• Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Attractions

Florida Hikes!

Your guide to Florida's outdoors, by Sandra Friend, Florida's hiking expert, and her co-author John Keatley, covering the Florida Trail and other trails throughout Florida.

  • Hike
  • Camp
  • Bike
  • Paddle
  • Florida Trail
  • Travel
  • Gear
  • Books

High Bluff Coastal Trail

Carrabelle   [29.809317,-84.729067]   5.6 miles

High Bluff Coastal Trail

High Bluff Coastal Trail

In Tate’s Hell State Forest, the High Bluff Coastal Trail along US 98 near Carrabelle leads you over relict dunes covered with scrub plants like Florida rosemary and scrub mint, partially shaded by a canopy of sand pines.

Resources

Explorers Guide North Florida and PanhandleHiker's Guide to the Sunshine State

Overview

Location: Carrabelle
Length: Up to 8.7 miles
Lat-Long: 29.809317, -84.729067 (East Trailhead) 29.809317, -84.729067 (West Trailhead)
Type: Loops
Fees / Permits: none
Difficulty: easy
Bug factor: moderate to high
Restroom: No

Directions

Follow US 98 for 2.7 miles west of Carrabelle, the trailhead is on the right. The second trailhead “West Trailhead” is along US 98 closer to SR 65.

Hike

Showcasing the rare and unique coastal pine forests of the Gulf of Mexico, this hike leads you through a variety of habitats. We first walked this trail when only the East Loop existed, and we understand it has changed a bit since our visit. We’ll add full details when we have an opportunity to revisit Carrabelle Beach. The delight of this hike is the immersion in the coastal scrub, a habitat that has severely declined due to growing population along this once-wild shoreline. As you follow the east loop, look for a blue-blazed side trail leads 0.1 mile to a catfaced pine with a metal cup used to collect sap for turpentine.

Since this is a scrub habitat, expect some sand in your shoes. Two loops now comprise the trail system, the shorter one the East Loop at 3.5 miles. The longer loop is the West Loop at 5.5 miles. Hike the perimeter for the full 8.7 miles.

Despite the high ridge, some parts of the trail might be mucky as you draw within sight of bayheads and cypress domes. There are several benches and a picnic table along the trail in the shade of tall sand pines, providing an opportunity for you to sit and listen for woodpeckers.

Trail Map

Download an updated map of the full trail system

Filed Under: Day Hikes, Florida State Forests, Hikes, Loop Trails, Northwest Florida, Trails Tagged With: Apalachicola, Birding, Botanical, Carrabelle, Tates Hell State Forest, Wildlife Viewing

Comments

  1. Shelley Kiefer says

    February 5, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Where does the High Bluff Coastal Hiking Trail intersect with SR65?

    Reply
    • Sandra Friend says

      September 21, 2017 at 5:17 pm

      Our mistake, it does not. There are two trailheads for it along US 98 between Carrabelle and SR 65.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

EXPLORING NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Apalachicola . Apalachicola National Forest . Apalachicola River . Blackwater River State Forest . Blountstown . Crestview . DeFuniak Springs . Destin . Fort Walton Beach . Ebro . Freeport . Gulf Islands National Seashore . Madison . Marianna . Milton . Navarre . Niceville . Panama City Beach . Pensacola . Ponce De Leon . Port St. Joe . Sopchoppy . St. Marks . St. Marks NWR . Tallahassee

The Florida Trail

Florida Trail history book

A comprehensive photo-rich history covering 50 years of Florida's favorite hiking destination. 9x12", 228 pages, full color.

Get the Book!

Our Northwest Florida guidebooks

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.


Florida Trail Guide Explorers Guide North Florida Panhandle Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State

Updates on Florida’s outdoors

Recent Articles

Bridge in Eglin East Florida Trail, Eglin East
Florida Trail, Wiregrass Trail Florida Trail, Wiregrass Trail
Florida Trail, Juniper Creek Florida Trail, Juniper Creek
Florida Trail, Jackson Red Ground Florida Trail, Jackson Red Ground Trail
Aucilla Rapids Florida Trail, Aucilla River

Northwest Florida Resources

  • FTA Apalachee
  • FTA Choctawhatchee
  • FTA Panhandle
  • FTA Western Gate
  • Northwest Florida Outdoor Adventure
  • Pensacola Trails
  • Tallahassee Outdoors
  • Trailahassee
  • Walton Outdoors
  • Weatherford's PENSACOLA

Find your way

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola . Apalachicola National Forest . Apalachicola River . Blackwater River State Forest . Blountstown . Crawfordville. Crestview . DeFuniak Springs . Destin . Fort Walton Beach . Ebro . Freeport . Gulf Islands National Seashore . Madison . Marianna . Milton . Navarre . Niceville . Panama City Beach . Pensacola . Ponce De Leon . Port St. Joe . Sopchoppy . St. Marks . St. Marks NWR . Tallahassee

NORTH FLORIDA
Amelia Island . Cedar Key . Chiefland . Fernandina Beach . Flagler Beach . Gainesville .High Springs . Jacksonville . Lake City . Live Oak . Mayo . Micanopy . Osceola National Forest . Palatka . Perry . Salt Springs . St. Augustine . Steinhatchee . Suwannee River Wilderness Trail . Trenton . White Springs

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka . Belleview . Brandon . Brooksville . Bushnell . Canaveral National Seashore . Christmas . Clearwater Beach . Clermont . Coast to Coast Trail . Cocoa Beach . Cross Florida Greenway . Crystal River . Dade City . Daytona Beach . Deland . Deltona . Dunnellon . Frostproof . Geneva . Inverness . Kissimmee . Lakeland . Lake Wales . Leesburg . Melbourne . Merritt Island NWR . Mount Dora . New Port Richey . New Smyrna Beach . Ocala . Ocala National Forest .Orlando . Ormond Beach . Oviedo . Sanford . Silver Springs . St. Cloud . St. Petersburg . Tampa . Tarpon Springs . Titusville . Walt Disney World . Withlacoochee State Forest . Withlacoochee State Trail . Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor . Ding Darling NWR . Englewood . Estero . Fort Myers . Naples . Pine Island . Punta Gorda . Sanibel Island . Sarasota . Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia . Big Cypress . Big Cypress National Preserve . Clewiston . Everglades City . Everglades National Park . Fisheating Creek . Lake Okeechobee . Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail . Lake Placid . Moore Haven . Okeechobee . Sebring

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Biscayne Bay . Biscayne National Park . Boca Raton . Coral Gables . Everglades National Park . Florida Keys . Fort Lauderdale . Fort Pierce . Hobe Sound . Homestead . Jupiter . Key Biscayne . Miami . Ocean to Lake . Palm Beach . Port St. Lucie . Sebastian . Stuart . Vero Beach . West Palm Beach

©2006-2019, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes! PO Box 10046 Cocoa FL 32927 | Contact