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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Dry prairie with lone hiker

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.

Three Lakes WMA  |  Kenansville
( 27.92837, -81.125028 )      26.6 miles

Protecting one of the largest expanses of open prairie remaining in the Southeast, Three Lakes WMA offers immersion in the grandeur of a vast prairie ecosystem.

The wet prairies around the trio of lakes–Kissimmee, Jackson, and Marian–provide crucial wintering grounds for sandhills crane and whooping cranes, as well as wading birds.

Cutting across this landscape at a diagonal, the Florida Trail provides backpackers a lengthy linear stretch and the opportunity for a variety of loop hikes.

Palmetto prairie landscape Palmetto prairie south of Godwin Hammock


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Kenansville
Length: 26.6 mile linear
Trailhead: 27.807153, -81.129093
Address: 1702 Prairie Lakes Rd, Kenansville
Fees: $3 per person
Restrooms: Vault toilet at hunt camps and Lake Jackson
Land manager: Florida Fish & Wildlife
Phone: 352-732-1225

Open sunrise to sunset unless camping. Leashed dogs permitted.

This is a popular destination for deer and turkey hunters with many deer stands visible along the trail. Check on hunt dates before planning your hike and wear bright orange during hunts.

Pines with orange blaze


Directions

 
The southern access to this section is 14.7 miles west along SR 60 from US 441 / Florida’s Turnpike at Yeehaw Junction. Follow unpaved Road 10 for 2.1 miles north to the trailhead across from the hunt camp.
 
The northern access to this section is over a stile along US 441 at the northeast corner of the WMA, with the nearest parking at a roadside pulloff with picnic table 10.4 miles north of Kenansville along US 441. We do not recommend parking there overnight.
 
Overnight and day use parking is best at the large FNST trailhead just inside the main entrance for Prairie Lakes Unit, 9.5 miles northwest of US 441 in Kenansville along Canoe Creek Rd.

Hike

While northbound thru-hikers will tackle the three segments of the Florida Trail in Three Lakes WMA in one go, section hikers will find logistics trickier now that the Forever Florida trailhead has permanently closed.

Without it, it’s possible to break the hike into two segments, with the southernmost portion covering both Three Lakes South and the Prairie Lakes unit up to the Prairie Lakes trailhead.

Godwin Hammock sign and campsite Godwin Hammock is the sole campsite in Three Lakes South


This is a 15.6 mile linear hike. However, backpackers who aren’t actively trying to knock off Florida Trail miles will find the 11.4 mile Prairie Lakes Loop a more interesting overnighter.

Section hikers may prefer to tackle the Three Lakes North segment, 11 miles plus a 1.8 mile roadwalk along US 441 to a wayside parking area as a car-to-car day hike.

Old telegraph station in orange grove The old Nittaw telegraph station on private land within sight of the wayside


Cars should not be left overnight at the Nittaw Station wayside park. The next trailhead north is at the Bull Creek WMA hunt camp.

Mileage from Prairie Lakes trailhead to the Bull Creek trailhead via the orange blazes and the side trail to camp is 33.2 miles, with three designated campsites along the route.

Stile out of Three Lakes The stile at US 441 at the northeast corner of Three Lakes


Day hikers have the delightful loops within the Prairie Lakes Unit, two of the oldest segments of the Florida Trail in Central Florida.

They were built as a backpacking destination in the 1970s, when Prairie Lakes State Park still existed, later absorbed into this WMA.

Orange blaze on palm in lush hammock One of the lush hammocks along the route


Each of the two loops is a little more than five miles long and extremely scenic, winding in and out of oak hammocks among the prairies.

A 1.4-mile round-trip via the orange blazes to Pole Cypress Ponds from the Prairie Lakes trailhead shows off prairie wildflowers and the boardwalk over the cypress swamp.

Boardwalk between moss draped cypresses Boardwalk across Pole Cypress Ponds


Parking at a pulloff at Parker Hammock, where a bridge crosses the canal that divides the North and South Loops, you can explore lush oak hammocks on both sides of the canal.

A 1.3-mile round trip leads to an observation deck at the end of a spur levee off the white-blazed east side of the South Loop, with a panorama of Lake Marian.

View of open water lake from observation deck Observation deck on Lake Marian


From the parking area at Lake Jackson, it’s a 7 mile round-trip via the orange blazes and a side trail to visit the Lake Jackson Tower.

Or, drive to the Lake Jackson Tower trailhead at the very end of Prairie Lakes Rd for an easy 0.8 mile round-trip to the tower.

