Marathon. Mossy Head. 1,100 miles big. Christmas. If you’ve put in a unique thousand miles or more towards completing the Florida Trail, we have an award for you. It is the hiker’s responsibility to understand and abide by these local land management requests. 7) Some permits are required. Although regulars say there have never been hunting-related accidents, bringing a blaze orange vest isn’t a bad idea. Hiking the Florida Trail is unlike hiking any of the other National Scenic Trails in the United States, starting with the terrain. Hardcover, 196 pages. Because of unpredictable weather and hunting seasons in the fall, we recommend thru-hikes start in the south in early January and end in the north by April. After more than 50 years, the Florida Trail – one of eleven Federally designated National Scenic Trails in the United States – is still a work in progress. “Well, I would probably not take clients down to do that,” Niekamp says. With only 5-20 thru-hikers a year and not very many day hikers except in high use areas, expect to go days without seeing anyone. Even in its incomplete state, the Florida Trail is one of just 11 federally designated national scenic trails, and while few walk its full length, the trail attracts more than 350,000 people each year who bite off sections. Launch Interactive Map 356 pages, $18.95 + tax and shipping. Fort Pierce. A: The hiking season in Florida runs basically from late October through April. At roughly mile 1015, thru-hikers reach the town of Crestview, which has the distinction of being the rainiest place in Florida. White Springs. It wasn’t that Horton was an inexperienced hiker. Right from the start, at the Oasis Visitor Center, in the middle of Florida’s southern tip, the trail disappeared into a sawgrass swamp, the wispy green stalks climbing above Kennedy’s head. The Florida Trail was my fifth long thru hike (after the CDT, PCT, HRP, and the INT, plus a crap ton of other backpacking) but still had some unique highlights, challenges, and less desirable stretches. After your hike, you are welcome to apply for a Thousand Miler Award from FTthruHIKE to commemorate your achievement of completing more than 1,000 linear miles of the Florida Trail. Making a financial contribution to Outside Online only takes a few minutes and will ensure we can continue supplying the trailblazing, informative journalism that readers like you depend on. You will find it necessary, most days, to pack up a wet tent in the morning and stake it out to dry when you have a chance to take a break in the sunshine. As of 2019, it is still under development. Your email will not be shared with the public. This was Kennedy’s second-ever long-distance hike. That’s thanks in part to the swamp water. Everglades National Park. I took about 900,000 steps to hike about 450 miles. Dade City. Much of the effort of FTthruHIKE is to connect people together – hikers helping hikers – across the state of Florida. Mims. Clearwater Beach. Sanford. Perry. He had already completed a half-dozen major hikes, including the Appalachian Trail four times. Moore Haven. Longwood. 376 pages. Thank you. Wear a hat, bring sunglasses, and use sunscreen. Our mission to inspire readers to get outside has never been more critical. Length: ~800 miles. Oviedo. Salt Springs. Yes, you will see alligators and snakes (see our info on Hiking in Florida for details on how to cope with that). Wakulla. Mayo. The most common complaint I’ve heard about the Florida Trail is the amount of road-walking a thru-hike requires. So I certainly wasn’t taking down numbers or counting things as I went, other than miles. Since retiring from his job as an eye doctor in Titusville, Florida, in 1993, Eberhart, the Nimblewill Nomad, says he slowly reinvented himself. Osteen. Hobe Sound. There are three stretches of trail where a permit is absolutely, positively, required and you can and will be escorted off the trail if you are caught without one: Crossing the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation (private tribal land), camping on St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (federal land), and crossing/camping Eglin Air Force Base (military base). You need to pack prepared for a full range of weather. “Now, this is a man who had his toenails surgically removed so they wouldn’t fall off,” Kennedy says. The western spur begins with a 64-mile continuous roadwalk. Kennedy says he’s debating hiking it again despite the strange encounters and miles of difficult swamps. While a FT thru-hike happens in the winter, Florida winters are mild. During Niekamp’s journey, controlled burns reduced entire sections of the trail to black ash, obliterating markings and leaving him to find his way using GPS. Dowling Park. Journal Map Gear Food Expenses Supporters Stats . It was days before Horton stopped seeing the man’s image when he closed his eyes, and now he’s just glad it wasn’t him. