How To Hike Florida’s 1,000-Mile-Long Trail?
The Florida Trail, completed in 1996, is 1,000 miles long and connects all 67 counties in Florida. The Florida Trail Association, Inc. aims to keep the trail more accessible, and improvements to the trail are underway. Volunteers are needed to maintain the trail and fund new trail segments, so if you are interested in getting involved, visit their website today. Hiking the Florida Trail is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, stay active, and meet new people.
The Florida Trail is the longest continuous multi-use trail in the United States, stretching 800 miles from the southern terminus at Kings Bay, Georgia, to the northern terminus at St. John’s River, Florida. The trail passes through nine Florida counties, spanning more than 100,000 acres of wild, remote land. The Florida Trail Conservancy (FTC), a nonprofit group, is responsible for managing and promoting the Trail. While the FTC maintains the trail, it is not a national park, a visitor’s center, or staffed.
The Florida Trail – Florida’s Mightiest Trail
The Florida Trail is suitable for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, and the types of terrain include sand, dirt roads, and swampy areas. The trail is split into 11 sections, each approximately 47 miles long. The trail passes through national parks, state parks, and other state forests.
America’s Stunning Winter Season Long-Distance Hike
Florida Trail (FT) stretches 2,200 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. It extends 4,000 miles from Georgia to Florida, with a total distance of over 1,200 miles. The trail traverses 14 counties and 16 Florida State Parks. The trail offers a diversity of terrain, from dense maritime hammocks in Key West to majestic pine Flatwoods in the Florida panhandle and sand ridges and pine Flatwoods in the Citrus region. It is maintained by Florida State Parks and volunteers.
Route Options for The Florida Trail
If you’re planning to hike the Florida Trail this summer, be sure to take some time to research your route options. The trails are long, and there are few safe access points along the way, so you’ll need to plan for a shuttle or a place to camp. The Florida Trail Association’s website has a number of resources to help you find your section of the trail, plan your hike, and get a sense of what to expect along the route. And if you have a GPS tracker, you can track your trek in real time with the mobile app.
Long Hikes to Consider Before the Appalachian Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail is the longest continuous trail in the world. It’s also home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world. The PCT stretches from Mexico to Canada and passes through 15 states, including California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as six Canadian provinces.
Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide Trail, or CDT, is a long-distance hiking trail in the United States. Spanning over 1,200 miles from Canada to Mexico, the CDT is considered to be one of the most difficult hikes in the U.S. to complete. Starting at the Canadian border, the CDT passes through six states in the U.S., and hikers make their way through two national parks. It ends at the southern border, where hikers must re-cross the Rio Grande in order to head north again.
Pacific Northwest Trail
The Northwest Trail covers 800 miles and stretches from southern Alaska to northern Washington. With the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Appalachian Trail also calling this region home, you’ll find yourself amid some truly stunning scenery and fantastic wildlife. The trail is broken down into shorter segments, with 9, 12, 15, 30, and 48-mile options so that you can tackle the trail in any order. And, of course, you don’t always need to be physically hiking to find great hiking. If you don’t live in the Pacific Northwest but find yourself here and want to check it out, hotels along the trail typically offer shuttles to and from the trail.
Florida’s Trail of the Emerald Coast is a 1,000-mile-long hike along the top 30 percent of Florida’s panhandle’s coastal wilderness. The trail centers on the 27-mile-long Wilderness Coast section, where hikers can paddle, camp, and explore untouched beaches.
