Between Clewiston and South Bay, the Florida Trail follows an paved arc along the edge of Lake Okeechobee atop of the Herbert Hoover Dike, staring down US 27 at certain points.
The shallow marshes that rim the western lakeshore yield to vast expanses of open water with grassy patches.
Looking north on a curve near Bean CityTall royal palms, native to this region, are hints of the once-tropical beauty that was lost to agriculture in the draining and diking of the landscape.
Tropical hammocks are not the only ghosts. This part of the trail passes through Bean City, which washed away in the hurricane of 1928.
The curve of the lake is most obvious along this section as you approach South Bay, the southernmost point on Lake Okeechobee.
Bean City is one of two campsites along this sectionOur Florida Trail Books & Guides
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Overview
Location: Clewiston
Length: 13.8 miles
Trailhead: 26.757715,-80.917641
Fees: Free
Restroom: At John Stretch Park
Land Manager: Army Corps of Engineers
Phone: 863-983-8101
Just like all other segments of the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee, there is no shade save at the covered benches provided.
Off the dike, you’ll find tree cover, picnic tables, and restrooms at John Stretch Park. It’s a day use only facility with no camping or overnight parking.
It’s best not to leave cars at the trailheads overnight. If you’re backpacking, inquire at South Bay RV Park about leaving your car behind the gates. Tell them you’re hiking the Big O and they may extend a hiker rate for tent camping.
Due to dangerous bacterial growth in the lake in recent years, backpackers should obtain water from potable sources at trailheads or filter from taps on water control structures and locks.
Directions
26.757715,-80.917641
26.696335,-80.80724
The northern trailhead for this hike is at the Army Corps of Engineers office in Clewiston, at the end of San Diego Street, just south of the canal and adjoining Ridgelawn Cemetery.
John Stretch Park can be used as an intermediate trailhead, and is in fact where the Florida Trail enters the loop around Lake Okeechobee from the Seminole section to the south. Okeechobee East starts to the east of John Stretch Park, Okeechobee West starts to the west, headed back to the Clewiston trailhead.
The southern trailhead is at South Bay Recreation Area, which is just off US 27 slightly north of the small community of South Bay, adjacent to the South Bay RV Park, a hiker-friendly county park campground.
Hike
When the fog is thick around the trailhead in the morning, it imparts a ghostly feel, since a cemetery adjoins the Army Corps of Engineers parking area.
Follow the road through their working yard. It’s a quarter mile walk along it before you climb up atop the dike to the south of the Clewiston Locks.
Popular with anglers, the lock is a busy spot, with boats coming and going through the marshes and along the Rim Canal.
Vast marshes stretch out to your left, where anglers settle in at their favorite fishing holes and airboats buzz through a maze of islands, dancing along the edge of open water beyond.
Gulls on the trail at sunriseIn the early morning, headlights gleam towards you in the distance from traffic driving north on US 27. The trail parallels it for the duration of this hike.
Fortunately, the dike is tall enough you’re never at road level – but you’re certainly obvious to drivers! Don’t be surprised if you get a honk or a wave from some.
By 1.4 miles you see Evercane Rd (CR 835) heading due south towards Big Cypress Reservation from the far side of US 27.
There are scattered trees along the left of the Rim Canal and perches for osprey nests.
Sunrise southbound near Evercane RdAt 2.3 miles, you encounter a covered bench, the first patch of shade on this hike, a sturdy one with four posts. It overlooks a canal heading out into the marshes of the lake.
Passing within view of Crooked RV Resort along US 27, the landscape yields to sugar cane plantations with windbreaks of Australian pine.
The low, grassy marshes continue to fill the curve of the lake all the way past Ritta Island to Torrey Island, visible at the horizon on the left.
Around 3.2 miles pass a very large tree by the Rim Canal, providing a rare patch of shade. Past it, the marshes start to break apart like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Open water shallowsA swath of open water is clearly delineated between this high point and Torrey Island in the distance.
Reach Clewiston Campsite at 4.8 miles. It’s off the dike, down by the lake shore, with a fire ring and covered bench.
Clewiston campsiteThe far side of US 27 is quilted by small farms, including a mix of goats, cattle, and orchards.