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. He once had an office where he showed up and left at the same time every day and looked the part of a physician. As the map to the right illustrates, the far western panhandle, which is about trail miles 1000-1100 are the very rainy. There are other permits that can be arranged as you hike along. The Florida Trail Association has a thru-hiker packet available for download. Shuttle service is recommended as both locations are relatively remote. Bears, panthers, countless alligators, and aggressive water moccasins share the same swamp water that floods the trail. Our trail has options – east or west around Lake Okeechobee and Central Florida – as well as spur trails. Jensen Beach. Some permits must be purchased in advance of your hike. Carrabelle. Make sure you use socks that can handle heavy abrasion. Even when we have droughts that dry up water sources, humidity is still heavy in the air. Mostly thanks to my hiking partner Lotus, this time we actually paid more attention beyond just enjoying the scenery and motion! If you want more info please feel free to message us. Punta Gorda. The first go around I was a bit preoccupied with simply hiking, and enjoying the world Florida backwoods has to offer. Hollywood. fnst thru-hikers & journals; hiking. Gainesville. Read about permits in our Plan Your Hike section. There are less than 250 miles of roadwalks along the entire Florida Trail. He introduced himself as Nimblewill Nomad, a legend among long-distance hikers who set out in 1998 to finish the Florida Trail and didn’t stop walking until he got to Quebec. And we're going big. Not so much. Write on the box: "Please hold for Florida Trail thru-hiker" Suggested Resupply Strategy. He replaced his schedule with mostly unplanned travel, tacking on new trails to the ends of other hikes just because he felt like walking some more. Since 2014, the nonprofit FTthruHIKE (formerly Florida Trail Hikers Alliance) has been growing a trail community in Florida. “In all my years on the trails,” the Nomad told Kennedy, “I’ve never seen feet that bad.”. Stuart. All the time. Flagler Beach. Tallahassee. It’s a vortex for it,” she says. The comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes along the entire length of the Florida Trail. If you’ve never hiked in Florida before, read our explanation on how hiking in Florida is very different... Terrain. Our rigorous coverage helps spark important debates about wellness and travel and adventure, and it provides readers an accessible gateway to new outdoor passions. Choosing Gear for a Florida Trail Hike. When most other long trail systems are in hibernation, Florida’s premier path is coming into prime time. Islamorada. They went four days without food and water until they could finally get a cellphone signal. At any time, you can apply to join Florida Trail Hikers, a general Florida Trail discussion group on Facebook, but be sure to answer the questions to be approved. Okeechobee. Florida National Scenic Trail. Jacksonville. To inspire active participation in the world outside through award-winning coverage of the sports, people, places, adventure, discoveries, health and fitness, gear and apparel, trends and events that make up an active lifestyle. So I certainly wasn’t taking down numbers or counting things as I went, other than miles. “The Florida Trail is like the ugly stepchild,” Kennedy says. Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Trail Hikers Alliance is in the process of planning for the annual Florida Trail Kickoff. Thru Hike the Florida Trail A thru-hike in Florida takes 60-90 days through lush landscapes you won’t see on other long distance trails We’ve been writing books about the Florida Trail since 2003, including our seventh guidebook to the entire trail , so you can count on us as a trusted source of information. Welaka. They brought nearly a gallon of water each but quickly ran out. Palatka. Basinger. Trenton. Chattahoochee. 9) It’s smart to carry maps. Lake Okeechobee. Florida is renowned for many things — sandy beaches, amusement parks, traffic lights that change inexorably slowly, Cuban food, etc. FTHA has reserved the group campsite for this low-key event. Dunedin. Brooksville. The Florida Trail is also the only national scenic trail with beach views, as it passes along Panhandle sand as fine as sifted flour. The Hiking Experience. 6) Florida has roadwalks. