Florida Trail, Northwest Florida

From coastal views along the Big Bend and Pensacola Beach to tangled black gum and titi swamps and the delights of climbing in and out of steephead ravines, Northwest Florida surprises and delights all hikers.

Following the Florida Trail through the Panhandle, you’ll discover that Florida certainly isn’t flat or boring when it comes to hiking.

This region has a mix of expansive protected wild places in public lands along coastlines and rivers, massive acreage in farms and pine plantations, and a light population except along the beaches from Panama City Beach west.

Trail Sections

Each of these sections correspond to a smaller segment of the Florida Trail in this region, west to east.

Florida Trail, Apalachicola In Florida’s largest national forest, this 78 mile segment of the Florida Trail through the Apalachicola means soggy feet and spectacular botanical diversity south of Tallahassee.

Florida Trail, Big Bend Crossing rural farms and forests, this 116 mile segment of the Florida Trail reveals the secrets of the Aucilla River before tracing the Gulf coastline at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Florida Trail, Eglin One of the most compelling sections of the Florida Trail for backpackers, the 98.3 miles through Eglin offers rugged elevation changes and crystalline waterways.

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle West of the Apalachicola River, 99 miles of the Florida Trail stitches a series of public lands together along the corridor of the Northwest Florida Greenway.

Florida Trail, Seashore In addition to bike paths and the scenic UWF-SRIA Dunes Preserve, the 32-mile Seashore section of the Florida Trail walks you along a beach to the trail's Northern Terminus.

Florida Trail, Blackwater The 45 mile Blackwater section of the Florida Trail walks through Atlantic white cedar and longleaf pine forests, pitcher plant bogs and titi swamps to reach Alabama.