Okeechobee
Okeechobee is the heart of Florida's old frontier, surrounded by vast prairies with cattle ranches and the sweep of Lake Okeechobee, one of America's largest lakes.
Okeechobee Wind
Atop the Herbert Hoover Dike, looming nearly forty feet above Lake Okeechobee, you expect wind - headwinds and tailwinds - as you hike the Florida Trail. A shallow basin of 730 square miles, the lake plays with the weather.
Okeechobee’s Last Wild Shore
Hiking Lake Okeechobee's ancient shoreline is a surprise and a delight. The trail bobs. It weaves. It curves around naturally scoured waterways, and tunnels deeply through a tropical understory.
Ortona Mounds
Ortona 0.8 milesWhile less than a mile long, the Ortona Mounds Trail in the ranchlands of Glades County takes you back to a time more than 3,000 years ago.
Rafael Sanchez Trail
Port Mayaca 5.7 milesIn a narrow slice of forest atop the relict shoreline of Lake Okeechobee, the Rafael Sanchez Trail stays in deep shade for its 5.7 mile linear traverse of the rocky Okeechobee Ridge.
Summiting Lake Okeechobee’s High Point
Views from the top: this connector piece of the Florida Trail between the two sides of Port Mayaca across the highway bridge offers an excellent perspective on the lake.
Sweep of Blue
At Port Mayaca, the shape of Lake Okeechobee is obvious, even at dawn, the curvature extending off to the horizon line at the only place in Florida with horizon to horizon views.
The Big O, Differently
After a dozen years of attending, the Big O Hike had become a welcome routine, a time to gather with friends. This year was very different. Being in charge meant having to worry about both the big picture and the details.
Time behind the wheel
JK continues around Lake Okeechobee - a part of the trail he's done before on the Big O Hike - as part of the support crew for the FT hikers new to the region.