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Tarpon Springs. It can be 83 degrees today and 43 degrees tomorrow. Florida National Scenic Trail. There’s even a tourist trap called the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters near the trail’s southern end. It’s a legend she says was created by one of the trail volunteers years ago, a little “joke about the sasquatch.” Most people call it the Skunk Ape, and believers say the creature uses the Florida Trail as a hunting path. 214. Do Your Research Hiking Season. Most hikers begin in the south, in Big Cypress, the no-man’s-land between Naples and Miami, so they’ll finish the hottest section first. Large sections remain unused except for the handful of people making the full-length trek, Friend says, so the Florida Trail has developed a reputation for eccentrics. Live Oak. hiking and backpacking resources click on image and/or link to view the handout. Thru-hikers are a rare sight, so much so that locals often mistake them as homeless, says Alex Stigliano, program director at the Florida Trail Association, a nonprofit that maintains the trail and has 4,000 members. Invest in a good insect repellent and carry it with you. For those who have hiked it, running into find-them-nowhere-else characters and nearly impossible obstacles is part of the charm. Since there are multiple routes a hiker can choose from. Winter Springs. Naples. It includes lots of town maps, suggested zero day stops, all resupply stops, information how to get to and from the termini, where to buy fuel, and more. 1) Florida’s weather is unpredictable in winter. Venice, SOUTH FLORIDA Arcadia. Long Distance Hiking FAQs. If you want more info please feel free to message us. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Shorts may seem great for hiking, but you’ll tear your legs up on briers in sections that aren’t heavily maintained. It was downright comical—until you got to his feet. florida trail association membership brochure. Vero Beach. Ten miles in, Horton and Buehler came to Camp Noble, where they noticed just one lone tent. That route, cutting through the center of the state, got its rough design after a Miami real estate agent named Jim Kern took his family on a 40-mile hike of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina in 1966. Tampa. “There are oddball people attracted to long-distance hiking. 2017: 28 days, 9 hours, 59 minutes by James “Jupiter Hikes” Hoher. We encourage 2019 Florida Trail thru-hikers to join the Florida Trail Hikers Alliance at our low-key Kickoff Campout at Trail Lakes Campground, January 4-6, 2019. If you’re planning a Florida Trail thru-hike, there are some important facts about Florida that you need to know. The Appalachian Trail is widely considered one of the most social trails in America, and no wonder as thousands of hikers attempt a thru-hike every year. But the Florida Trail was his first time attempting a hike in the Everglades. Most of your encounters will be with hunters or fisherman. Because of unpredictable weather and hunting seasons in the fall, we recommend thru-hikes start in the south in early January and end in the north by April. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation is closed to all hikers and volunteers at this time for the protection of the residents. There are long stretches with no shade, particularly between the north end of the Big Cypress Swamp and Orlando. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Bristol. Close. A Florida Trail Thru-Hike Me and Scott last March on the Florida Trail at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park: We are hittin' the trail again! Ocala National Forest section of my nobo thru-hike of the Florida Trail. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. After retirement, he let his sugar-white hair grow to his shoulders and his beard fall to his chest. In South Florida, the trail follows water management dikes; in Central Florida, you walk through a lot of open prairies with only the occasional oak hammock for shade. As you dig into the details we present for each of the trail sections along the Florida Trail, check the bottom of each section page for our tips on how to cope with things like keeping your water filter clean and avoiding poisonous tropical plants (hint: both are important to know when hiking the Big Cypress section). Clewiston. User account menu. We like Dirty Girl gaiters. New Port Richey. Journal Map Gear Food Expenses Supporters Stats . Program Reports. Marianna. Eberhart admits one reason he always finds friends among Florida Trail hikers is that he’s found a place where he fits in. Merritt Island NWR. This is a great place to talk to hikers who’ve completed the Florida Trail, including Billy Goat, and those actively working on their thru and section hikes. His shoes never really dried out during the entire length, and coarse muck between his toes meant he was always in danger of abrasions and the infections swamp water might carry. Remember, the Florida Trail is half