• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

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

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Okee-tantie Recreation Area launch

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

Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail  |  Okeechobee
( 27.150344, -80.868450 )      

Named for a historic community founded at the mouth of the Kissimmee River, Okee-Tantie Recreation Area encompasses both developed recreational facilities and a wild lakefront perfect for birding.

Picnic area at Okee-tantie Recreation Area
Picnic area at Okee-tantie Recreation Area

Resources

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover South Florida 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: Okeechobee
Address: 10430 SR 78 West, Okeechobee
Fees: none
Restroom: at the marina
Land manager: Okeechobee County
Phone: 863-763-6950

Open for day use except for boaters. To reserve a boat slip, call the number above Mon-Fri between 8:30-5. No camping permitted.

When birding the shoreline or paddling along it, be very mindful of snakes, alligators, and alligator nests. Don’t enter areas where you can’t see what’s around you, especially deeply vegetated areas.


Directions

 
From the intersection of US 441 and SR 78 in Okeechobee, drive 4.3 miles west along SR 78. The turn-in and big sign for the park is on the left after you go up and over a levee and pass the entrance to Scott Driver Recreation Area on the right.
 
After you enter the park through the main gate, turn right for the developed area: marina and river access, picnic tables. For lakeshore access, turn left to follow a road down to a cove that airboaters and paddlers use as a put-in.

Details

This large county park provides boaters and day users access to the lakeshore for launching watercraft, bank fishing, and relaxing at picnic tables with a great view.

There is a marina with dockage along the Kissimmee River side of the park. Restrooms are located there but are not always unlocked.

Boat basin Okee-tantie Recreation Area
Boat basin area at Okee-tantie Recreation Area

For decades, this park was home to a popular county campground, which sat on the highest ground. Closed some years ago, the camping area now is ringed with fencing and signage warning you away from it.

While we’ve met up with paddlers taking out at this park, we haven’t tried paddling here ourselves. The put-in area is also used by airboaters and is called The Pond.

Okee-tantie Recreation Area launch
Pond launch area for airboats and paddlers

It provides direct access to the Lake Okeechobee shoreline. To the left, it’s four miles up to Okeechobee Recreation Area in Okeechobee, recently renamed Cliff J. Betts Recreation Area. To the right, hug the marshy peninsula to get to the Kissimmee River.

Wind is a major issue on and around the lake at all times because of its size, so if you want to paddle, watch the weather carefully. Current and boaters are hazards around the river mouth.

Hikers can easily access the Florida Trail along Lake Okeechobee from this recreation area, as it passes right by the front gate. To the east is the Okeechobee to Okee-tantie section, and to the west is the Indian Prairie to Okeechobee section.

Okee-tantie Recreation Area
In the day use area at Okee-tantie Recreation Area

We have left cars here while backpacking the Florida Trail north along the Kissimmee River, but that was prior to the closure of the campground.

Since there is no longer a camp host on duty, if you want to leave a car, call the county number above and see if they’ll allow one to be parked near the marina. It will be at your own risk.


Explore More!

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Kissimmee River

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

Florida Trail Okeechobee

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 Okee-Tantie

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

Taylor Creek

Taylor Creek STA

Encompassing the ancient shoreline of Taylor Creek and man-made marshes, this wetlands park is a gem for birding and wildlife watching just north of Okeechobee.


Official Website

Category: Access by water, County Parks, Launch Points, Paddling, Parks, South FloridaTag: FT Okeechobee, Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee, Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, Okeechobee

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

SOUTH FLORIDA

SOUTH FLORIDA OVERVIEW.
Big Cypress Swamp. Everglades National Park. Florida Trail

Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now
 


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Grassy footpath lined with lyonia under pines

Jack Creek Tract, Lake Wales Ridge WEA

Jack Creek Tract, Lake Wales Ridge WEA
Trail in pine forest leading to bridge

Lake Placid Scrub

Lake Placid Scrub
Well worn path through a wet pine flatwoods landscape

DuPuis Loop Trail

DuPuis Loop Trail
Bridge edged by alligator flag

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

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

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact