122.5 miles. As the Florida Trail curves its way north and west between Buckman Lock and the Suwannee River, it touches on centuries of Florida’s history.
Timeframes span from the British colonial period at Rice Creek and the boom of Civil War cannons through the pine forests at Olustee and the Civilian Conservation Corps efforts that built Gold Head Branch State Park.
Connecting an array of public lands, this section of the Florida Trail includes the smallest of Florida’s national forests, Osceola National Forest as well as walks on backroads.
There is also a very long stroll down a former rail line, now the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. This part of the trail is an introduction to a decidedly rural pace of life.
Section highlights near Palatka include the Hoffman’s Crossing boardwalk, a catwalk through Nine Mile Swamp, and the ancient trees at Rice Creek Conservation Area.
Moving farther north, the showy deep ravine and botanical beauty of Etoniah Creek State Forest makes it compelling for day hikers as well as backpackers.
Rolling sandhills cradling ponds and lakes add elevation changes across Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park and Camp Blanding.
Along the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail and north to Osceola National Forest, it’s timber country. Active logging adjoins the trail in places. These pine forests tend to be wet.
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Trip Planning
Access
A portion of this section crosses Camp Blanding, Florida’s training center for the Florida National Guard. Sign in and out at trailhead kiosks and carry your permit with you.
Camping and Lodging
There are three trail shelters along this section: Oak Hammock at Rice Creek, Iron Bridge at Etoniah Creek, and Osceola Shelter at Osceola National Forest, all popular destinations for weekend backpackers.
Gold Head State Park has a designated primitive backpacker’s campground with picnic shelter. A small fee applies, call 352-473-4701 to reserve. The park also has two campgrounds.
For lodging, their cozy 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps cabins are nicely priced. We’ve used them during research trips. The park also has modern house-sized state park cabins.
Camping is not permitted on Camp Blanding. A designated campsite is on conservation land north of Keystone Heights not far from where the trail rejoins the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail.
Long distance hikers can inquire at Lake Butler City Hall if they may pitch a tent at one of the parks. A single designated campsite is in Lake Butler Forest.
There are several designated campsites within Osceola National Forest, which must be used during fall deer hunting season. At other times, random camping is permitted.
Osceola Shelter (Troy Allen Lair)Dogs
Dogs are not barred from any portion of the trail through Northeast Florida, but they will evoke both interest and reactions from dogs on landholdings adjoining the trail along the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail and connecting roadwalks in Carraway and Keystone Heights.
Wildlife
An ancient swamp, Rice Creek has a snaky reputation. We’ve spotted venomous cottonmouth moccasins and pygmy rattlesnakes along its trails.
In the sandhills, we’ve stumbled across a sizable coral snake, numerous gopher tortoises, Florida box turtles, and fox squirrels. White-tailed deer thrive through this region, which is why there are so many hunting zones.
Both the Ocala National Forest and Osceola National Forest are known for their bears. Bears migrate through these wooded corridors the Florida Trail follows. Use precautions to protect your food. A bear bag or canister is required at Osceola National Forest.
Water
Water is relatively plentiful along this section. In fact, you’ll find yourself wading in it. Even in the sandhills, there are ponds and lakes to filter water from.
Resupply
Plan a major resupply stop in Palatka, where hotels a couple miles from the trail give you the option of a zero day. Keystone Heights lacks in-town lodgings but has a grocery store and chain discount stores.
The trail passes within sight of a few convenience stores as well as a full-service grocery in downtown Lake Butler. Stock up here for the miles to White Springs.
Parking & Shuttles
Trailheads are noted on the mileage list. A handful of volunteers live in this region who may be amenable to assisting with shuttles.
Long distance hikers should join the Florida Trail Hikers Facebook group to request assistance. Be sure to compensate any shuttle volunteers for their gas and time.
