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Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Showcasing the best public lands, the Florida Trail walks you into the past between Palatka and Osceola National Forest, through rural farms and timber lands.


<< Ocala HIKING DETAILS Suwannee >>

Florida Trail, Buckman Lock to SR 20

Grassy corridor amid tall planted pines

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida  |  Palatka
( 29.546762, -81.728280 )      7.4 miles

7.4 miles. Crisscrossing former timberlands and blackwater cypress swamps, the Florida Trail north of Buckman Lock highlights conservation efforts taken on land previously used for agriculture.

Florida Trail, Etoniah West

FT Etoniah West

Etoniah Creek State Forest  |  Palatka
( 29.788240, -81.876247 )      3.5 miles

On this 3.5-mile segment of the Florida Trail in Etoniah State Forest, you’ll encounter the rare Etonia rosemary and a number of sinkholes in the pine forests and scrub

Florida Trail, Gold Head Branch

Florida Trail, Gold Head Branch State Park

Gold Head Branch State Park  |  Keystone Heights
( 29.846850, -81.959783 )      3.5 miles

Following the high ground above Devil’s Washbasin and Gold Head Ravine, the Florida Trail works its way across Gold Head Branch State Park on a scenic 3.5 mile route

Florida Trail, New River to Hampton

Picturesque cypress swamp

Palatka-Lake Butler Trail  |  Starke
( 29.962053,-82.264244 )      9.3 miles

A surprisingly pleasant section of the Florida Trail that sees very few hikers, the most remote part of the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail stretches 9.3 miles between Hampton and the New River, southwest of Starke.

Florida Trail, Nice Wander Loop

White and orange blazes on longleaf pine in forest

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida  |  Osceola National Forest
( 30.212617, -82.389083 )      1.7 miles

In the Osceola National Forest, this short loop along the Florida Trail adjacent to Olustee Battlefield is one of the easiest places in the state to see red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Florida Trail, Ocean Pond to Turkey Run

Dense understory along hiking trail in pine flatwoods

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida  |  Osceola National Forest
( 30.2436, -82.4401 )      4.3 miles

An easy linear hike or round trip with a stop at the Florida Trail’s oldest shelter, this short segment of the Florida Trail in Osceola National Forest is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.

Florida Trail, Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Rice Creek

Palatka      ( 29.682369, -81.736847 )      5.2 miles

Home of ancient cypress trees and the remains of a 1700s rice plantation, Rice Creek Conservation Area has a fascinating loop trail along the statewide Florida Trail

Florida Trail, Turkey Run to Deep Creek

Pine flatwoods orange blaze and footpath

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida  |  Osceola National Forest
( 30.279284, -82.480162 )      11.4 miles

In the northwest corner of Osceola National Forest, this 11.4 mile segment of the Florida Trail offers strong contrasts between pine flatwoods and bogs.

Lake Butler Trail

Lake Butler Trail terminus

Palatka-Lake Butler Trail  |  Lake Butler
( 30.022219, -82.340982 )      4.5 miles

The northernmost paved segment of the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail, the Lake Butler Trail extends 4.5 miles from SR 237 to Union Depot

National Forests in Florida Implement New Fees

Ocean Pond Olustee

July 24, 2019    Sandra Friend

Effective July 26, 2019, fees go up at many National Forest campgrounds, boat ramps, and recreation areas

OGT Palatka Visitor Center closed

Buckman Lock at St. Johns South

November 18, 2008    Sandra Friend

The Office of Greenways and Trails quietly closed their Visitor Center at Buckman Lock, near the north end of the Cross Florida Greenway in Palatka, for budget savings.

Palatka-Lake Butler Trail

Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail

Palatka, Keystone Heights, Lake Butler      ( 29.7640, -81.9925 )      47 miles

With a corridor spanning nearly 50 miles through North Florida, the Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail provides paved trail for riders and an unpaved corridor used by the Florida Trail

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