What’s it like to hike the Florida Trail? Here’s where we share our personal experiences day hiking and backpacking on Florida’s own National Scenic Trail as well as its side trails like the Ocean-to-Lake and Blackwater sections. We’re both working on completing section hikes of the Florida Trail while collecting new information to share on this website and in our books. For the past four seasons, we’ve started in South Florida and worked our way north with the thru-hiker wave. We’re also out on the trail at all different times of year. Perhaps we’ll see you out there!
The Rainbow Swamp (1/22/2016) - A perfect combination of cold weather, blue skies, and winter in a North Florida cypress swamp let us happen upon two instances of rainbow swamps on a hike in the Osecola Experimental Forest. Does that make a double rainbow?
Okeechobee Wind (11/26/2015) - Atop the Herbert Hoover Dike, looming nearly forty feet above Lake Okeechobee, you expect wind - headwinds and tailwinds - as you hike the Florida Trail. A shallow basin of 730 square miles, the lake plays with the weather. 
Hiking to Marsh Point (9/17/2015) - At St. Marks NWR, Marsh Point captures the essence of Florida's Gulf coastline. But hikers are missing it because the bridges are out. Vote for a $25K grant to restore this piece of the Florida Trail.
Circling Central Florida on the Florida Trail (9/12/2015) - East vs. West: which is best? I hiked both as a loop, so here's a rundown of how the two corridors of the Florida Trail compare through Central Florida - and a little trail history. 
Lake Butler Trail (9/4/2015) - There aren't a lot of places you can (or should) bike down the Florida Trail, but the Lake Butler Trail in Union County is a nice country bike path that shares the trail with hikers.
Season’s Sojourn (4/15/2015) - It’s April, and that means one important thing in Florida: our prime hiking season is coming to a close. We can tell from the number of ticks we’re pulling off our hiking pants; we can tell by the heat and humidity, too. So it’s time for the season’s swan song, a state-spanning sojourn that’s gone […]
The other side of Farles Prairie (3/25/2015) - What's it like to do trail research? Here's a typical day out on the trail for us when we're tracking down relocations of the Florida Trail or finding new trails to add to this website.
Hiker Trash (6/25/2014) - When the title "Hiker Trash" gets bestowed on you by friends, it's an honor - if you love to hike. When it shows up next to your face at random on the Internet, it's kind of funny.
Grand opening of the Dunnellon Trail (5/17/2014) - On May 16, 2014, DEP's Office of Greenways & Trails opened a new bridge and trail along the Cross Florida Greenway, the Dunnellon Trail, providing a crucial connector for the Florida Trail. 
Prairie Reflections (2/20/2014) - Slipping into Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in the early morning hours of our second day of backpacking, you could feel the distinct change from Starvation Slough. No more fenceline keeping us off a rancher’s property. Wide open spaces. And not a lot to go on. It was good Lori was with us. I kept […]
Discovering Starvation Slough (2/20/2014) - Immersing in Starvation Slough might mean wet feet at first, but the beauty you find the deeper in you hike is well worth getting across that first stream!