Safety
Military Base
Prominent signs at both trailheads indicate whether Camp Blanding is closed for maneuvers. If it is, use the bike path paralleling SR 21 south from Gold Head to bypass it.
Flooding
Only one river in this section has overflowed its banks to the extent it caused problems for hikers: the Sampson River, which is not yet bridged along the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail.
Other creeks and rivers can rise and add to the depth of swamps, particularly at Rice Creek. The eastern side of the loop is a drier alternate route. Never enter flowing water.
Hunting
Check the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website for hunting season dates for Caravelle Ranch, Etoniah Creek, Camp Blanding, and Osceola National Forest. Hunters in Osceola National Forest use hunting dogs during designated seasons.
The trail also passes through two established hunting leases where you may see hunters at any time: between Carraway and Iron Bridge and at Lake Butler Forest. Private hunting leases flank some of the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail.
For safety’s sake, always wear bright orange while hiking through Northeast Florida.
Roadwalks
Hikers roadwalk into and out of Etoniah Creek State Forest on rural roads as well as for a short distance in Keystone Heights.
Where the trail follows SR 100 to cross the New River on the highway bridge, traffic is high speed and the bridge narrow. Cross it quickly.
The longest roadwalk extends from Keystone Heights to Lake Butler Forest along SR 100.
Be cautious of loose dogs along roadwalk sections and the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. A friend was bitten near Carraway by a small dog and required rabies shots.
In cases where a sharp “no” has no effect, consider carrying pepper spray as a backup.
People
Hikers have reported conflicts along the rural stretch between US 301 and Osceola National Forest. One was harassed by people on ATVs after dark on the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail.
Another was ordered off a hunting lease despite the Florida Trail having a corridor easement through Lake Butler Forest.
These situations are not the norm, but there is a certain safety in numbers when hiking in remote rural areas. Never trespass on private property or escalate a situation if it occurs.
Trail Map
Mileages
Key mile markers south to north. Campsite details are provided in segments below.
0.0 – St. Johns North trailhead at Buckman Lock
7.3 – SR 20
10.7 – Rice Creek Loop
12.8 – Rice Creek trailhead 0.7E
13.1 – SR 100 PALATKA 2.2E
13.1 – Palatka-Lake Butler Trail
15.8 – Roberts Lane trailhead
19.8 – Etoniah Creek State Forest
20.3 – Hunt camp boundary
22.8 – Etoniah Creek State Forest
24.6 – Fieldhouse Rd trailhead $
28.0 – Tinsley Rd trailhead
36.1 – Gold Head Branch State Park $
41.5 – Camp Blanding boundary
48.0 – SR 21 KEYSTONE HEIGHTS 1.9W
53.3 – Palatka-Lake Butler Trail
58.3 – HAMPTON
59.4 – US 301
78.1 – LAKE BUTLER Depot trailhead
85.2 – Lake Butler Forest
95.0 – Osceola Experimental Forest
95.4 – Osceola National Forest
101.6 – Olustee trailhead 0.1E
107.1 – Ocean Pond trailhead 0.2W
111.0 – Turkey Run trailhead
117.4 – West Tower trailhead 0.3W
122.5 – Deep Creek trailhead
$ fee charged.
Trail Segments
Details about all segments of the Florida Trail in this section are in The Florida Trail Guide and app. The hikes below include some of our favorites for this section.
Each is described from the perspective of a day hiker, noting landmarks, water, and campsites along the way. Not all are oriented from south to north, but this is the order they are in northbound.
Florida Trail, Buckman Lock to SR 20 7.4 miles. Crisscrossing former timberlands and blackwater cypress swamps, the Florida Trail north of Buckman Lock highlights conservation efforts taken on land previously used for agriculture. 
Florida Trail, Rice Creek Home of ancient cypress trees and the remains of a 1700s rice plantation, Rice Creek Conservation Area has a fascinating loop trail along the statewide Florida Trail.
