Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Hundreds of miles of trails and dozens of campgrounds and recreation areas make the Ocala, Apalachicola, and Osceola National Forests compelling outdoor destinations.
6.7 miles. Experience a sense of perspective on a piece of the Florida Trail traversing rolling hills topped with a majestic forest of longleaf pines
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.
72.3 miles. The birthplace of the Florida Trail and home of the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination
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.
One of the most scenic segments of the Florida Trail, the hike from Pat’s Island to Hidden Pond immerses you in the Big Scrub en route to an oasis in Florida’s desert.
4.6 miles. A deep immersion in pine flatwoods and titi swamps awaits along this segment of the Florida Trail, which uses many old forest roads to cross tributaries draining into the Ochlockonee River.
6.5 miles. Providing views across the Cross Florida Barge Canal from a high levee, the Florida Trail between Rodman and Buckman Lock mainly follows the Cross Florida Greenway
10.4 miles. Crossing a patchwork of scrub ridges and longleaf pine islands, the Florida Trail makes its way southwest of Salt Springs around Lake Kerr to The 88 Store
8.9 miles. Slipping through pine flatwoods and sandhills to the east of Sopchoppy, the Florida Trail plays tag with a network of forest roads that criss-crosses the southern portion of the Apalachicola National Forest.
4.1 miles. Following the gentle curves of the Sopchoppy River in the Apalachicola National Forest, this section of the Florida Trail is one of the most scenic hikes on the trail.
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.
10.3 miles. Broadening your perspective on Florida’s largest national forest, the Florida Trail east of Camel Lake offers an ever-shifting focus from macro to landscape, showcasing one of the most habitat-diverse parts of the Apalachicola National Forest.
