by above. Ormond Beach. Palm Beach. Resident sandhill cranes also section-hike the Florida Trail. Mayo. Lake Butler.Lake City. Cross Florida Greenway. Florida Trail, Suwannee Trip Planning. You'll need a long lens, like a 70-200mm, to get a good shot of them strutting through the grass or soaring mid flight. Filled with colors and variety, this area is so scenic, it will leave you stopping to just take it all in. Ridge Manor. The 1,110-mile Florida Trail, which connects flower-filled prairies with pine forests and alligator-rich swamps, has a reputation for pavement. If you're considering heading out on the Florida National Scenic Trail, also known as the Florida Trail, a 1,300-mile route that runs from Big Cypress National Preserve at the southern end of the state all the way north to the Panhandle, we’ve got you covered. Quincy. Moore Haven. 1. 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