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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Lake Okeechobee

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.

INTERACTIVE MAP

A Year with Primrose

Us and Primrose

January 6, 2014    John Keatley

It’s been a year since we purchased Primrose, our 1982 VW Vanagon. Here’s a recap of where we’ve been and what we’ve seen.

Aloft

Chauncey Bay Okeechobee

November 18, 2012    Sandra Friend

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.

Around Okeechobee

Dike reconstruction at Rardin Park

January 8, 2020    Sandra Friend & John Keatley

Our 2020 update of the state of the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee. Thru-hikers should continue to use Okeechobee West as their route around the lake. We provide full details on why.

Big O Hike

Lake Okeechobee at Nubbin Slough

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.

Day Four: Halfback

Rosie and Gordon at Buckhead Ridge

November 20, 2007    Sandra Friend

Day four of the 2007 Big O Hike evolved into a relaxed walk from the halfway point back into the campground in Okeechobee, greeting hikers along the way.

Day Three: Hiking with Cliff

Sandhill cranes near Okeechobee

November 19, 2007    Sandra Friend

On the third day of the 2007 Big O Hike, I walk with Cliff Moody, the oldest man to ever complete the walk around Lake Okeechobee.

Day Two: On Vacation

Marshes near Chauncey Bay

November 18, 2007    Sandra Friend

Discovering that the Big O Hike can be a vacation immersed in the beauty of Lake Okeechobee, I take the time to slow down and enjoy nature at my own pace.

East or West around Lake Okeechobee?

Construction zone along Lake Okeechobee

January 8, 2020    Sandra Friend & John Keatley

Making the decision to walk the Florida Trail east or west around Lake Okeechobee used to be easy. Now, with construction zones blocking access to much of the southern half of the lake, it isn’t. Here are the facts on each route’s strengths and weaknesses to help you decide the best route for you.

Fellowship of the Key Rings

December 11, 2012    Our Readers

“You are gonna get blisters,” a veteran hiker told us, “Everyone does.” I remember hearing his words standing in the small town of Pahokee, Florida, my heart wildly beating, waiting for the hike to begin.

Florida Trail, Central Florida

The Florida Trail in Tosohatchee WMA

In Central Florida, the Florida Trail presents two options: east or west around the Orlando metro. Forested public lands provide protection for much of the route.

Florida Trail, Chandler Slough East

Florida Trail Chandler Slough East

Florida Trail, Kissimmee  |  Kissimmee PUA
( 27.328859, -81.021606 )      2.7 miles

2.7 miles. Burrow deep into the oak hammocks surrounding a beauty spot of the campsite near the Kissimmee River on this short but satisfying hike

Florida Trail, Chandler Slough West

Backpackers at Chandler Slough

Florida Trail, Kissimmee  |  Kissimmee PUA
( 27.383295,-81.041467 )      3.7 miles

3.7 miles. It looks like a mountain ridge from a distance, but Chandler Slough is a ribbon of cypress strand through the flat Okeechobee prairies. Follow its rim through beautiful oak hammocks and soggy marshes.

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