Have you ever heard someone mention the Florida Scenic Trail? Or the Florida Trail for short? If so, they are talking about the approximately 1,500mile trail that spans the Panhandle of Florida, takes you through the flatwoods of Apalachicola National Forest and the scrub of Ocala National Forest until you end up in the swamps of the Everglades. Some people will complete this all in one trip, while others may choose to do this over time. No matter how you complete it, if you finish the whole trek you can submit your application to the Florida Trail Association and end up on the exclusive End-to-End Hikers list.
I have had the incredible opportunity to explore parts of this trail and hope to add my name to that list one day. My time on the trail gave me lots of time to think about how thankful I am for those who have helped upkeep the miles of trail and was curious to learn more about it. So I thought I would share what I found!
National Scenic Trail
The Florida Scenic Trail is one of eleven congressionally established National Scenic Trails, which includes the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. These trails were designated to show off our country’s unique and beautiful natural resources. Florida is one of only three states that has a National Scenic Trail entirely within one state! This shows just how incredible the ecosystems in Florida truly are. Florida received the honor of making it on to the National Scenic Trail list in 1983 thanks to the help of a group of volunteers. These volunteers established the Florida Trail Association which is still at work today, helping to ensure access and longevity of these sorts of recreation opportunities within our state.
Maintaining the Florida Scenic Trail
Due to the large expense of the trail, you can imagine how difficult it is to maintain. So why bother? Well, maintaining trails not only makes it easier for users by providing marked paths and reducing an individuals chance of getting lost, but it also protects valuable habitat. By providing marked trails, you help to prevent people from stepping on endangered or endemic plants. Trails also help to prevent erosion by reducing the amount of damage to vegetation which helped hold sediment in place.
In order to help make sure that paths are cleared and well-marked, collaboration is necessary. Federal, state, and local agencies work hand-in-hand with nonprofits to ensure that communities are able to safely utilize these trails and provide the tools necessary to do so. The Florida Trail Association
(FTA) is a nonprofit at the heart of the Florida Scenic Trail. They seek to “develop, maintain, protect and promote a network of hiking trails throughout the state…”. To accomplish this they are always seeking additional volunteers to help because as they say many hands make for light work. If you are interested, get in touch with your local chapter to see how you can help- https://floridatrail.org/our-chapters/.
St. Lucie County is a part of the Tropical Trekkers Chapter and help maintain about 90miles of the Florida Trail.
Getting on the Trail
Now that we learned some of the history and the sweaty work is takes to make these trails possible, how to we get to enjoy them? Well, I’m happy to say that the options are endless! While the trail doesn’t run through St. Lucie County, a drive to Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, or Hendry County will get you there. There’s a few resources I would recommend to plan your journey:
- An interactive map created by the US Department of Agriculture.
- The Florida Trail by Region created by the Florida Trail Association.
Tips for Getting Started
Be sure you know how far you plan on exploring! With miles of trails you can easily make it a day trip or spend weeks viewing the various Florida ecosystems. Once you finalize your trip, make sure you have plenty of water, or the ability to filter it, and food. Nothing is better than a trail snack! Think about where you are ending and make any needed accommodations. Are you doing a loop or out and back trail? If not, it can be helpful to have a car at your starting trailhead and wherever you plan to get off. Don’t forget your sunscreen, bug spray, hat, sunglasses, and whatever else you may need to make the trip more enjoyable. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your local FTA chapter! They love to help people get out and explore. Plus many have their on experiences they are more than willing to share.
Important Tip: If you are backpacking, be sure you check to see if you need any permits. Not only do certain campsites require permits but a few portions of the trail require permits for access including the Seminole Reservation and Eglin Air Force Base. You can find more information here.
Have you had a chance to experience the Florida Scenic Trail or are you planning to? I’d love to hear about your time on the Florida Trail or your upcoming trips!
Happy Trails!
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