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On the Big O Hike near Port Mayaca

Big O Hike

Nine days, 109 miles: that’s the circuit around Lake Okeechobee to complete a walk around the second largest lake inside American borders on the Big O Hike.

HIKE INFORMATION

Nubbin Slough

3x3x3

Sandra Friend

Okeechobee's history runs deep. Today's walk slips past many ghosts, of fish camps and fish canneries, an early Florida toll road and more shoreline where the lake waters once lapped.

Us and Primrose

A Year with Primrose

John Keatley

It's been a year since we purchased Primrose, our 1982 VW Vanagon. Here's a recap of where we've been and what we've seen.

Chauncey Bay Okeechobee

Aloft

Sandra Friend

It isn't rare for winds to streak across the surface of Lake Okeechobee, picking up speed as they travel. But some mornings are windier than others, and this was one of them.

Big O Pahokee

Back from the Big O

Sandra Friend

During the 2007 Big O Hike, Ocala resident Cliff Moody set a new bar for future hikers by walking all the way around Lake Okeechobee at age 90.

Sugar Cane field aflame

Braising Cane

Sandra Friend

As I hike the Florida Trail past Moore Haven, a sugar cane field bursts out in flame after my discussion with my friend Steve, a sign from above that he's along for the walk.

Walking by Torrey Island on the Florida Trail

Day Eight: Torrey Island

Sandra Friend

After a moonlight walk the night before with fellow hikers, I arise early for a walk to Torrey Island on Day 8 of the Big O Hike.

Sunrise over Eagle Bay Okeechobee

Day Five: In the pink

Sandra Friend

On Day Five of the 2007 Big O Hike, sunrise over Eagle Bay was the event of the morning before a move to our southerly campground in the afternoon.

Rosie and Gordon at Buckhead Ridge

Day Four: Halfback

Sandra Friend

Day four of the 2007 Big O Hike evolved into a relaxed walk from the halfway point back into the campground in Okeechobee, greeting hikers along the way.

Sunrise on Pelican Bay

Day Nine: Pelican Bay

Sandra Friend

The final day of the 2007 Big O Hike sweeps us around the curve of Pelican Bay into Pahokee as the details sink deep into my memories.

Never pass a restroom on the Big O Hike!

Day One: Kickoff!

Sandra Friend

Day 1 of the 2007 Big O Hike around Lake Okeechobee starts off with sunshine and a walk to Port Mayaca along the glistening lake waters.

Powerboat on the Rim Canal in Clewiston

Day Seven: Surreal

Sandra Friend

Day seven of the 2007 Big O Hike is a counterpoint to the previous day, entertaining family with the highlights of Clewiston.

Sandhill cranes near Okeechobee

Day Three: Hiking with Cliff

Sandra Friend

On the third day of the 2007 Big O Hike, I walk with Cliff Moody, the oldest man to ever complete the walk around Lake Okeechobee.

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FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

METROS: Bradenton. Clearwater. Crestview. Daytona Beach. Destin. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Myers. Fort Walton Beach. Gainesville. Jacksonville. Kissimmee. Lakeland. Melbourne. Miami. Naples. Ocala. Orlando. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Port St. Lucie. Punta Gorda. St. Petersburg. Sanford. Sarasota. Sebring. Stuart. Tallahassee. Tampa. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach.

MULTI-REGION: Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Atlantic Coast. Bartram Trail. Big Bend. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail. Gulf Coast. Lake Wales Ridge. WATERWAYS: Indian River Lagoon. Intracoastal Waterway. Kissimmee River. St. Johns River. Withlacoochee River.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA: Altha. Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Big Bend Scenic Byway. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Bruce. Cantonment. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. DeFuniak Springs. Eastpoint. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Freeport. Fountain. Gulf Breeze. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Holt. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Munson. Navarre. Navarre Beach. Newport. Niceville. Panacea. Panama City . Perdido Key. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Santa Rosa Beach. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. George Island. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Sumatra. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka. Woodville. WATERWAYS: Apalachicola River. Blackwater Bay. Blackwater River. Chipola River. Choctawhatchee Bay. Choctawhatchee River. Coastal Dune Lakes. Ochlockonee Bay. Perdido River. St. Marks River. Wacissa River. Wakulla River. Yellow River.

NORTH FLORIDA: Alachua. Amelia Island. Archer. Baldwin. Branford. Bronson. Bunnell. Callahan. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Cross City. Cross Creek. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fanning Springs. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Fort White. Glen St. Mary. Green Cove Springs. Hawthorne. High Springs. Inglis. Jacksonville Beaches. Jacksonville Northshore. Jasper. Jennings. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler. Lake City. Live Oak.Macclenny. Mandarin. Mayo. Mayport. Micanopy. Middleburg. Old Town. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Palm Valley. Perry. Ponte Vedra. Rodman. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Waldo. Welaka. White Springs. Williston. Worthington Springs. Yankeetown. WATERWAYS: Santa Fe River. St. Marys River. Suwannee River. Tolomato River. Upper Withlacoochee River.

CENTRAL FLORIDA: Altamonte Springs. Apollo Beach. Apopka. Astatula. Astor. Auburndale. Bartow. Babson Park. Bayport. Belleview. Bithlo. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Cassadaga. Christmas. Chuluota. Citrus Springs. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Edgewater. Enterprise. Eustis. Ferndale. Fort Meade. Frostproof. Geneva. Gibsonton. Haines City. Hernando. Hernando Beach. Holopaw. Homosassa. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Largo. Leesburg. Lithia. Longwood. Lutz. Maitland. Malabar. McIntosh. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. Narcoossee/Lake Nona. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Nobleton. Oak Hill. Oakland. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Ocoee. Oldsmar. Orange City. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Paisley. Palm Bay. Plant City. Poinciana. Polk City. Ponce Inlet. Port Orange. Ridge Manor. Riverview. Ruskin. Safety Harbor. Silver Springs. Sorrento. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. Tarpon Springs. Thonotosassa. Titusville . Umatilla. Viera. Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Weirsdale. Wimauma. Windermere. Winter Garden. Winter Haven. Winter Park. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction. Zephyrhills. WATERWAYS: Alafia River. Halifax River. Hillsborough River. Lake Apopka. Little Manatee River. Ochlawaha River. Rainbow River. Tampa Bay. Wekiva River. Wekiva River Basin.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Alva. Boca Grande. Cape Coral. Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Ellenton. Englewood. Estero. Immokalee. Marco Island. North Port. Osprey. Palma Sola. Palmetto. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Sanibel Island. Venice. WATERWAYS: Caloosahatchee River. Manatee River. Myakka River. Pine Island Sound.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Big Cypress Swamp. Bowling Green. Clewiston. Everglades City. Indiantown. LaBelle. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Ortona. Pahokee. Palmdale. Port Mayaca. South Bay. Wauchula. Zolfo Springs. WATERWAYS: Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Peace River.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA: Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coconut Creek. Coral Gables. Coral Springs. Davie. Delray Beach. Fellsmere. Flamingo. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Indrio. Jensen Beach. Juno Beach. Jupiter. Jupiter Farms. Key Biscayne. North Hutchison Island. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Palm Beach. Palm Beach Gardens. Pompano Beach. Redland. Sebastian. South Hutchinson Island. WATERWAYS: Florida Bay. St. Lucie River.

FLORIDA KEYS: Big Pine Key. Islamorada. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Overseas Heritage Trail.


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