An access road for emergencies leads to US 27 and is blocked off by a gate. You can walk to a water control structure just beyond this access point.
As the curve of the dike becomes obvious, on the far side of US 27 a road heads south into the cane fields, which stretch to the horizon.
Farm roadThe marshes break up into tufts of grass, the grassy waters of the original Everglades.
The “forest of Lake Harbor” comes into view around 5.8 miles, eight large ficus trees along the edge of the dike providing a patch of shade.
The marshes thicken again into Ritta Island as you reach a curve on the dike after a very long straightaway.
Marshes near Ritta IslandBy 7.3 miles, a road sign on US 27 says John Stretch Park is one mile ahead. Beyond the highway is the small settlement of Lake Harbor among the sugar cane and farms.
Reach the vehicle gate above John Stretch Park at 8.2 miles. Follow the worn path down the steep slope to enter the park at its picnic pavilion, and take a break.
Picnic pavilions at John Stretch ParkRestrooms adjoin the walk towards the large pedestrian bridge over the Miami Canal near US 27. Cross it and ascend the dike on its south side.
The trail passes around another vehicle gate on the south side of John Stretch Park. Continue along a long stretch above the lake.
Mile marker painted on pathReaching the big “MP 1 E” painted on the pavement, you’ve walked 9.8 miles. The dike begins a slow curve to the left.
Royal palms grow on the spoil islands on the other side of the Rim Canal. Sugar cane stretches to the horizon beyond US 27, all the way to a sugar processing plant south of South Bay.
Looking south towards South BayBy 10.5 miles, there is a break in the vegetation. The lake rim is densely vegetated with native bamboo, grasses, and tropical native plants.
Enjoy the view from the covered bench at 11.7 miles. Past it, it feels like the dike is going to the right when in fact it is making a slow sweeping left curve.
Torrey Island is on the horizonYou can now see Torrey Island to the left, where tall palms and dense vegetation surround the houses. The C4-A water structure is the site of Bean City and its designated campsite.
After a stand of royal palms around 12.8 miles, the hike is coming to a close as the buildings of South Bay come into sharper focus.
Approaching South Bay Recreation AreaFollowing the Rim Canal, the dike curves left sharply. The trail meets a vehicle gate at 13.8 miles for South Bay Recreation Area, marking the end of this hike.
NORTHWEST: Moore Haven to Clewiston
NORTHEAST: South Bay to Pahokee
SOUTHBOUND: Florida Trail, Seminole
South Bay RV Park is at the base of the dikeHeading north along this section, backpackers have a 1.2 mile roadwalk between the Army Corps of Engineers complex to Levee Park in Clewiston, with access to services up US 27.
South along US 27 at South Bay is a large Pilot truck stop with fresh food and a Dollar General as well as several other small businesses.
Southbound / Northwestbound
Florida Trail, Seminole Stretching 56.2 miles from the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation to Lake Okeechobee, the Seminole section crosses a vast agricultural region, with hiking on roads and levees.
Florida Trail, Moore Haven to Clewiston 11.8 miles. On a southbound hike between Moore Haven and Clewiston, arrive at sunrise for the best light show on Lake Okeechobee.Suggested Articles
Section Hiking the Florida Trail Section hiking the Florida National Scenic Trail provides some logistical challenges, but a sense of satisfaction in being able to complete an 1,100-mile walk across Florida at your own pace.
Okeechobee Wind 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. Explore More!
Learn more about the Okeechobee section of the Florida Trail
Florida Trail, Okeechobee Looping around one of America's largest lakes, the 112-mile Okeechobee section of the Florida Trail provides panoramic views from atop the Herbert Hoover Dike.Slideshow
See our photos from this hike
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring nearby
Billie Swamp Safari With airboat and swamp buggy rides as well as interpretation of native species, Billie Swamp Safari is a nature-based attraction providing immersion into the Big Cypress Swamp.
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum Set in a 60-acre cypress dome on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki is a museum of Seminole culture with an educational boardwalk loop.
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park - November 3, 2026
- A.J. Henry Park - November 1, 2026
- Okeeheelee Nature Center Trails - October 22, 2026