• 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
On Nobles Road

On the Reservation

January 16, 2013    John Keatley

163 shares
On Nobles Road
On Nobles Road

Leaving the wilds of the Big Cypress Swamp, the trail followed an old road for most of the distance.  After a right hand turn on a large main road, I followed the blazes and other hikers footsteps.

I stopped while crossing a canal to tend to a few hot spots on the bottom of both feet.  With duct tape in place and dry socks on, I ate my lunch.

Road walks seem to hypnotize you.  Step after step, mile after mile, I mindlessly kept going. At one point, I noticed that I was walking on pavement.  I hadn’t noticed where it happened.  Nor had I seen it coming. Off in the distance I could see the parking lights of Billie Swamp Safari and could hear the swamp buggies rumbling through the woods.  By the time I was at the entrance to Billies, I was pretty beat.

I waved to every car as they passed me on their way to visit Billies and have lunch.  Seeing the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum in the distance, I knew the campground – where we were all meeting after exiting the swamp – was getting closer.  I discovered a funny thing about roadwalks on flat terrain: even when you can see something up ahead, it’s still a long walk to get there!

At Billie Swamp Safari
At Billie Swamp Safari

Arriving at the Big Cypress Campground office, I flopped on one of the rocking chairs.  After about twenty minutes of just resting, I went inside to check in.  Looking at the GPS, I had hiked 17.6 miles since I had started at 5 AM, not missing my current “18 miles in one day” record by much.

I limped to the campsite, pain in every step. Once I had the tent up, I assessed my poor feet.  Scribbles, a first responder and fellow hiker, offered to help doctor my feet.  I wandered off for a shower – the first on this hike – and to scrub my feet.

While showering, I noticed a large tick dug in under my armpit.  After three nights of crashing after hiking all day,  I hadn’t been checking like I should been.  That gave this little fellow plenty of time to dig in!

Back at the campsite, with me clean and a little less smelly,  Scribbles went to work, pushing threads through multiple blisters on both feet.  One blister on my heel had already torn open and was bleeding. After close examination,  Scribbles prescribed two or three days of not wearing boots and letting my feet air out.

The tick removal took minor surgery.  Luckily I had kept the tweezers in my first aid kit.  But tweezers alone weren’t enough.  With the tick gone, the red spot where it had been, about the size of a dime, looked bad.  After treating it with antibiotics and a bandage, “Dr. Scribbles” released me.

Had I been hiking alone, I would not have been able to remove the tick by myself.  I’m not sure what I would have done. It was another reminder that hiking with a partner is a good idea.

Big Cypress Campground
Camping at Big Cypress Campground

After four days and more than 50 miles of hiking, it was nice to be in a campground with amenities.  Being on the Appalachian Trail spoiled me.  When we hiked there, there always seemed to be an old log or rock to sit on.  That is not the case on the Florida Trail, at least not in the Big Cypress. So having a huge chickee to shade us, and picnic tables to sit at, felt like first class accommodations!

For those doing this hike, the campground also has showers, a pool, hot tub, and a laundry.  The only thing missing is food, which is about a mile and a half away.  Another perk for being part of a supported group is rides to the “just out-of-reach” places!

Two fellow hikers, Bogey and Bacall, stopped at Billies and enjoyed the full guest package! They rented their own screened chickee, took rides on both the swamp buggy and the airboat, went to the critter and snake show, and enjoyed lots of good eating.  All that was missing for them was a washer and dryer.

While I’m recuperating, I start my adventure as a van driver and hiker support team member.  Being with a seasoned pro like Chuck Norris will be a great place to learn!

Category: Articles, Backpacking, Florida TrailTag: Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Big Cypress Swamp, Florida Trail, FT Seminole

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

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).

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
  • Florida Trail in Central Florida
  • Florida Trail in North Florida
  • Florida Trail in Northwest Florida
  • Florida Trail for Scouting
  • Florida Trail Adventures
  • Florida Trail Updates

Florida Trail by Section

Florida trail blaze on pines in forest Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Big Bend view Florida Trail, Big Bend
Florida Trail Big Cypress Florida Trail, Big Cypress
Florida Trail, Blackwater
Florida Trail Nokuse Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Eglin Weaver Creek Florida Trail, Eglin
Florida Trail Kissimmee Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Florida Trail at Rice Creek Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness Florida Trail, Ocala
Florida Trail, Okeechobee Florida Trail, Okeechobee
Florida Trail at Forever Florida Florida Trail, Orlando
Florida Trail Seashore Dunes Florida Trail, Seashore
Florida Trail along a canal south of Clewiston Florida Trail, Seminole
No Name Creek Florida Trail, Suwannee
Cypress Lakes Preserve Florida Trail, Western Corridor
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

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.

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 River. 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 Lake Wales Ridge.

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.Lithia. 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. Riverview. Ruskin. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Park. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction. Zephyrhills

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. Coconut Creek. Coral Gables. Coral Springs. 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