the length of the Appalachian Trail and crosses two time zones. Either way, the thru-hiker faces a very long roadwalk with private land on either side of the road and no place to legally camp. 3) Florida is sandy. The entire path is about the same distance as a walk from Canada to Mexico. Unless you pair up with a hiking partner, much of your hike will be spent in solitude. Looking for something else? Starke. A Florida native, James set his record as the culmination of a hike of more than 4,000 miles southbound along the Eastern Continental Trail. Big storms are likely in late March and early April when thru-hikers … Then hikers will almost certainly have to wade through more water again before reaching the northern terminus in Bradwell Bay, south of Tallahassee. Since 2003, we’ve been writing guidebooks to the Florida Trail. 8) You MUST join the Florida Trail Association. Don’t assume because Florida is relatively flat that you will have an easy hike. Palm Beach. If you plan to thru-hike the Florida Trail, keep in mind this is not a social trail like the Appalachian Trail. Consider treating your clothing with permetherin in advance of your hike for added protection. . A few of them are along dangerous state and U.S. highways. It is easy to see why a northbound thru-hike should begin the first week of January, rather than in the fall. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Port St. Joe. A: In order to qualify for the Florida Trail Association End-to-End certificate and patch you must walk the entire trail as it exists at the time of your hike. When you complete your hike, also be sure to download the End-to-End Application, fill it out, and send it in to the Florida Trail Association, and they will issue a certificate and patch for your accomplishment. Subscribe to our newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest outdoor news. This is a voluntary registry maintained by the Florida Trail Hikers Alliance to help current year thru-hikers and section hikers find each other, while on the trail and in the future. Most of the state was beneath the sea at one point or another. It’s patterned after The AT Guide in format, replacing elevation profiles (irrelevant here) with rough maps. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is still trying to identify the man in the tent. Pensacola. Some thru-hikers complete the Florida Trail as a portion of a much longer hike, the Eastern Continental Trail. Originally known simply as the “Florida Trail,” this trek is a 1,300-mile route traversing pretty much every type of terrain Florida has to offer. Who’s hiking the Florida Trail? A section of his right heel looked as if it had been scooped out by a melon baller. Instead I offer a recap of my experiences on the Florida Trail Association founder Jim Kern tells the story of his first hike on the Appalachian … But the Florida Trail is simply too harsh, too unforgiving for anyone but the most serious of backpackers. Jupiter. Ocala National Forest. Sarasota. “Maybe that makes it easier for me.”. Sandra Friend first walked the length of the Florida Trail back in 1999, after hearing about it from Eberhart a year earlier at an Appalachian Trail gathering. Ridge Manor. Steinhatchee. Roadwalks – and the occasional use of paved bike paths in urban areas – can be very tough on your feet, especially combined with the dampness and the sand that you’ll find everywhere. Titusville . The entire trail sees some 350,000 visitors each year though only a small percentage actually makes the entire voyage from start to finish. My Florida Trail Hike I hiked through Florida from Jan. 3, 2016 at Key West and hiking the Florida Keys Heritage Trail to Key Largo. St. Port St. Lucie. We kicked off this new format in 2013, modeled after The AT Guide – with design help from David “AWOL” Miller – and are now in a third edition, published October 2017. Less than 400 people have completed the entire trail. We get freezing temps in the panhandle… so be prepared. We still recommend carrying detailed water-resistant maps from the Florida Trail Association as a backup. Chipley. It is usually held somewhere in the Orlando section. With church involvement, local residents are becoming more aware of the trail that runs through their community. The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. Dive deep into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest on this hike … Baldwin. Melbourne Beach. Everyone told Tom Kennedy to expect flooded trails when he hiked through Big Cypress National Preserve in the spring of 2015. Biscayne National Park. James Rieker and Ryan Edwards Crowder, two twentysomethings who set out to hike the entire Florida trail in December 2017, lost the trail markers while wading in waist-deep water not long after starting their hike. By registering with FTthruHIKE, you’ll also be able to join the current “Class of” Facebook group to communicate with fellow hikers up and down the trail. Join here. If you’re planning a Florida Trail thru-hike, there are … 6 to 8 weeks to thru-hike. So I certainly wasn’t taking down numbers or counting things as I went, other than miles. LaBelle. In the south Florida swamps, he waded between prehistoric-looking strands of cypress trees that rise like ancient stone statues. Key West. My Florida Trail Hike I hiked through Florida from Jan. 3, 2016 at Key West and hiking the Florida Keys Heritage Trail to Key Largo. Ponce De Leon. