111.3 miles. Fort Pierce, Kenansville, Lake Wales, Okeechobee, Port St. Lucie, Sebring, Yeehaw Junction
Following the Kissimmee River north, the Florida Trail heads into the heart of Florida’s cattle country. Okeechobee is well known for its ranches, which the trail crosses and skirts along public lands in the river floodplain.
From its once sinuous path, the Kissimmee River was straightened into a ditch more than a half-century ago by the Army Corps of Engineers, causing much harm to Lake Okeechobee.
It’s been more than a decade since river restoration work started, breaking down dikes and dams to restore portions of the old floodplain channel, and it is slow work.
It’s been a lot of work for trail maintainers, too. As the waters rise, the trail gets rerouted. The most significant reroute, nearly 50 miles long, was the switch from the west side of the Kissimmee River north of Basinger to the east side in 2014.
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Trip Planning
CAMPING AND LODGING
Random camping is not permitted along the Kissimmee section. Free permits are required for all Southwest Florida Water Management campsites between Yates Marsh and Three Lakes WMA. You can obtain them online as needed or call 561-924-5310 x3333 on weekdays 9-4.
There is a small fee for using the designated primitive campsites inside Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. Pay when you reach the ranger station.
A free permit is required for use of primitive campsites in Prairie Lakes, including Dry Pond Camp, Lake Jackson Campground, and Parker Hammock Camp.
Thru hikers only need a Lake Jackson permit. Call 352-732-1225. Cell coverage is poor within this portion of Three Lakes WMA so do so in advance if possible.
Walk-in accommodations are available at Westgate River Ranch. Rooms start around $180 but a discount may be offered on weekdays. Ask. Camping at River Ranch is $48 and includes access to a very nice bathhouse.
DOGS
Dogs are welcome along this section of the trail. If you bring your dog with you, be mindful of the alligator population along the waterways that serve as water sources for you and your dog.
WILDLIFE
Alligators are common in the Kissimmee River marshes and the canal systems that connect to it. The largest alligators are said to be in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, which is also the home of a rare colony of whooping cranes.
Kissimmee Prairie was the last known place where flocks of Carolina parakeets were last seen before they went extinct in 1918 due to over-hunting for plumage. A monument at the park office showcases this little-known fact.
Deer are common residents of the hardwood hammocks along this section, and we’ve been startled by very large wild hogs more than once. You’ll see gopher tortoises throughout the upland sections, as well as flocks of wild turkeys.
WATER
Water along this route has agricultural runoff in it. Potable water sources are limited.
Park staff strongly advises against filtering water along Military Trail in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park because of the alligators. Avoid filtering water near culverts, since alligators often den inside them.
If you need to filter water, don’t do so at dawn or dusk, when you might be mistaken for a deer by a prowling alligator.
Along this section, you’ll need to cross the Kissimmee River twice. Once is along the infamous SR 60 roadwalk using the highway bridge. The other is across the S-65A Lock between Kissimmee Prairie and KICCO.
Provided the lock is not in operation, use the pedestrian gates to cross the lock during the following hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM-6 PM, Sat-Sun 5:30 AM-7:30 PM (Mar-Oct), 5:30 AM-6:30 PM (Nov-Feb).
HUNTING SEASON
This entire section of the trail is open to hunting with the exception of roadwalks and the portions at Westgate River Ranch and Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. Wear a bright orange shirt or vest during hunting seasons.
Check the FWC website for hunting season dates: Yates Marsh / Chandler Slough / Micco / Starvation Slough, KICCO, Three Lakes WMA, and Prairie Lakes.
This region is very popular with deer hunters. We counted more deer stands per mile through Three Lakes WMA than anywhere else along the entire Florida Trail.
Airboats can surprise you at any time along the dikes and marshes adjoining the Kissimmee River. They are boats run by a large high-powered fan, so they can also run across shallow marshes and land.
RESUPPLY
Most of this section is well away from any communities big enough for a store. Okeechobee is an important resupply stop for northbound thru-hikers. There is a small country store in Basinger on US 98 about a mile from the trail crossing.
Westgate River Ranch is the next resupply stop within an easy walk of the trail. Their General Store has a deli and a Starbucks. Items are expensive, but it’s your only option along this section other than a maildrop to River Ranch.
At the north end of the section, Kenansville has decent basic resupply and hot food at the Kenansville Country Store if you can catch a ride there. It’s about 8 miles south of the trail.
PARKING & SHUTTLE
It’s best to leave a car behind the gates of a recreation area or park when backpacking. Gate codes and parking passes are available for free from South Florida Water Management District through the same website you use to reserve campsites.
If you need assistance with a shuttle, join the Florida Trail Hikers Facebook group and ask for assistance.
There are a number of volunteers in the area who can help. The trail isn’t close to many communities, so they have to come a long way. Be sure to compensate them for their gas and time.