Kicking off Hiker Season with Primrose (1/29/2014) - On January 5th, we loaded up Primrose and headed south, traveling parallel to the Florida Trail for much of the trip, starting out at Christmas. Driving south of Tosahatchee, we continued through the Deseret Ranch where we spotted our first two Florida Trail thru-hikers walking up the highway. Although they are not keeping online journals, […]
Still Life, with Cows (1/23/2014) - It started with a scattered moo or two. Cows, curious by nature and ever followers, not leaders, collected at the fence of the Basinger Ranch. Perhaps they could count four legs – two natural ones and two hiking sticks – in my stride. The mooing got more persistent as the herd turned to walk with […]
Summiting Lake Okeechobee’s High Point (1/22/2014) - In completing an end-to-end hike of the Florida Trail, I knew I’d need to fill a gap or two left behind at the Big O Hike. Despite having walked around Lake Okeechobee several times, I was missing a few miles. During the Big O Hike, the hike begins and ends at trailheads, and in all […]
Walking the Reservation (1/12/2014) - It’s been over 10 years since I walked into Billie Swamp Safari and backpacked out of the reservation to Lake Okeechobee. With the announcement that the route of the Florida Trail would shift back to the original roadwalk I missed doing back then, and our plans to meet up with thru-hikers beyond the swamps, I […]
The 2014 Florida Trail thru-hiker Kickoff (1/10/2014) - When we started hearing a lot of buzz about friends and friends of friends headed to the Florida Trail this season, we figured that our new book The Florida Trail Guide and the talks we’d done at venues like ALDHA and Trail Dames had worked some magic. Sure enough, nearly a dozen people we knew […]
Friends in the Forest (4/29/2013) - We met Ruth at the Florida Trail Association Conference in March and spent time hiking with her on the Panhandle Trace. At both events, she invited us to come hike in her backyard and visit. With five hikes left for Five Star Trails Gainesville and Ocala, we headed to North Gainesville, staying at the Best […]
Camping at Blackwater River State Park (4/24/2013) - While at the Panhandle Trace Hike we camped at Blackwater River State Park. We didn’t know in advance that this particular state park campground is designed for RVs, trailers, and other folks who don’t camp in tents. After months and months of camping in the woods, it was quite a shock to our way of […]
Two sides of the Yellow River (4/23/2013) - Going inside the Harold Store for breakfast, we realized we should have warned then we were coming. This was our rendezvous point for Day Five of the Panhandle Trace Hike, and after yesterday, everyone was hungry. The Harold Store is the only store around for miles, so when a group of hungry hikers swarms your […]
Hiking the Hills of Hutton (4/21/2013) - With our switcheroo on the previous day – skipping the burned zone of the Jackson Trail to walk the Juniper Creek Trail back to the campground – Day Four of the Panhandle Trace Hike had us headed northbound for the first time on this trek. Peggy had hikers going in all directions and for different […]
The Harold Store (4/18/2013) - Back in camp on Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike, we met up with Gail and Sally. Since we had to move Primrose to our next campsite – and we had to kill time, since someone was still occupying it – we a took detour to the Harold Store. En route I realized that […]
Through Smoke and Fire on the Jackson Red Ground Trail (4/17/2013) - Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike, McVay Road to Red Rock Road Trail Head Guest post by Gordy Hawkins, Suncoast Chapter FTA. Photos by Gail Baldwin. Enter into a world of black and white and the continuum of grays in-between. That is what it was like for me the day we walked a recently […]
Following the Juniper Creek Trail (4/16/2013) - Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike Yesterday, while being shuttled back to camp, we drove through an area that was still burning. The forest was black and charred, filled with thick smoke. As we drove past, we watched for small flames still brightly burning. Our first thought was why would the forest service do […]
In the Land of Tall Pines (4/15/2013) - Day Two of the Panhandle Trace Hike started off where we’d left the trail the day before, at Kennedy Bridge. After we dropped off our cars at the end point for the hike, McVay Road, Peggy, Helen, and other members of the Western Gate Chapter shuttled us to the starting point. We asked how long […]
South to Florida! (4/14/2013) - The northern terminus of the Florida Trail isn’t easy to get to. I was thankful we weren’t driving one of our vehicles – especially Primrose – and even more thankful that Helen, from the Western Gate Chapter of the Florida Trail Association, was willing to ferry us in her car down this terribly rutted and […]
Converging on the Panhandle Trace (4/11/2013) - With two hikes behind us, we drove toward west to join the Panhandle Trace Hike. Knowing that after ten years of leading this event long-time Florida Trail Association activity leader Peggy Grantham would be retiring, Sandy wanted to participate this year and fill in a few new spots on the Florida Trail map. We arrived […]
Calhoun, Chipola, and the Altha Trail (4/8/2013) - About a decade ago, I was in Blountstown for the grand opening of the brand-new Blountstown Greenway, a project that, it seemed, the whole town rallied around. They showed up in droves for the grand opening to celebrate the first-ever public pathway in Calhoun County, one of Florida’s more rural spots about an hour west […]
Little Campsite by the Chipola (4/7/2013) - Rambling northwest along the backroads of rural Florida, following Sandy’s directions, we arrived in Blountstown just before dinner. There was still enough daylight to take a wander down the Blountstown Greenway section of the Florida Trail to check on changes for the new Florida Trail guide. Grabbing salads from the local Subway, we drove to […]
On the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike (4/4/2013) - It was a delight this year – Peggy Grantham’s last as hike leader – to join the Panhandle Trace and get to know the far northern reaches of the Florida Trail. It’s been 11 years since I hiked through Blackwater River State Forest and while some things remain the same, others certainly have changed. I […]
Cross Seminole County (2/13/2013) - JK finishes up his last Florida Trail miles in Seminole County as he continues to fill in the blanks on a section hike of the statewide Florida Trail.