Lake with aquatic vegetation Lake Jackson at the foot of the tower


Trail Segments

Details on specific hikes mentioned above

Mown path thrown scrubby palmetto

Florida Trail, Three Lakes South

8.5 miles. Winding through picturesque prairies and primordial oak hammocks, the Florida Trail showcases the best of Three Lakes WMA south of the Prairie Lakes Unit.

Pine savanna with trail

Florida Trail, Prairie Lakes

8.1 miles. Traversing the heart of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, the Florida Trail at Prairie Lakes is one of Central Florida’s oldest and most scenic hiking destinations.

White blazed post in pine savanna

Prairie Lakes Loop

Enjoy the counterpoint of moss-draped oak hammocks and expansive prairies at Prairie Lakes along one of the older and more beloved pieces of the Florida Trail.


Trail Map

Three Lakes WMA Trail Map
Orange: Florida Trail. Blue: Side & Nature Trails. Yellow: Prairie Lakes Trail.

Explore More!

Learn more about Three Lakes WMA

Prairie landscape in Florida

Three Lakes WMA

Protecting nearly 64,000 acres south of the Orlando metro along the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area is a delight for birders and hikers.


Sections of the Florida Trail that converge in Three Lakes WMA

Florida Trail at Forever Florida

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

Cypress Lakes Preserve

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 between Tampa and Ocala


Slideshow

See our photos of the Florida Trail at Three Lakes WMA


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Florida Trail under dark water in floodplain

Florida Trail, Bull Creek WMA

Following a significant tributary to the St. Johns River, the Florida Trail through Bull Creek WMA showcases history and botanical beauty.

Cypress strand

Triple N Ranch

Vast pine savannas and pitcher plant bogs await at one of the toughest loop trails in the Orlando area a 7.5-mile challenge at Triple N Ranch WMA.

FT KICCO North curve

Florida Trail, KICCO North

3.4 miles. Take in a panorama of marshes busy with birds in the Kissimmee River floodplain at River Ranch along the northernmost reaches of the Kissimmee River

Long Hammock at KICCO

Florida Trail, KICCO South

10.1 miles. Ancient live oaks break up the expanse of cattle pastures and prairies along the Florida Trail adjoining the Kissimmee River in KICCO

Trail Map (PDF) Hunt Dates Official Website

Category: Backpacking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Florida Trail, Loop Hikes, Trails, Wildlife Management AreasTag: Best Florida Trail Backpacking, Birding, Dog-friendly, Fishing, Florida Trail, FT Kissimmee, FT Orlando, Historic Sites, Kenansville, Melbourne, Observation Towers, Primitive Camping, St. Cloud, Weekends, Wildlife Viewing, Yeehaw Junction

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Our Florida Trail Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideThe comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes along the entire length of the Florida Trail. 356 pages, $19.95 + tax and shipping.

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Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail, plus nine of the best section hikes. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

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Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
Our virtual walk along the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

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The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

Learn More

The Florida Trail App

Comprehensive logistics and offline maps all in one: The Florida Trail Guide is now also an interactive map-based mile-by-mile app by Guthook Guides.

Get the App!

Florida Trail Updates


Get periodic recaps of changes to the Florida Trail, which we accumulate between editions of our guidebook. Find all official Trail Closures & Notices here.

Hiking the Florida Trail

  • Florida Trail Overview
  • Plan your Hike
  • Choose the Right Gear
  • Best Scenic Hikes
  • Best Backpacking Trips
  • Section Hiking
  • Thru-Hiking
  • Eastern Continental Trail
  • Florida Trail in South Florida
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  • Florida Trail in Northwest Florida
  • Florida Trail for Scouting
  • Florida Trail Adventures
  • Florida Trail Updates

Florida Trail by Section

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Big Bend view

Florida Trail, Big Bend

Florida Trail, Big Bend
Florida Trail Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Blackwater

Florida Trail, Blackwater
Florida Trail Nokuse

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Eglin Weaver Creek

Florida Trail, Eglin

Florida Trail, Eglin
Florida Trail Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee
Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail, Orlando
Florida Trail Seashore Dunes

Florida Trail, Seashore

Florida Trail, Seashore
Florida Trail along a canal south of Clewiston

Florida Trail, Seminole

Florida Trail, Seminole
No Name Creek

Florida Trail, Suwannee

Florida Trail, Suwannee
Cypress Lakes Preserve

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

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