Florida’s Big Trees
Despite our old-growth forests being ravaged by timber companies for two centuries, individual big trees and pockets of virgin forest remain.
Most, particularly Florida’s largest cypress trees and live oaks, are now protected by being on public lands.
The Florida Forest Service runs a Big Tree Registry that lists Champion trees for each species.
Florida Tree and Plant Identification
Florida Plants and Trees Florida's botanical bounty means a million shades of green. Here are photos and descriptions to help you identify plants, shrubs, grasses, mosses, and trees in Florida.Where to Find Notable Trees
Locations with trees of notable size, some of which are Champion trees or are named.
Ancient Hammock Trail At Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, the Ancient Hammock Trail shows off the glory of towering cabbage palms and live oaks centuries old.
Bear Swamp Trail Little known except to those who frequent Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest, the Bear Swamp Trail provides a walk into an ancient forest.
Big Cypress Trail Deep in the heart of an ancient swamp, the Goethe Giant - one of Florida's largest cypress trees - stands tall at the end of a boardwalk in Goethe State Forest.
Big Oak Trail The Big Oak Trail is one of the most scenic hikes in North Florida. Much of the hiking parallels the Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers, which meet here at a confluence.
Big Tree Park While the iconic Senator is no more, Big Tree Park continues to fascinate visitors with its enormous cypress trees, including Lady Liberty. The park provides access to the Cross Seminole Trail.
Blackwater River State Park Stunning white sand beaches along the Blackwater River tempt swimmers during the warm months and paddlers and hikers all year to this state park east of Milton.
Bulow Creek State Park At Bulow Creek State Park, walk among the ancients in Bulow Hammock, starting with the imposing Fairchild Oak, one of Florida's largest live oak trees.
Bulow Woods Loop In a primordial forest of sluggish, fern-lined waterways amid a dense forest of massive, ancient trees, the 5.2 mile Bulow Woods Loop is one of North Florida's most scenic hikes.
Cellon Oak Park One of Florida's largest live oak trees, the Cellon Oak north of Gainesville is over 32 feet in circumference, shading a space that puts most other oaks to shame.
Chinsegut Big Pine Tract The Big Pine Tract of Chinsegut WEA protects the southernmost old-growth longleaf pine forest in America, the second largest such tract in Florida.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Weaving beneath a canopy knit by old-growth cypress trees in a majestic swamp forest, the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is one of Florida's best hikes.
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park A botanical treasure rescued from developers, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park has the highest concentration of National Champion trees in the United States
Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens Bromeliads, cacti, and dinosaurs, oh my! Step back in time venturing verdant Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, with a historic sugar mill and a natural hammock edged by lush gardens. 
Edison & Ford Winter Estates Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.
Florida Trail, Alaqua 12.8 miles. With significant botanical beauty, rugged climbs, and nice campsites, the Alaqua section of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base is one of the most scenic parts of the trail statewide.
Florida Trail, Cypress Lakes Preserve At Cypress Lakes Preserve, a 1.7-mile segment of the Florida Trail follows the edge of a series of cypress-lined lakes where ancient trees have survived the ages.
Florida Trail, Juniper Creek 7.3 miles. Also known as the Juniper Creek Trail, the Florida Trail at Juniper Creek is a gorgeous place to explore, with its panorama at Red Rocks and botanical delights along and above the creek basin.
Florida Trail, Nice Wander Loop In the Osceola National Forest, this short loop along the Florida Trail adjacent to Olustee Battlefield is one of the easiest places in the state to see red-cockaded woodpeckers.
Florida Trail, Rice Creek Home of ancient cypress trees and the remains of a 1700s rice plantation, Rice Creek Conservation Area has a fascinating loop trail along the statewide Florida Trail.
Hammock Hiking Nature Trail On Hontoon Island in the St. Johns River, walk in the footsteps of the Timucua through an ancient forest to a midden topped with an enormous live oak tree.
Hog Island Nature Trail For a dip into primordial wilderness along the Withlacoochee River, walk the Hog Island Nature Trail at Hog Island Recreation Area in Withlacoochee State Forest.
Lake Runnymede Conservation Area Ancient live oaks provide a tightly knit canopy over the 0.9-mile trail system at Lake Runnymede Conservation Area, a 43 acre urban preserve. 
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Wrapped in a dense blanket of mosquitoes, Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is one of the United States' most significant botanical treasures, a virgin tropical forest home to more than a thousand lignum vitae trees.
Mahogany Hammock Trail Mahogany Hammock is a tree island, a tropical oasis in the Everglades “river of grass,” where the short boardwalk trail immerses you in the jungle-like hammock.
Mount Carrie Wayside The short, easily accessed Mount Carrie Wayside in Osceola National Forest showcases an old growth longleaf pine forest with a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers.
Naval Live Oaks Area Spanning from Santa Rosa Sound to Pensacola Bay, Naval Live Oaks Area is one of America's oldest federally protected forests, now part of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Oak Hammock Park Buried in a sea of development in Port St. Lucie, Oak Hammock Park is one of those little gems that shouldn't be missed, thanks to its dense hammock of live oaks.
Pinecrest Gardens Established in the 1930s as a tropical tourist attraction, Parrot Jungle, this tropical forest in Pinecrest has deep roots, if you will, showcasing both native and exotic tropical species. 
Ponce Preserve Just south of Daytona Beach, Ponce Preserve protects a cross-section of barrier island habitats, with nearly 2 miles of trails connecting the beach and the Halifax River
Split Oak Forest WEA A live oak tree more than 200 years old is the centerpiece of Split Oak Forest, a 2,000-acre prairie and scrub preserve near Orlando, home to families of sandhill cranes
Spring Hammock Preserve Accessible pathways and boardwalks wind through an old-growth floodplain forest to a scenic overlook of Lake Jesup, passing massive cypresses and a cloudy blue spring along the way. 
Terry Rhodes Trail System Featuring steep topography and a high biodiversity of plant life along its network of five loop trails, Bear Creek Educational Forest is the crown jewel of Lake Talquin State Forest.
Tosohatchee White Loop A botanically-rich immersion into Tosohatchee WMA, the White Loop combines the Florida Trail and the White Trail for a hike of nearly 11 miles.
Treaty Oak Park Surrounded by skyscrapers, the tiny green space of Jessie Ball duPont Park in downtown Jacksonville protects an ancient piece of Florida, the massive Treaty Oak