112.3 miles. Walking atop a 35-foot-tall dike built to hem in the waters of the second largest lake entirely within the United States, you cultivate a sense of perspective.
On one side, the lake or its marshes shimmer into the distance. On the other, an expanse of Big Agriculture in the form of vast sugar cane fields and cattle ranches.
Open water views from the trail are largely between Pahokee and OkeechobeeSome of our favorite natural pockets include the pond apple thicket in Pelican Bay and the vast shallow marshes fed by Fisheating Creek.
The rocky former shoreline of the lake, topped with ancient cypresses and tropical trees, can be seen along a ridge paralled by US 441 in Port Mayaca.
Foggy sunrise near Moore HavenA rugged tangle of vegetation defines the Fisheating Creek floodplain on the marshy western side of the lake, which the trail skims past on a paved bike path.
Most of the dike around Lake Okeechobee is now paved, a project that started twenty years ago to facilitate ease of use for cyclists. It’s tough on feet when you’re carrying a backpack.
Paved section near Torrey IslandFor a thru-hiker or section hiker, the western side of Lake Okeechobee is optimal if you prefer a quieter, more scenic walk with more frequent places to camp.
The section between Harney Pond Canal and the Kissimmee River remains blissfully pavement-free, and is one of the most remote portions of the trail.
Hiking Indian PrairieWe recommend it for an out-and-back backpacking trip from Harney Pond Canal north to Indian Prairie or Buckhead Ridge campsites, depending on your stamina and time.
The eastern side has access to more small communities and less campsites but more campgrounds. It’s less than a half mile difference to choose either side of the lake.
Birds fishing in a sugar cane irrigation canal near Belle GladeOur Florida Trail Books & Guides
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Trip Planning
Camping and Lodging
Designated campsites along the trail provide a covered picnic table, a couple of trees where you can string a hammock, and flat spots for camping.
You won’t find them between South Bay and Port Mayaca, where hikers are expected to use the municipal campgrounds at South Bay, Torrey Island, and Pahokee.
The only lakefront campground is in PahokeeAmple lodging is available in Clewiston and Okeechobee, with motor courts and chain hotels covering a full spectrum of quality and rates.
There are two fish camps along the trail with cottages and camping, and several small motels in smaller lakeside communities.
Random camping is permitted, but avoid doing so near towns. Never camp on top of the levee. Trucks drive down it at all hours. Camp at the base of the levee instead.
Designated campsite at Indian PrairieDogs
Dogs are welcome along this section of the trail. However, it is mostly paved and in the sun.
Fire ant nests cluster close to the edges of the pavement. Keep your dog away from the lake and canals, where there are alligators.
Wildlife
Alligators are common in the canals and all throughout the lake. Some are quite huge. We’ve spotted otters, raccoons, and nutria (a large non-native rodent) along the canals.
Birding is superb, particularly in the cooler months. Watch for nesting colonies of egrets near Port Mayaca and sandhill cranes and caracara near the ranchlands.
You will see plenty of cattle, tooWater
As silly as it sounds, don’t drink lake water. Straightening the Kissimmee River for commerce in the 1960s destroyed its ability to filter pollutants through its marshes
Despite being one of America’s largest lakes, Okeechobee is plagued by toxic algae and bacteria due to agricultural runoff and spraying of pesticides on aquatic plants.
Make use of potable water sources. Non-potable tap water at the locks should be filtered.
Resupply
Clewiston and Okeechobee are the most fruitful town stops for getting things done, since they have a broad variety of services and accommodations.
There are large grocery stores and a Walmart in each town. Minor resupply is also a short walk from the trail in Moore Haven, Pahokee, and Lakeport.
Libraries provide a break from the sunParking & Shuttle
It’s best to leave your car behind the gates of a campground or other business than at a trailhead when backpacking around the lake. Call ahead to arrange.
For hikers wanting to reach the Florida Trail by train, Amtrak has an unattended station near downtown Okeechobee.
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. Be sure to compensate them for their gas and time.
Safety
Check the Army Corps of Engineers website for any alerts in advance of your planned hike, particular regarding cyanobacteria.
Stinky mats of blue-green algae sporadically appear in Lake Okeechobee. Avoid hiking here when that happens, as it’s bad to breathe.
When sugar cane is lit before harvest, clouds of ash billow to the sky and land on everything, including your pack and tent.
Sugar cane is burned before harvestFlooding
There is no chance of the trail being flooded on the Okeechobee section. Lake levels are controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers.
When the water reaches a certain level they dump it out the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Canals (formerly rivers) to the coasts.
Hunting
Hunting is limited to duck hunting in the marshes so it doesn’t affect trail access. You will hear shotguns. Check the FWC website for duck season dates.
Hunters waiting to lock through to the lakeRoadwalks
There are several gaps along the circle around Lake Okeechobee to cross waterways.
At Moore Haven, a walk into town leads to the pedestrian walkway along US 27 to cross the Caloosahatchee River to avoid the Moore Haven Lock.
At Clewiston, walk between the Army Corps of Engineers HQ and Levee Park to get around the Clewiston Lock.
At Port Mayaca, leave the dike to get around the St. Lucie Lock by following the shoulder of US 441 up and over the highway bridge.
The longest and most egregious one is at Taylor Creek due to a landowner dispute and a lack of a pedestrian bridge over the creek.
Unfortunately, to get around it, you must walk along US 441, a high-speed two-lane highway, between Nubbin Slough and Taylor Creek.
Crossing the St. Lucie Canal on the roadwalk at Port MayacaPeople
All around the lake, you will encounter people using the trail for daily exercise and for access for fishing. Many boaters and anglers park at the trailheads.
