Weekly “What is it?”: The Florida Trail

The 1,300 mile Florida Trail begins at Ft. Pickens! Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extensio

Most of us are familiar with the Appalachian Trail, the popular hiking route that follows the mountains from Maine for nearly 2200 miles to north Georgia. But did you know you could set off from Fort Pickens at Pensacola Beach and follow the Florida Trail for 1,300 miles, all the way to Big Cypress in the Everglades?

Inspired by the Appalachian Trail in the 1960’s, Florida Trail Association founder James Kern started gathering support and planning a route for a Florida trail that would take a trekker through nearly the entire length of the state. By 1983, the Association’s efforts resulted in recognition as a National Scenic Trail, with the path currently winding through the property of over a hundred land management partners. Some stretches of the trail are designated for biking or horseback riding, but the vast majority are intended for foot traffic only. A through-hike of the Florida Trail can be challenging, as the weather, water, and insects can be more challenging in our climate than cooler areas, but dozens of people complete the journey every year. So far in 2022, 44 individuals have signed the end-to-end hiker roster online, complete with their “trail name” and hometown.

A brick sign echoes the architecture of Ft. Pickens along the trail at the northern end of the Florida Trail. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension

At the northern terminus of the trail adjacent to Ft. Pickens, hikers will experience a relatively flat, sandy path along the dunes. A bridge crosses a small freshwater pond, then the trail leads to shadier secondary dunes. One a recent hike there, I saw plenty of blooming fall wildflowers, a turtle, a frog, and numerous birds. The Blackwater Side Trail along Blackwater River State Park and Forest consists of a totally different ecosystem, with 48 miles of shady and hillier terrain. According to those who have hiked the whole stretch, the most challenging parts of the trail include mucky soil through Big Cypress and rocky, uneven limestone and grasses in south Florida. There are plenty of interesting sights and potential hazards, from alligators and black bears to flooded trail routes and pop-up thunderstorms. But the rewards are vast, too, like having the whole trail to yourself most of the time, with opportunities to see rare panthers and a 2,000-year-old cypress tree. If you’re up for an adventure, you can start a real one right here in our backyard.

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Posted: October 12, 2022


Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Shrubs, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife


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