Florida Trail, Central Florida

In Central Florida, the Florida Trail presents two options: east or west around the Orlando metro. Both routes were crafted in the 1980s, and both have their high and low points.

Forested public lands provide protection for much of the route, but large portions of the route are urban. With the unfettered growth of the metro area along the Interstate 4 corridor, it’s no surprise.

On the Western Corridor, the trail roughly follows the northward flow of the Withlacoochee River from its rise in the Green Swamp towards Dunnellon.

A long connecting walk on bike paths, sidewalks, and roads is necessary across the southern sweep of the Western Corridor.

To the east, the trail sticks to public lands in the St. Johns River basin, another north-flowing river. Dense forests along the rivers and open prairies between them characterize this section.

It brushes up against the Orlando metro in several places. Urbanization means less-than-ideal footpath, so to quickly get through the suburbs of Orlando, the Florida Trail follows paved bike paths for a lengthy stretch.

Trail Sections

Each of these sections correspond to a smaller portion of the Florida Trail in this region, north to south.

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.

Florida Trail, Orlando Between the prairies of Osceola County and the Ocala National Forest, this 150 mile section of the Florida Trail slips through suburbs of the Orlando metro.

Florida Trail, Western Corridor Linking Withlacoochee State Forest and the Cross Florida Greenway, the 241 mile Western Corridor of the Florida Trail accesses wild spaces between Tampa and Ocala.

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.