Florida Trail, Yates Marsh
Kissimmee PUA 3.3 miles3.3 miles. Weaving between oak hammocks and pastureland along the Kissimmee River, Yates Marsh is not a wet walk but a pleasant linear hike.
Hickory Hammock Trail
Basinger 4.6 milesIn deep shade near the Kissimmee River, a former section of the Florida Trail leads to a primitive backpacking site under majestic live oaks covered with ferns and Spanish moss.
Kissimmee
Once a frontier town on the Florida prairie, Kissimmee is now a vacation destination for theme park enthusiasts and a trail town on the Florida Trail.
Lake Kissimmee North Loop
Lake Wales 6.8 milesCrossing the Lake Kissimmee State Park park drive multiple times, the 6.8-mile North Loop is the easiest trail to access within the park, offering excellent birding
Lake Okeechobee
Covering 730 square miles, Lake Okeechobee is the liquid heart of South Florida.
Lake Wales
Sitting between the ancient dunes of the Lake Wales Ridge and the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Lake Wales is rich with outdoor recreation opportunities with panoramic views.
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.
Prairie Reflections
Walking the wilds of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park means hours spent in blazing sun and a landscape that makes you feel inconsequential on this earth.
Scott Driver Recreation Area
Okeechobee 0.5 milesProviding access to the Kissimmee River, C. Scott Driver Recreation Area is also an important trailhead for the Florida Trail along Lake Okeechobee.
Up the Kissimmee
JK starts solo backpacking up the Kissimmee River, encountering cows, sandhill cranes, and an over-medicated driver who runs him off a roadwalk.