Driving distances in this region are enormous. It can take an hour and a half to drive between Kissimmee Prairie Preserve and the KICCO lock, for instance, which is otherwise a 12 mile hike.
SAFETY
Flooding
Flooding is a serious concern along this section of the Kissimmee River, since the Florida Trail sticks to the low-lying areas along its floodplain.
Always check flood gauges in advance of your hike, and keep alert to changing weather conditions.
Because of its proximity to deep sloughs and steep drop-offs, the trail can be dangerous when flooded. Do not enter flowing water.
South Florida Water Management District can provide information on river levels and flooding along this section of the trail: 1-866-433-6312
Roadwalks
Long distance hikers will deal with a handful of roadwalks along the Kissimmee section, connecting together public lands that don’t quite touch.
Most are short connectors. A handful are on unpaved roads used by visitors accessing recreation areas. A couple are along major highways: US 98 and SR 60.
The most dangerous of these is the roadwalk between KICCO and Three Lakes along SR 60. It stretches 5.3 miles along a two-lane high speed highway with heavy traffic. Stay well off the road shoulder. The north side of the highway has the broader shoulder.
Be cautious on the roadwalk between SR 70 and Platts Bluff since the road is narrow and drivers aren’t expecting hikers.
People
Watch out for distracted drivers along the roadwalk sections of this hike. John was run off the road on his approach to Platts Bluff by a driver who then backed up and cursed him out for being there.
You’ll encounter people driving in to the various vehicle-accessible campsites within the Kissimmee PUA, KICCO WMA, and Three Lakes WMA. At Westgate River Ranch, expect to encounter both residents and tourists.
If you get into an uncomfortable situation, move on and/or call law enforcement. Camp hosts are at the WMAs during hunting seasons.
Mileages
Important landmarks along the Kissimmee section with mile 0 at Scott Driver Park / SR 78 in Okee-tantie to Canoe Creek Road north of Kenansville.
0.0 – Scott Driver Park
9.2 – SR 70
14.8 – Platts Bluff County Park
18.1 – Yates Marsh trailhead
18.9 – Chandler Slough trailhead
21.6 – Chandler Slough East trailhead
28.3 – Micco Landing trailhead
39.9 – Oak Creek trailhead
42.3 – Starvation Slough trailhead
63.0 – Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park office
73.6 – S-65A Lock
75.3 – Town of KICCO Campground
77.1 – Rattlesnake Hammock trailhead
84.2 – KICCO trailhead
84.9 – Westgate River Ranch Resort
89.2 – Osceola FMA parking area
96.1 – Three Lakes trailhead
107.8 – Lake Jackson Campground
111.2 – Prairie Lakes trailhead
111.3 – Canoe Creek Road
Guthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Trail Segments
We have not yet written up all of the segments of the Florida Trail along the Kissimmee River for our website. Details about them can be found in our guidebook and app.
Each of the segments below are described from the perspective of a day hiker, noting landmarks, water, and campsites along the way. These are listed northbound along the Kissimmee section.
Florida Trail, Okee-tantie to Platts Bluff
Following the Kissimmee River north from where it empties into Lake Okeechobee, the Florida Trail is atop a dike above a vast expanse of open prairie in ranchland.
Florida Trail, Yates Marsh
Along this 3.3-mile section of the Florida Trail in the heart of the Kissimmee prairies, Yates Marsh is not marshy, but a hike in natural habitats and pasture along the river.
Florida Trail, Chandler Slough West
It looks like a mountain ridge from a distance, but Chandler Slough is a ribbon of cypress strand through the flat Okeechobee prairies. This 4.3 mile Florida Trail section follows its rim, through beautiful oak hammocks and soggy marshes
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.
Florida Trail, Prairie Lakes Loop
Alternating between moss-draped oak hammocks and the wide open prairies that characterize this part of Florida, the Florida Trail loop at Prairie Lakes provides one of Central Florida’s oldest and most scenic hiking destinations.
Florida Trail Connections
These sections of the Florida Trail connect to the Kissimmee section.
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, Okeechobee
112.8 miles. Looping around one of America’s largest lakes, the Okeechobee section of the Florida Trail provides panoramic views from atop the Herbert Hoover Dike.
Florida Trail, Western Corridor
241 miles. With segments linking Withlacoochee State Forest and the Cross Florida Greenway, the Western Corridor provides access to wild spaces north of Tampa.
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Recent Articles
The Florida Trail: A History
How to order a copy of The Florida Trail: Florida’s National Scenic Trail, our limited edition full-color coffee table book that tells the comprehensive story of the first 50 years of routing, building, maintaining, and enjoying our statewide National Scenic Trail.
When the levee breaks…
…Mama, you got to move. And so it goes for the Florida Trail, as the flood-induced breach in a levee along the Kissimmee River south of KICCO means the trail must move in order for clear passage north from Kissimmee Prairie Preserve.
Riverbend Park
