Swamp walks take a certain mindset and a bit of bravery, especially in the Everglades and Big Cypress, where invasive snake species like Burmese pythons and anacondas are lurking, and Florida panthers roam the landscape.
It’s best to tackle swamp walks with a group, a friend, or on a guided hike. You WILL get wet on these hikes unless Florida is having a serious drought, in which case these habitats are prone to catching on fire from lightning strikes.
It’s always worth checking with the land manager or local hikers for current conditions when you plan to do a swamp walk.
Our Hiking Guides
We’ve been writing Florida hiking books since 2001, including seven guidebooks to our statewide Florida National Scenic Trail. These are pertinent to swamp walks in Florida.
Our Florida Trail books get into the details of swamp walking in Big Cypress, the Apalachicola National Forest, and Nokuse. We’ve also partnered with FarOut to bring you that Florida Trail information as an app.
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Florida’s Best Swamp Walks
A selection of what we consider the most beautiful swampy hikes in Florida. Not all of these are continuously swampy along their length, but you will have plenty of swamp to deal with.
Apoxee Wilderness Trail In the wet prairies and tropical hammocks of Apoxee Wilderness, an urban wilderness area, tackle a 4.7-mile day hike through the southernmost part of Grassy Waters Preserve.
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park It’s the Amazon of North America, home of the ghost orchid. Protecting more than 85,000 acres, Fakahatchee Strand is Florida's largest state preserve and most certainly our wildest.
Florida Trail, Big Cypress South 30.3 miles. Traversing a vast wilderness in the wet wilds of Big Cypress National Preserve, the southernmost segment of the Florida Trail is the toughest backpacking trip in Florida
Florida Trail, Bradwell Bay 12.3 miles. You're guaranteed to get wet on Florida's roughest, wildest day hike. Situated south of Tallahassee, the Bradwell Bay Wilderness is one of the most majestic and wild places in Northwest Florida.
Florida Trail, Jewel to Vilas 14.3 miles. Delving deep into the swampy heart of the Apalachicola National Forest, this section spans some of the gnarliest titi and gum swamps you'll see outside of Bradwell Bay.
Florida Trail, Lafayette Creek 9.3 miles. From a tricky traverse of the floodplain of Lafayette Creek to a roller-coaster of steep dips through wooded ravines, this scenic and surprisingly hilly section of the Florida Trail will give you a serious workout. 
Florida Trail, Ocean to Lake: Corbett An 11.7 mile linear hike through a vast watery wilderness comparable to Big Cypress and the Everglades, it's hard to believe this woolly adventure is in Palm Beach County.
Florida Trail, Vilas to Camel Lake 10.3 miles. Broadening your perspective on Florida's largest national forest, this hike offers an ever-shifting focus from macro to landscape amid habitat diversity in the Apalachicola National Forest. 
Florida Trail, Yellow River Ravines 10.9 miles. An acrobatic adventure, the Florida Trail Yellow River Ravines section between Holt and Milton tosses tricky swamp traverses and creative creek crossings your way.
Roberts Lake Trail 8.2 miles. Now the Roberts Lake Trail, the former Loop Road to Oasis section of the Florida Trail is now blazed blue. It is where sawgrass and cypress meet, where the Everglades and Big Cypress blend.