Florida Hikes
Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Articles about and trail segments of our 1,400-mile National Scenic Trail in Florida.
Use the slider to discover trail segments by mileage.
Southbound from Little Lake Johnson at Gold Head Branch State Park across Smith Lake Preserve, this 3.3 mile linear hike traverses upland forests along a trio of scenic lakes.
Weaving across rolling sandhills and along the tannic waters of the Withlacoochee River, the River Road to Richloam Loop section is an exceptionally scenic destination along the western corridor of the Florida Trail.
8.6 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.
Crossing scenic karst landscapes alongside sinkholes and around its namesake spring, the Holton Creek section of the Florida Trail provides botanical and geologic immersion.
9.6 miles. Sweeping along the shoreline of one of the largest prairies in the Ocala National Forest, this section of the Florida Trail lingers on prairie panoramas.
10.4 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.
16.6 miles. On the very first trail built in Blackwater River State Forest, the Florida Trail rises up from the red clay bluffs of Juniper Creek to enter extensive longleaf pine forests.
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.
7.3 miles. Also known as the Juniper Creek Trail, the Florida Trail at Juniper Creek is a gorgeous place to explore, with its panorama at Red Rocks and botanical delights along and above the creek basin.
10.6 miles. Marvel at a mosaic of ancient scrub forest, vast prairies, and pine islands while crossing the Juniper Prairie Wilderness north of Juniper Springs.
6.4 miles. Across a mosaic of sandhills and scrub, expect black bear and scrub-jay sightings on this Florida Trail segment north of Salt Springs.
3.4 miles. Take in a panorama of marshes busy with birds in the Kissimmee River floodplain at River Ranch along the northernmost reaches of the Kissimmee River
