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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.
A night in Clewiston
When you reach the turnoff to continue north on the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee, you don’t quite reach the town of Clewiston. After all the heat and bugs while camping and cooking outdoors, the group decided to enjoy real food and a night in …
Aloft
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 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.
Braising Cane
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.
Clewiston
Clewiston, the center of the sugar cane industry in South Florida, is perched along the rim of one of America's largest lakes, Lake Okeechobee.
Clif J. Betts Jr. Lakeside Recreation Area
Also known as Lake Okeechobee Lakeside Recreation Area, this waterfront park in Okeechobee offers expansive views of the big lake from its shoreline and pier.
Everglades, Interrupted
When you're traveling at the speed of feet, it's easy to spend hours reflecting on the Everglades that once was, the vast wilds erased by the agro-industrial complex that brought sugar cane to Lake Okeechobee.
Florida Trail, Clewiston to South Bay
Clewiston South Bay 13.8 miles13.8 miles. One of the most accessible segments of the Big O provides some of the best views of Lake Okeechobee from the dike.
Florida Trail, Henry Creek to Okeechobee
Okeechobee 8.6 miles8.6 miles. Along the north shoreline of Lake Okeechobee, this paved segment of the Florida Trail is one of its prettiest, offering sweeping views of the lake.
Florida Trail, Indian Prairie to Okee-Tantie
Okeechobee Lakeport 10.4 miles10.4 miles. Along the vast marshes that buffer Buckhead Ridge, the sweep of the Florida Trail past Indian Prairie leads up to the mouth of the Kissimmee River.
Florida Trail, Lakeport to Indian Prairie
Lakeport 11.9 miles11.9 miles. In the sweep of the Herbert Hoover Dike past Lakeport, the Florida Trail overlooks the vast western marshes of Lake Okeechobee.