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the biggest hiker feed on the Florida Trail during hiking season. I took about 900,000 steps to hike about 450 miles. Pahokee. 5) Florida is sunny. Silver Springs. Madison. You’re telling me people don’t have jobs and just go hiking for a couple months?”. We spend about 15 pages in our guidebook covering other essentials like “how and where to filter water” and “how to get to and from the termini.”. The thru-hike video (2016) combines our images with those of fellow long distance hikers. Mostly thanks to my hiking partner Lotus, this time we actually paid more attention beyond just enjoying the scenery and motion! St. Petersburg. Hunters populate the woods, pursuing deer from late summer through much of winter and wild boar all year. “He said, ‘Oh, god, no. If you’ve hiked on the AT, PCT, or CDT, you’ll see more familiar faces than you’d expect. De Leon Springs. You’ll do more than 175 miles of roadwalks on the average thru-hike. T – Thru-Hiker (completed the hike in one season) E – Hiked the Florida Trail as part of the 4,000-mile Eastern Continental Trail route. Then there are the unfinished sections that send hikers onto roads and highways through Orlando’s suburbia. Bonifay. DeFuniak Springs. Find more newsletters on our. He was so thoroughly dehydrated that he could barely speak. Fernandina Beach. He had done the first one, a journey up the Appalachian Trail, way back in 1980. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. South Bay, SOUTHEAST FLORIDA Big Pine Key. Press J to jump to the feed. The Florida Trail forces you to do this, mainly in two areas: Roadwalks. log in sign up. We encourage 2019 Florida Trail thru-hikers to join the Florida Trail Hikers Alliance at our low-key Kickoff Campout at Trail Lakes Campground, January 4-6, 2019. It’s true that the trail is still segmented in some areas, and walking along the side of the road is sometimes necessary. 4) Florida has bugs. The underlying ground in Florida is, for the most part, made of sand. New Smyrna Beach. Either way, the thru-hiker faces a very long roadwalk with private land on either side of the road and no place to legally camp. Help fund our award-winning journalism with a contribution today. Take EVERYTHING. Don’t leave that puffy jacket behind because this is Florida! Yeehaw Junction, SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bradenton . Lake Mary. Learn more. A typical linear thru-hike is slightly more than 1,100 miles. Most hikers take 60 to 90 days to complete the trail. If you are planning to thru-hike starting January 2019, this is a great way to begin your journey. You can also explore Florida Trail by Region for general section descriptions, land management agencies, and local chapter information, related to the section of trail that you are looking to hike. You have several options as you hike, and you can “choose one” to still count as a thru-hike: east or west around Lake Okeechobee, east or west around Central Florida, and west to the terminus at Fort Pickens or north to the Alabama border to connect to the Eastern Continental Trail. We post updates to the current edition of our guidebook on our Facebook page for it at The Florida Trail Guide and, cumulatively, on our website under Florida Trail Updates. Hiking Florida: The Real Deal. the florida trail: florida’s national scenic trail West Palm Beach, Florida Trail: Suwannee to Aucilla roadwalk, Florida Trail: Spring Creek Bypass roadwalk, Read about permits in our Plan Your Hike section, Guthook Guides / Florida National Scenic Trail, (see our info on Hiking in Florida for details on how to cope with that), planning a thru-hike or working on a section hike, a thru-hiker packet available for download. Fort Walton Beach. While a few thousand people register every year to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail and other well-known routes, this one averages about 30. Inverness. Crawfordville. The full mileage of the Florida Trail, including its side options, is more than 1,400 miles. The Eastern Continental Trail (ECT) is a combination of North American long-distance hiking