Trail’s End (2/12/2013) - Discovering solo backpacking and group dynamics to be not quite his style, JK decides to re-visit his hike of the Florida Trail by making it a team effort.
Two bedrooms, three guests (2/7/2013) - The 2013 thru-hikers catch up with us at Little Big Econ State Forest, and we invite as many as we can squeeze in back home for a nero day and a taste of suburban life. 
Hiking can wait (1/31/2013) - Leaving the Florida Trail to chase down a lead on a new antique VW Westfalia camper, JK discovers it's well worth the detour - and brings it home to support future hiking trips. 
Hiking the Cross Seminole Trail (1/30/2013) - A hike along the Cross Seminole Trail - which the Florida Trail follows - through Oviedo and Winter Springs means an introduction to suburbia in the Orlando metro.
Return to Scouting (1/29/2013) - Getting back into service as a volunteer for Boy Scouts of America, JK brings Sandy along to become a trained volunteer couple, teaching their first University of Scouting classes this weekend.
Hiking the urban not-so-wilds of Central Florida (1/28/2013) - JK learns what it's like to hike the Florida Trail through the Orlando metro, following paved bike trails past McDonalds, over Interstate 4, and yes, even encountering deer.
Hiking with two new friends (1/25/2013) - JK discovers that the weird rash on his legs since hiking south of Lake Okeechobee isn't poison ivy at all, but something much more rare and creepy, a parasitic invasion. 
Hiking with Sandy (1/23/2013) - After a tough solo stretch, JK decides that hiking with a partner is preferable to hiking alone, and makes adjustments to his hiking plans to suit.
Up the Kissimmee (1/22/2013) - JK starts solo backpacking up the Kissimmee River, encountering cows, sandhill cranes, and an over-medicated driver who runs him off a roadwalk. 
Time behind the wheel (1/20/2013) - JK continues around Lake Okeechobee - a part of the trail he's done before on the Big O Hike - as part of the support crew for the FT hikers new to the region.
A night in Clewiston (1/19/2013) - 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 […]
Ice cream and patchwork (1/17/2013) - On my first day on support crew, the group decided to try a slackpack day. So we were up early, much too early. The faster hikers wanted to get out on the trail by 5 AM. Slack packing would mean that we didn’t have to break camp at Big Cypress Campground, and the hikers wanted […]
On the Reservation (1/16/2013) - Leaving the wilds of the Big Cypress Swamp, the trail followed an old road for most of the distance. After a right hand turn on a large main road, I followed the blazes and other hikers footsteps. I stopped while crossing a canal to tend to a few hot spots on the bottom of both […]
In the Dark (1/11/2013) - After our wonderful reception at the I-75 rest area, several hikers decided to backtrack a bit and camp. I decided to push on and try for a few more miles. I was rested and filled with good food. It wasn’t long after I made it through the north I-75 gate to Nobles Road that the […]
The Spirit of Place (1/10/2013) - Walking through the most ancient of Florida's forests, the feeling that landscape has a spirit persists, especially when contrasted with places where habitat has been permanently destroyed. 
Crossing the Big Cypress (1/9/2013) - 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 […]
New Florida National Scenic Trail terminus dedicated (1/4/2013) - This morning marked the first time that Florida Trail thru-hikers could get their picture taken in front of a terminus marker as found, say, on Springer Mountain in Georgia or Mt. Kathadin in Maine. Although the monument isn’t in place yet – the chunk of limestone hadn’t arrived – here’s a look at the marker […]
Thru-hiker season on the Florida Trail (1/3/2013) - With the first week of January comes the annual migration of hikers to the southernmost reaches of Florida to start their journeys north on the Florida Trail. Some are here to walk the length of Florida, from the edge of the Everglades through the massive Big Cypress swamp on a backpacking trip that will last […]