In early June, the USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Florida released the 2012 Florida National Scenic Trail Strategic Plan. This planning document is the first guidance document for the future of the Florida Trail since the trail’s original inception as a National Scenic Trail in 1986.
Backpacking articles
Articles on backpacking, including our personal experiences, backpacking gear recommendations, and what you need to know about backpacking in Florida.
A night in Clewiston
When you reach the turnoff to continue north on the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee, you don’t quite reach the town of Clewiston. After all the heat and bugs while camping and cooking outdoors, the group decided to enjoy real food and a night in an air-conditioned, bug-free motel room. The owner gave us a […]
Backpacking with your kids
How to Do Florida TV host Chad Crawford takes his daughter on a backpacking trip on the Florida Trail. Let him inspire you to plan your next family adventure!
Backpacking: the weight of things
With backpacking, there are needs, and there are wants. Most of the wants speak to concerns about safety (“just in case” items) and comfort (“I’ll sleep better if” items). The difference between them adds to the load on your back. For a short trip – a week or less – this extra weight isn’t as […]
Bear bagging a must in Florida’s National Forests
A federal order has been signed requiring the use of bear bags or bear canisters when backpacking the Florida Trail through the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.
Bear season in Florida
As Florida black bears become active in late winter and spring, the chances of a bear encounter go up significantly if you leave food unsecured outdoors – whether in your campsite or at home.
Choosing Gear for a Florida Trail Hike
Our detailed recommendations and reviews of the best hiking and backpacking gear for your thru-hike or section hike of the Florida Trail based on our own successful use of certain tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and more.
Couples and backpacking
There are many pluses to backpacking as a couple. Having a compatible partner smooths out a lot of logistical worries and reduces the weight you need to carry.
Crossing Big Cypress
It’s Florida’s roughest, wettest, weirdest backpacking trip, best tackled with friends. Along this 30 mile stretch of the Florida Trail in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve, immersing in the swamp is the point of the hike. Sandra tackled it as the final stretch of her multi-year 1,110-mile section hike of the Florida Trail, end-to-end.
Crossing the Big Cypress
On Friday, our group of Florida Trail hikers left our group camp at Trail Lakes Campground and, with Chuck Norris and Tigger providing transportation, headed to the Florida Trail at Oasis Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve. We were there for the FNST Southern terminus monument dedication. Lots of folks from the Loxahatchee Chapter […]