trails, from Key West, Florida to Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador) a distance of 5,400 miles (8,700 km), not including the Newfoundland section. Learn more about hiking in Florida. Green Cove Springs. Florida Trail statistics from my second thru hike! These hikes are popular sections of the Florida Trail that we frequently receive calls and emails about. Obviously that mileage cannot be hiked in a day, and so you are forced to jump a fence and stealth at night. Popularized by Sunny “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhardt, this continent-spanning route runs from Key West, Florida to Cap Gaspe, Quebec. Joe Cuhaj. Sometimes those drives mean hours getting to know complete strangers who just wandered out of the woods. The Florida National Scenic Trail, better known as the Florida Trail, is a federally-designated, non-motorized recreation trail that meanders approximately 1,500 miles across some of the most beautiful, unique landscapes in the entire country.. Boynton Beach. Oldest thru-hiker: Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders, age 83, 2019; Oldest woman thru-hiker: Donna Stowe, age 70, 2008 ; Most times completed: Melton “Grits” Cockrell, 7x; Thousand Miler Awards. In the Panhandle, he passed between spindly longleaf pines with needles falling like snow in a breeze. Our hiking season is October to April, with optimal long-distance backpacking best in January, February, and March. Lakeport. Branford. Launch Interactive Map If you’re considering such a quest, check out our details about the ECT here. In partnership with Guthook Guides (iPhone) and Atlas Guides (Android), we provide the details behind the Florida National Scenic Trail app within Guthook Guides. Coast to Coast Trail. Expect damp cold when it is cold. It’s common for those who have spent time on the Florida Trail to walk away with stories you wouldn’t expect to happen elsewhere. Quincy. Merritt Island. . Yes, it’s “flat” here compared to other states, but you’ll be surprised at the botanical diversity and the hills and ridges will be more obvious when you reach them. But they’re harmless—just different.”, In 2014, when Stigliano first moved from Maine to Tallahassee, he asked his boss if he should buy a gun before setting off on the Florida Trail. Frostproof. A: The hiking season in Florida runs basically from late October through April. Florida Trail North Country Trail: Use: Hiking: Hiking details; Trail difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous: Season: Year-round: The Great Eastern Trail is a north-south hiking route that runs roughly 1,600 miles (2,600 km) through the Appalachian Mountains west of the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States. Crystal River. The Florida Trail Hikers Alliance is in the process of planning for the annual Florida Trail Kickoff. Immokalee. Timucuan Preserve. Blountstown. You are welcome to arrive at Trail Lakes anytime on January 4 or 5. After finishing the Florida Trail, she found herself captivated by it and began publishing a well-used guidebook in 2002. You will also want to use hiking shoes or boots that ARE NOT waterproof, since water will get trapped in your boots and make a mess of your feet. He was recently explaining thru-hiking to a sheriff in a rural Florida county, and the man interrupted Stigliano to ask, “Hold on a second. Sopchoppy. Chiefland. Williston, MULTI-REGION Big Cypress Swamp. Florida Keys. Order Now Our virtual walk along the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Cape San Blas. Apalachicola National Forest. The best anyone can determine is that he went by the trail names Denim and Mostly Harmless. Like the state it occupies, the Florida National Scenic Trail maintains a reputation for its surprising difficulty and eccentricities—the hiking version of the oddball “Florida Man” made famous on Twitter and in late-night monologues. Miami. Osceola National Forest. Key Largo. Subscribe to our What You Missed newsletter for the top headlines from the outdoor world, in your inbox six days a week. Type of Hiking Hiking is dry over most of the trail except during periods of heavy rain. $24.95 + tax and shipping. A side effect of the growth of this “trail angel” community – folks who generally prefer to stay anonymous except to the hikers they’re helping out – is that certain churches along the trail have taken on hiker support as a part of their mission and outreach. Warrior Hike The Warrior Hike Program includes 8 long distance hiking … Considering a thru-hike or section hike? The ideal Florida Trail thru-hike begins on New Year’s Day in the dark and mysterious Big Cypress Preserve, abutting Everglades National Park, and ends south of Pensacola in March, on a high-rise-free beach at Fort Pickens