South Florida Galleries

Big Cypress : The Florida Trail begins (or ends) at the boundary between Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve on Loop Road. This is the most rugged portion of the trail, where wading is not an option - it's a must. The payoff is hiking through a tropical wilderness of bromeliad-and-orchid laden cypress sloughs and strands punctuated by pine rocklands islands and vast sawgrass prairies underlain with marl. This section of trail is nearly 45 miles long. North of I-75, the trail follows old forest roads to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation

Big Cypress

The Florida Trail begins (or ends) at the boundary between Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve on Loop Road. This is the most rugged portion of the trail, where wading is not an option - it's a must. The payoff is hiking through a tropical wilderness of bromeliad-and-orchid laden cypress sloughs and strands punctuat ...

Updated: May 11, 2007 3:55pm PST

Seminole : The Seminole section of the Florida Trail starts at the southern boundary of the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation and extends north to Lake Okeechobee along a series of canals used to drain what was once the unbroken sawgrass of the Everglades for agricultural use. Hikers will see active ranching and sugar cane harvesting as they are hiking, and encounters with caracara and other raptors are likely. A segment of the trail passes through Rotenberger WMA, where there is a rookery of yellow-crowned night herons.

Seminole

The Seminole section of the Florida Trail starts at the southern boundary of the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation and extends north to Lake Okeechobee along a series of canals used to drain what was once the unbroken sawgrass of the Everglades for agricultural use. Hikers will see active ranching and sugar cane harvesting as they are hiki ...

Updated: May 11, 2007 4:00pm PST

Okeechobee : Scenes from the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee. The Florida Trail encircles this massive lake on a 110-mile route, connecting to the thru-trail at John Stretch Park near Lake Harbor and Okee-tantie, southwest of Okeechobee along the Kissimmee River. The Okeechobee section of the Florida Trail is home to the Big O Hike, a series of nine day hikes with group camping, held annually during Thanksgiving week. Although this section of trail has little to no shade, it offers the best panoramic views, sunrises, and sunsets you'll find along the Florida Trail, as well as designating camping areas and easy access to small towns around the lake. It's a popular destination for hiking during Christmas vacation.

Okeechobee

Scenes from the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee. The Florida Trail encircles this massive lake on a 110-mile route, connecting to the thru-trail at John Stretch Park near Lake Harbor and Okee-tantie, southwest of Okeechobee along the Kissimmee River. The Okeechobee section of the Florida Trail is home to the Big O Hike, a series of n ...

Updated: May 17, 2009 8:56pm PST

Ocean to Lake :

Ocean to Lake

Updated: May 05, 2008 12:55pm PST

Loop & Side Trails :

Loop & Side Trails

Updated: Jun 10, 2008 2:58pm PST

This program receives ongoing financial support from the USDA Forest Service
This program was established with financial assistance from VISIT FLORIDA