Backpacking the Florida Trail

When the Florida Trail was first envisioned in the late 1960s, it was to make it possible for Florida backpackers to enjoy the natural spaces of their own home state instead of traveling up to the Appalachian Trail to go backpacking.

As a result, some of the oldest segments of the trail – Ocala and Suwannee – are among the go-to destinations for backpackers coming to Florida.

Founding of the Florida Trail — The very first backpackers building the Florida Trail, 1966 (Jim Kern photo)

While any portion of the Florida Trail can be backpacked – as proven by the growing number of long distance hikers each year – certain portions of the trail are more enjoyable as backpacking trips than others.

These are our top picks for backpacking destinations on the Florida Trail. Discover more in our newest book, Florida Trail Hikes.

TIP: To find a backpacking trip on the Florida Trail that fits the mileage you have the time to do, visit our Find a FLORIDA TRAIL Hike page and use the slider bar to narrow down the range of mileage you wish to do.

Only those sections and/or hikes that fit that range will appear.

Top Linear Backpacking Trips

These are what we consider the best linear segments of the Florida Trail for backpacking. Loops are listed farther down the page. Use the link below to order these by distance.

Florida Trail, Alaqua

12.8 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.

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

77.9 miles. Florida’s largest national forest, Apalachicola is a very lush place, which means soggy feet and spectacular botanical diversity south of Tallahassee.

Florida Trail, Big Cypress South

30.3 miles. Traversing a vast wilderness in the wet wilds of Big Cypress National Preserve, the southernmost segment of the Florida Trail is the toughest backpacking trip in Florida

Florida Trail, Blackwater

45.5 miles. The Blackwater section of the Florida Trail walks you through Atlantic white cedar and longleaf pine forests, pitcher plant bogs and titi swamps en route to the Alabama border.

Florida Trail, Catface

14.2 miles. Climbing to the highest elevations along the Florida Trail, the challenging Catface section traverses hilly terrain along the northern edge of Eglin Air Force Base.

Florida Trail, Econfina Creek

18.4 miles. Winding along rolling hillsides north of Panama City, the Econfina Creek section of the Florida Trail offers a challenging hike with stunning views of its namesake creek.

Florida Trail, Eglin East

41.8 miles. Simultaneously rugged and scenic: that’s the beauty of a backpacking trip across the Alaqua, Catface, and Titi sections of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base.

Florida Trail, Nokuse

27.7 miles. Spanning from the Choctawhatchee River west to the boundary of Eglin Air Force Base, Nokuse is a compelling backpacker’s destination in the Florida Panhandle.

Florida Trail, Ocala

72.3 miles. The birthplace of the Florida Trail and home of the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination

Florida Trail, Orlando

148.0 miles. Spanning from the Ocala National Forest south through the prairies of Osceola County, the Orlando section of the Florida Trail encompasses the eastern suburbs of the Orlando metro

Florida Trail, Suwannee

74.8 miles. Along the Suwannee River, the Florida Trail clings to bluffs and scrambles through ravines for physical challenges and great scenery

Florida Trail, Three Lakes WMA

At Three Lakes WMA / Prairie Lakes Unit, the Florida Trail traverses one of the largest expanses of open prairie in the Southeast, the Kissimmee Prairie.

Best Linear Florida Trail Backpacking Trips

Resources

The comprehensive guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes of the Florida Trail.

Get the Guide!

FarOut Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Get the App!

These books of ours contain information on hiking parts of the Florida Trail throughout the state.

The Hiking Trails of Floridas National Forests Parks Preserves book cover

Five Star Trails Gainesville Ocala book cover

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Best Florida Trail Loop Hikes

Most of the backpacking loops on Florida’s public lands were designed and built by trail maintainers from the Florida Trail Association.

These were often built in anticipation of routing the trail in that particular direction. Some of these still include a portion of the orange-blazed Florida Trail along a piece of the loop.