Weekend backpackers will appreciate the many places the Florida Trail provides a pleasant overnight experience. The Florida Trail is a linear trail, so coordinating a shuttle or car drop may be necessary, but there are also a handful of places where connecting loops offer two to four days of backpacking potential. Our guidebook, The Florida Trail Guide, helps you plan the logistics for these longer hikes, and is now also available as an app.
Backpacking trips on the Florida Trail
Big Oak Trail
The Big Oak Trail is one of the most scenic hikes in North Florida. Much of the hiking parallels the ...
Citrus Hiking Trail
One of Florida's longest backpacking loops - and the longest within a single piece of public land - the Citrus ...
East Loop Trail
An immersion into vast pine flatwoods that includes scrambles over ancient dunes, the East Loop at Jonathan Dickinson State Park ...
Florida Trail, Bull Creek WMA
Providing a 20.5 mile loop for backpacking amid open pine savannas and prairies, the Florida Trail at Bull Creek WMA ...
Florida Trail, Cross Florida Greenway
A prime destination for backpacking and day hiking near Ocala, the Florida Trail, Cross Florida Greenway stretches 30 miles between ...
Florida Trail, Econfina Creek
Surprisingly rugged and delightfully diverse, this 17.7 mile hike along Econfina Creek is one of the top segments of the ...
Florida Trail, Eglin East
This 45 mile segment of the Florida Trail through Eglin Air Force Base traverses ravines and old growth forests, an ...
Florida Trail, Eglin West
Bordered by the tangled floodplain forests of the Yellow River to the north, this 14.3-mile segment of the Florida Trail ...
Florida Trail, Hopkins Prairie to Juniper Springs
For 10.5 miles through Juniper Prairie Wilderness in the Ocala National Forest, the Florida Trail traverses a mosaic of fire-dependent ...
Florida Trail, Juniper Springs to Farles
Winding along and around a mosaic of both dry and wet prairies that make up the Farles Prairie complex, this ...
Florida Trail, Little Big Econ State Forest
One of the most beautiful hikes near Orlando is rugged, too: the Florida Trail atop bluffs above the Econlockhatchee River ...
Florida Trail, Ocala National Forest
The top destination for backpackers in Florida is the Florida Trail, Ocala National Forest. This 70-mile section is the oldest ...
Florida Trail, Pat’s Island to Hidden Pond
One of the most scenic segments of the Florida Trail, the hike from Pat's Island to Hidden Pond immerses you ...
Florida Trail, Seminole State Forest
A hike on the Florida Trail in Seminole State Forest leads you through the kind of vast, open spaces that ...
Florida Trail Backpacking by LocationPreparing for a Backpacking Trip
How to hike inn-to-inn on the Florida Trail - As part of a question sent to me by Rick, a reader in New England, he asked “we would be interested to find an area where we hike from inn to inn over a few days” as part of a vacation day hiking in Florida. As I’m in the midst of working on a new […]
Where to find multi-day backpacking loops - As cool weather rolls around, we always get asked about the best places to get out on Florida’s trails for multi-day backpacking trips, and this season is no exception. Bryan wrote in and asked: I’m interested in doing my first solo multi-day (3-4 days) hike in November but am not sure where to go and […]
How to pack for a Florida hike - The Ten Essentials and more: a checklist for items you'll want to bring with you for day hiking and backpacking in Florida. Florida's climate and weather are unlike most of the rest of the United States, so your selections take some planning.
How to tent camp in Florida - What should you do when you're tent camping in Florida? Here's a how-to checklist to get prepared and make sure you have a comfortable time.
Preparing for a Backpacking Trip
- How to hike inn-to-inn on the Florida Trail - As part of a question sent to me by Rick, a reader in New England, he asked “we would be interested to find an area where we hike from inn to inn over a few days” as part of a vacation day hiking in Florida. As I’m in the midst of working on a new […]
- Where to find multi-day backpacking loops - As cool weather rolls around, we always get asked about the best places to get out on Florida’s trails for multi-day backpacking trips, and this season is no exception. Bryan wrote in and asked: I’m interested in doing my first solo multi-day (3-4 days) hike in November but am not sure where to go and […]
- How to pack for a Florida hike - The Ten Essentials and more: a checklist for items you'll want to bring with you for day hiking and backpacking in Florida. Florida's climate and weather are unlike most of the rest of the United States, so your selections take some planning.
- How to tent camp in Florida - What should you do when you're tent camping in Florida? Here's a how-to checklist to get prepared and make sure you have a comfortable time.