Florida Trail, Etoniah West On this 3.5-mile segment of the Florida Trail in Etoniah State Forest, you'll encounter the rare Etonia rosemary and a number of sinkholes in the pine forests and scrub
Florida Trail, Gold Head to Smith Lake Preserve Southbound from Little Lake Johnson at Gold Head Branch State Park across Smith Lake Preserve, this 3.3 mile linear hike traverses upland forests along a trio of scenic lakes. 
Florida Trail, Gold Head Branch Following high ground above Devils Washbasin and Gold Head Ravine, the oldest section of the Florida Trail at Gold Head Branch State Park makes for a pleasant six-mile round trip.
Florida Trail, Camp Blanding Explore the high ground of Keystone Heights through sandhills and scrub on undulating terrain across forests managed by the Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding. 
Florida Trail, New River to Hampton A surprisingly pleasant section of the Florida Trail that sees very few hikers, the most remote part of the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail stretches 9.3 miles between Hampton and the New River, southwest of Starke.
Lake Butler Trail The northernmost paved segment of the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail, the Lake Butler Trail extends 4.5 miles from SR 237 to Union Depot
Florida Trail, Nice Wander Loop In the Osceola National Forest, this short loop along the Florida Trail adjacent to Olustee Battlefield is one of the easiest places in the state to see red-cockaded woodpeckers.
Florida Trail, Ocean Pond to Turkey Run An easy linear hike or round trip with a stop at the Florida Trail’s oldest shelter, this short segment of the Florida Trail in Osceola National Forest is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. 
Florida Trail, Turkey Run to Deep Creek In the northwest corner of Osceola National Forest, this 11.4 mile segment of the Florida Trail offers strong contrasts between pine flatwoods and bogs.Side Trails
Trails that interconnect with and sometimes share a portion of the Florida Trail route.
Gold Head Ridge and Ravine Trails A beauty spot with extreme elevation changes, Gold Head is best explored along the Ridge and Ravine Trails that guide you into and around the bottom of the steephead ravine.
Olustee Battlefield Trail The hike through Olustee Battlefield is short, but its historical significance is great. More than 2,000 men died in this forest on February 20, 1864, when Confederate and Union forces met and fought Florida's bloodiest battlePublic Lands
Some of the public lands this section of the Florida Trail crosses.
Cross Florida Greenway Spanning 110 miles between the St. Johns River near Palatka and the Gulf of Mexico, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a mile-wide recreational corridor.
Palatka-Lake Butler Trail With a corridor spanning nearly 50 miles through North Florida, the Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail provides paved trail for riders and an unpaved corridor used by the Florida Trail
Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park More than ten thousand soldiers met and fought in the longleaf pine forest at Olustee, the largest Civil War battle on Florida soil.
Gold Head Branch State Park One of Florida's oldest state parks and notable for its Civilian Conservation Corps architecture, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park offers a lesson in Florida topography.
Osceola National Forest The smallest of Florida's national forests, the Osceola National Forest carries the weight of history hidden in its dense stands of longleaf pine.Connections
These sections of the Florida Trail adjoin Northeast Florida to its north and south.
Florida Trail, Suwannee For 78 miles along the Suwannee River, the Florida Trail clings to bluffs and scrambles through ravines for physical challenges and great scenery.
Florida Trail, Ocala Spanning 72.3 from the birthplace of the Florida Trail into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination.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. 
Florida Trail Backpacking Backpackers will appreciate the many places the Florida Trail provides a pleasant overnight, three-day-weekend, or multi-day hiking experience to escape to the outdoors.
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.
Thru Hike the Florida Trail A thru-hike in Florida takes sixty to ninety days across a surprising diversity of landscapes not found on other long distance trails in the United States.
Best Hikes on the Florida Trail Explore our picks for the best scenic hikes along the Florida Trail. We've hiked the entire trail: these are pieces of the trail we'd be happy to hike again and again.Recent Articles
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