At the locks, you may meet the lock tenders, and they’re always happy to swap stories.
At the southern end of the lake, the trail passes through several economically depressed agricultural communities. If you get into an uncomfortable situation, move on and/or call law enforcement.
Approaching Nubbin Slough trailheadTrail Map
Mileages
Key mile markers south to north on the east and west sides of the lake. Capitalized names indicate town access with services nearby.
WEST
0.0 – John Stretch Park
4.4 – Clewiston campsite+
8.7 – Army Corps of Engineers trailhead
9.2 – CLEWISTON
9.8 – Levee Park
14.3 – Liberty Point campsite+
15.0 – Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp $
21.5 – Alvin Ward Park
23.2 – MOORE HAVEN
27.8 – C-5A campsite+ (0.1E)
30.8 – Fisheating Creek parking
32.4 – Vance Whidden Park
33.6 – Fisheating Creek parking
34.8 – Lakeport campsite+
37.6 – Margaret Van de Velde Park
38.7 – Big Bare Beach parking
45.0 – Indian Prairie campsite+
45.3 – Indian Prairie parking
54.7 – Buckhead Ridge campsite+
55.4 – Kissimmee River bridge
55.6 – Scott Driver Park
EAST
0.0 – John Stretch Park
3.9 – Bean City campsite+
5.3 – SOUTH BAY Rec Area
7.3 – Torry Island Campground (0.9W) $
10.9 – Paul Rardin Park
16.9 – Pahokee Campground $
17.1 – PAHOKEE Rec Area
20.7 – CANAL POINT Rec Area
26.9 – NENA trailhead
28.9 – Port Mayaca Lock
30.2 – Port Mayaca Rec Area
37.7 – Chauncey Bay campsite+
37.8 – Chauncey Bay trailhead
44.2 – Henry Creek trailhead
47.8 – Nubbin Slough trailhead
48.3 – Nubbin Slough campsite+
50.4 – TAYLOR CREEK highway bridge
52.8 – Cliff J Betts Rec Area OKEECHOBEE
56.5 – SR 78 junction
56.8 – Scott Driver Park
$ fee charged. + designated campsite.
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 around the loop clockwise from John Stretch Park.
Florida Trail, Clewiston to South Bay 13.8 miles. One of the most accessible segments of the Big O provides some of the best views of Lake Okeechobee from the dike.
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.
Florida Trail, Moore Haven to Lakeport Leaving the Caloosahatchee River to dip through the Fisheating Creek floodplain, this hike on the western side of Lake Okeechobee is all about the marshes.
Florida Trail, Lakeport to Indian Prairie 11.9 miles. In the sweep of the Herbert Hoover Dike past Lakeport, the Florida Trail overlooks the vast western marshes of Lake Okeechobee.
Florida Trail, Indian Prairie to Okee-Tantie 10.4 miles. Along the vast marshes that buffer Buckhead Ridge, the sweep of the Florida Trail past Indian Prairie leads up to the mouth of the Kissimmee River.
Florida Trail, Okeechobee to Okee-Tantie 3.8 miles. On the sweep of Lake Okeechobee shoreline between Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, expect some of the best birding along the lake as you walk along the dike.
Florida Trail, Henry Creek to Okeechobee 8.6 miles. Along the north shoreline of Lake Okeechobee, this paved segment of the Florida Trail is one of its prettiest, offering sweeping views of the lake.
Florida Trail, Port Mayaca to Henry Creek 14 miles. In an arc between ancient natural shoreline and expansive waters, this hike along Lake Okeechobee's eastern shore offers unparalleled vistas.
Florida Trail, Pahokee to Port Mayaca 11.7 miles. An ocean-like expanse, Lake Okeechobee is open water to the horizon along the long arc between Pahokee and Port Mayaca.Side Trails
Trails that share trailheads with the Okeechobee section.
Rafael Sanchez Trail In a narrow slice of forest atop the relict shoreline of Lake Okeechobee, the Rafael Sanchez Trail stays in deep shade for its 5.7 mile linear traverse of the rocky Okeechobee Ridge.
Florida Trail, Okee-tantie to Platts Bluff 14.9 miles. Panoramic views across cattle ranches and the channelized Kissimmee River are the highlights of this connector from Lake Okeechobee to natural lands north of Okeechobee.Along the Trail
Some of the parks along the Okeechobee section.
Harney Pond Canal Recreation Area Discover uniquely wild panoramas along Lake Okeechobee with a walk on this paved trail in Lakeport
Okee-Tantie Recreation Area Where the Kissimmee River pours its waters into Lake Okeechobee, Okee-Tantie Recreation Area offers access to the river and a wild marshy stretch of lakeshore.
Scott Driver Recreation Area Providing access to the Kissimmee River, C. Scott Driver Recreation Area is also an important trailhead for the Florida Trail along Lake Okeechobee.
Clif J. Betts Jr. Lakeside Recreation Area Also known as Lake Okeechobee Lakeside Recreation Area, this waterfront park in Okeechobee offers expansive views of the big lake from its shoreline and pier.Connections
These sections of the Florida Trail adjoin Okeechobee to its north, south, and east.
Florida Trail, Kissimmee Following the Kissimmee River for 112 miles, this is a scenic section of the Florida Trail with levees, woods, river views, open prairies, and cattle ranches.
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.
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail A 61-mile spur of the Florida Trail from Port Mayaca on the east side of Lake Okeechobee through forested landscapes to Hobe Sound Beach on the Atlantic Ocean.Suggested Articles
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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.Recent Articles
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