An immersion into vast pine flatwoods that includes scrambles over ancient dunes, the East Loop at Jonathan Dickinson State Park provides both day hikers and backpackers a delightful getaway.
Backpacking in Florida
Trails where you can get out backpacking for a night or more. Includes loop trails in state forests and Florida State Parks, as well as segments of the Florida Trail throughout Florida.
Flat Island Preserve
Established as a botanical preserve for native plants, Flat Island Preserve is on an island in the Okahumpa Marsh ringed with a loop trail more than 3 miles long
Florida Trail, Alaqua
12.9 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, Alaqua East
Take on some rugged terrain on this round-trip hike to Alaqua Creek to discover the beauty of the undulating landscape, including an ancient magnolia-beech forest cradled between floodplains.
Florida Trail, Alaqua West
Experience a little bit of all of the best that the Florida Trail in Eglin has to offer with this scenic 6.6-mile round-trip hike across hilly terrain punctuated by the tributaries that flow into Alaqua Creek.
Florida Trail, Alexander Springs to Farles Lake
Get acquainted with Big Scrub on this 8.4-mile stretch of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest as it rises through longleaf pine forests to meet the world’s largest sand pine scrub, punctuated by a variety of ponds and prairies. Connecting a first-magnitude spring with one of the more beautiful lakes in the Ocala National Forest, it’s a delightful immersion into the woods.
Florida Trail, Altha
CLOSED 1.7 miles. Following Bauldree Branch to the bluffs of the Chipola River, the Altha section of the Florida Trail is a fabulous destination for spring wildflowers.
Florida Trail, Apalachee Bay
14.3 miles. Hugging the Big Bend coastline, this hike through Aucilla WMA and St. Marks NWR offers some of the most breathtaking panoramas you’ll find along the Florida Trail, and a profusion of wildlife.
Florida Trail, Aucilla River
9 miles. Endearingly scenic, surprisingly rugged in places, and unlike any other piece of the Florida Trail statewide, this trek along the Aucilla River showcases some of Florida’s top natural features in one hike.
Florida Trail, Aucilla Sinks
4.4 miles. With dark waters reflecting against pockmarked limestone walls and a footpath winding through the most geologically weird piece of any National Scenic Trail, the Aucilla Sinks are the most fascinating segment of the Florida Trail.