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Marshall Swamp

Botanically rich hikes along the Florida Trail

With more than 1,400 miles of hiking statewide, the Florida Trail provides a gateway to grand landscapes for botanical beauty. Here are our top suggestions for fascinating botanical destinations along the Florida Trail.

February 6, 2018    Sandra Friend

129 shares
Marshall Swamp
Marshall Swamp, Cross Florida Greenway
With more than 80 different distinct natural communities between the Appalachian-like ridges of the far western Panhandle and the Caribbean-style tropical forests of the Florida Keys, Florida is one of the most compelling destinations for people who love botanical beauty. While we have dozens of botanical gardens, formal gardens, and public gardens throughout the state, exploring our wild spaces will immerse you in habitats that aren’t especially common elsewhere in the United States. Some, in fact, are only found here in Florida.

With more than 1,400 miles of hiking statewide, the Florida Trail, our National Scenic Trail, provides a gateway to grand landscapes for botanical beauty. Our digital guidebook, the Florida Trail App, enables you to quickly identify botanical wonders like big trees and unique habitats by looking for the “leaf” symbol on the maps.

Crossed palms, Little Big Econ State Forest
Crossed palms, Little Big Econ State Forest

But some destinations on the Florida Trail are more than just a point: they’re a sweeping immersion in a particular habitat that boasts its own ever-changing accompaniment of spring, summer, and fall wildflowers. We developed the following list of destinations to share with the Florida Native Plant Society. Use this in conjunction with our website information or our app and guidebook to plan your own botanically rich hikes along the Florida Trail.

1. Big Cypress
2. Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
3. Chandler Slough and Starvation Slough, Kissimmee Public Use Area
4. Three Lakes WMA
5. Tosohatchee WMA
6. Seminole Ranch
7. Bronson State Forest
8. Chuluota Wilderness

Open prairie, Three Lakes WMA
Open prairie, Three Lakes WMA

9. Mills Creek Woodlands
10. Little-Big Econ State Forest
11. Spring Hammock Preserve
12. Seminole State Forest
13. Ocala National Forest
14. Richloam River Trail
15. Cypress Lakes Preserve

 tulip poplar, Spring Hammock Preserve
Towering tulip poplar, Spring Hammock Preserve

16. Croom River Trail
17. Chinsegut WEA
18. Citrus Tract,Withlacoochee State Forest
19. Ross Prairie
20. Marshall Swamp
21. Rice Creek Conservation Area
22. Etoniah Creek State Forest
23. Gold Head Branch State Park
24. Camp Blanding
25. Olustee Experimental Forest

Coastal pine flatwoods, St. Marks NWR
Coastal pine flatwoods, St. Marks NWR

26. Osceola National Forest
27. White Springs Tract, Swift Creek Conservation Area
28. Stephen Foster Folk Culture State Park
29. Holton Creek WMA
30. Aucilla WMA
31. St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

Florida Trail, Alaqua River floodplain
Beech-magnolia forest, Eglin

32. Apalachicola National Forest
33. Upper Chipola River WMA
34. Econfina Creek WMA
35. Pine Log State Forest
36. Nokuse Plantation
37. Eglin Air Force Base
38. Yellow River Ravines
39. Blackwater River State Forest
40. UWF/SRIA Dunes Preserve

Category: Articles, Central Florida, Hiking, North Florida, Northwest Florida, South Florida, Southeast Florida, Southwest FloridaTag: Big Cypress National Preserve, Botanical, Florida Trail

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Our Florida Trail Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideThe comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes along the entire length of the Florida Trail. 356 pages, $19.95 + tax and shipping.

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Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail, plus nine of the best section hikes. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

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Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
Our virtual walk along the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

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The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

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The Florida Trail App

Comprehensive logistics and offline maps all in one: The Florida Trail Guide is now also an interactive map-based mile-by-mile app by Guthook Guides.

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Florida Trail Updates


Get periodic recaps of changes to the Florida Trail, which we accumulate between editions of our guidebook. Find all official Trail Closures & Notices here.

Hiking the Florida Trail

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Florida Trail by Section

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Big Bend view

Florida Trail, Big Bend

Florida Trail, Big Bend
Florida Trail Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Blackwater

Florida Trail, Blackwater
Florida Trail Nokuse

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Eglin Weaver Creek

Florida Trail, Eglin

Florida Trail, Eglin
Florida Trail Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee
Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail, Orlando
Florida Trail Seashore Dunes

Florida Trail, Seashore

Florida Trail, Seashore
Florida Trail along a canal south of Clewiston

Florida Trail, Seminole

Florida Trail, Seminole
No Name Creek

Florida Trail, Suwannee

Florida Trail, Suwannee
Cypress Lakes Preserve

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

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