A hike along the Florida Trail through the Forgotten Creek section of Nokuse isn’t as consistently beautiful as the segments to its north and south due to ongoing removal of tree farms and sod farms to replant and restore longleaf pine habitat.
It has its high points, however, from the lush steepheads surrounding Boggy Head Creek and Red Doe Creek to the tricky tangled gum swamps traversed in numerous stream basins.
Stream in the Seven Runs basinTwo-thirds of the way northbound, a cozy designated campsite above Forgotten Creek offers backpackers a stop a little over halfway across the full 27.7 mile section.
For day hikers, a trailhead to trailhead hike across the Forgotten Creek section is 10.1 miles, including a brief roadwalk from Seven Runs trailhead along SR 81 to the trail crossing.
Seven Runs trailhead is north of the highway bridgeOur Florida Trail Books & Guides
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Overview
Length: 9.7 miles linear
Trailhead: 30.539318,-85.920380
Fees: Free
Restroom: Portable toilet at Seven Runs trailhead
Land manager: Northwest Florida Water Management District and Nokuse Plantation
Phone: 850-539-2777
The Florida Trail occupies a conservation easement through Nokuse Plantation. Please stay on the trail. Camp only at designated campsites. Protect your food from bears.
Leashed dogs welcome. Do not disturb plants or wildlife. Wear bright orange clothing during hunting seasons in Lafayette Creek WMA.
Directions
From SR 20 in Bruce, follow SR 81 north for 5.8 miles to the Seven Runs trailhead on the west side of the highway, just north of the bridge. This is your starting point.
The ending point is the Lafayette Creek trailhead. From the same major road junction in Bruce, continue west towards Freeport. Turn right on J.W. Hollingsworth Rd and follow it for 4.2 miles. It’s a narrow rural road that makes several 90-degree turns and crosses a one-lane bridge before ending at the Lafayette Creek trailhead.
Hike
From the Choctawhatchee River section, simply cross the road. Starting from Seven Runs trailhead, a 0.2 mile walk on the shoulder of SR 81 southbound reaches the trail entrance.
Starting out among oaks and pines, the trail drops close to the floodplain of Seven Runs Creek over the first mile.
The first of many water crossings along this hikeSometimes the footpath is right along the edge of the sinuous braided waterways, a clear and easy to reach water source, other times it ascends onto bluffs above it.
Where it does, the dense floodplain forest below includes mountain laurel among its lush vegetation, sporting pale pink bell-shaped blooms in April.
Mountain laurel above the stream basinSwinging away from the stream basin, follow the flow of Boggy Head Creek upstream to the next bridge, this one a plank at a mile. It puts you on the west side of the creek.
Climbing through the steephead for the next quarter mile, enjoy the cool surroundings of lush vegetation and burbling waters.
Hiking in the shade of the steepheadEmerging into a longleaf pine restoration area, the change of habitat is abrupt. Cross a sand road at 1.6 miles.
Since our hike, the pine plantations atop old sod farms have been supplanted by plantings of longleaf pine and wiregrass. Some pines are still young and gangly.
Restoration was done in phases so you’ll see gradiated heights of longleaf pinesPass some artifacts from the sod farming days, sections of old-fashioned sprinkler systems, amid a landscape undergoing yet another wave of change. This time it’s for the better.
Gated to your left, another well-defined sand road is used by Nokuse Plantation staff to manage their forests. Cross it at 3.3 miles.
Forest road closest to Black CreekTwo more forest roads cut through the landscape of young pines before you reach the next abrupt change of habitat, a descent through dense titi and other shrubs.
Reach the swampy, rooty basin of Black Creek and cross a bridge over it at 5 miles. A second bridge spans Little Black Slough on the climb out of the basin.
Black CreekTraverse a mile-long stretch of restoration area before a descent into a tunnel of titi to the bridge over Little Black Creek, a narrow, dark waterway.
An emerging longleaf savanna surrounds the trail when it reaches high ground. Passing a sign notifying you of a land boundary, enter Lafayette Creek WMA at 6.6 miles.
Roots and mud await near Lafayette CreekHunting is permitted on water management land from this point to the end of this hike. The plunge into the Lafayette Creek floodplain and can be muddy and difficult to traverse.
This is the same waterway the Florida Trail traces through the Lafayette Creek section, but is nowhere near as broad as you’re closer to its source.
Bridge over Lafayette CreekCrossing a forest road on higher ground, descend to the next floodplain, reaching Forgotten Creek campsite at 7.5 miles.
The hill slopes sharply past it, depositing you into a broad and tangled floodplain with more deep mud and roots. The plank bridge over the creek is the best place to filter water.
Forgotten Creek campsiteClimb out of the basin into sandhills with a robust understory of turkey oaks beneath tall pines. Thickets of yaupon holly line the footpath in places.
Cross several forest roads in quick succession before coming to the obvious edge of a steephead on the left. Parallel it until the trail drops into it at 8.5 miles.
Among the sandhillsRed Doe Creek is at the bottom, and is the last waterway along this hike. It’s also one of the swiftest and prettiest.
Make a sharp climb out of the steephead after the bridge and emerge at the final expanse of restoration area.
Red Doe CreekLongleaf pines newly planted in 2016 now form a young forest over the next mile. Pass under a set of power transmission lines and a property gate.
Nearing the end of the hike, scrub habitat takes over. At 9.7 miles, emerge at a sand road with a sign pointing to the nearby Lafayette Creek trailhead.
Scrub oaks covered in clusters of pollenNORTHBOUND: Lafayette Creek
SOUTHBOUND: Choctawhatchee River Section
Florida Trail, Lafayette Creek 9.3 miles. From a tricky traverse of the floodplain of Lafayette Creek to a roller-coaster of steep dips through wooded ravines, this scenic and surprisingly hilly section of the Florida Trail will give you a serious workout. 
Florida Trail, Choctawhatchee River 8.5 miles. Crossing majestic longleaf pine forests in Nokuse, the Florida Trail along the Choctawhatchee River floodplain showcases natural beauty from Cypress Creek to Seven Runs.Trail Map
Suggested Articles
Plan your Florida Trail Hike Thinking of section hiking, thru-hiking, or simply backpacking the Florida Trail? Plan ahead with this step-by-step guide of what to do in advance of hiking the Florida Trail. 
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.Explore More!
Learn more about the Nokuse section of the Florida Trail
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.Slideshow
See our photos from Forgotten Creek
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Morrison Springs Park Surrounded by a rim of old growth cypress, Morrison Springs is a beautiful second magnitude spring with swimming and diver access down an interpretive boardwalk.
Pine Log State Forest Florida's oldest state forest offers waterfront camping and a variety of loop trails for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians, plus a 5.7 mile linear segment of the statewide Florida Trail.
- Hal Scott Yellow Trail - November 3, 2026
- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026
- Tradewinds Park - October 27, 2026