Florida Hikes
Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Established in 1908 as the first National Forest east of the Mississippi, the Ocala National Forest is a mecca for hikers as the birthplace of the Florida Trail.
10.5 miles. Hike the original miles blazed by Florida Trail Association trailblazers in 1966 along one of the most beautiful sections of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest.
11.4 miles. In the damp southwest corner of the Ocala National Forest, the Florida Trail navigates boardwalks across a swampy subtropical jungle.
11.9 miles. North of Eaton Creek, the Florida Trail showcases spectacular sand pine forests and unique species adapted to this arid environment within the Big Scrub.
9.7 miles. Follow a ribbon of tall grasses and lily-dotted ponds along Farles Prairie before trekking miles through classic sand pine scrub to the Juniper Prairie Wilderness.
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.
10.6 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.
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.
Spanning 72.3 from the birthplace of the Florida Trail into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination.
Entirely within the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, this 8.4 mile round-trip in a no-hunting-zone on the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest immerses you in the Big Scrub.
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.