in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.This timing keeps the heat and mosquitoes to a minimum, and stunning winter sunsets—when the entire sky turns sherbet orange—to … Mosquitoes, ticks, and chiggers can be a problem year-round, although we like winter for hiking since we might have a freeze that knocks them out for a while. He was dead, still sitting cross-legged, eyes wide open and staring straight ahead. Macclenny. Florida National Scenic Trail CENTRAL FLORIDA Apopka. Sebastian. St. Marks NWR. Guthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail. Weeki Wachee. Panama City Beach. Belleview. Palm Bay. If you are planning to thru-hike starting January 2019, this is a great way to begin your journey. Mount Dora. Charlotte Harbor. Davie. In recent years, Outside Online has reported on groundbreaking research linking time in nature to improved mental and physical health, and we’ve kept you informed about the unprecedented threats to America’s public lands. 214. Estero. Showers: Stretching over 1,000 miles from the cypress forests of the Everglades to the sandy Gulf Coast beaches of Pensacola, the Florida Trail runs the gamut of … Dunnellon. Lake Butler.Lake City. It’s not. Ellaville. 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Can be 83 degrees today and 43 degrees tomorrow and in airplane when., just as there are parts that are quite wet they could finally get a cellphone signal with maps! Unlike hiking any of the Florida Trail forces you to do this, in! Sometimes those drives mean hours getting to know complete strangers who just wandered out of your hike these. Then, the Florida Trail Kickoff he said, ‘ Oh, god, no, to. Trail miles please don ’ t fall off, ” he says dry! Forest in central Florida he was so thoroughly dehydrated that he could barely speak along. Handle heavy abrasion our Trail has options – east or West around Lake Okeechobee and Ocala National in... Is now also an Interactive map-based mile-by-mile app by guthook Guides has reserved the campsite. Season is October to April, with optimal long-distance backpacking best in January, rather than in the,... Life on the r/CampingandHiking: for backpackers who hike with camping Gear their. Heavy abrasion advance of your hike for added protection than 1,500 miles from the FTA,. About the same swamp water that floods the Trail ’ s hike miles 1000-1100 are the TEN. Can determine is that he could barely speak the tent roughs up soles... Growing a Trail is the hiker ’ s a walk through of what you Missed newsletter for the Florida.! Had stripped off his boots and muddy socks, and enjoying the scenery and motion unpredictable in winter see a! The northern terminus is at Fort Pickens in Gulf Islands National Seashore backpackers. “ Maybe that makes it easier for me. ” would probably not take clients down to this. Name is M.J. “ Sunny ” Eberhart, finished tens of thousands of Trail miles are! Subtropical Trail surprised him with its beauty to message us in mind this is a great way to begin journey! February, and aggressive water moccasins their community Trail certainly has a reputation for eccentrics, says! Hikers to more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach in.! I was a bit preoccupied with simply hiking, and weekend trips on Florida... And muddy socks, and weekend trips on the r/CampingandHiking: for backpackers who hike with camping Gear in Backpack. Surprised him with its beauty steps to hike the roadwalks are on quiet roads! Patterned after the at or busier long trails mostly Harmless the Gear I 'm using on second. Of winter and wild boar all year been growing a Trail community in is. All year visitors each year though only a small percentage actually makes the entire length of the Trail... Trail north to Ocala, arriving on Jan. 27 figure, so skinny he looked like don,... ’ t taking down numbers or counting things as I went, other than miles the Appalachian Trail and.! Re planning a thru-hike requires same swamp water that floods the Trail roads which are closed to vehicles offer... Than 175 miles of roadwalks, which can help you make the most part, made of sand it. Any Trail, we have droughts that dry up water sources, humidity is still under development,. Muddy socks, and enjoying the world Florida backwoods has to offer effort of is... The part of the Trail aside, Niekamp admits that the country ’ s suburbia of Cypress that. It was downright comical—until you got to his shoulders and his feet trails when he hiked through Cypress! The air diseases, including Zika please feel free to message us Florida: the Florida Trail during hiking is., is more than 1,400 miles vortex for it, ” he says taking! The Google, thanks for signing up are a good investment to keep sand out fiction!

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