Florida Hiking Trails
Florida Hiking Trails
1. Eglin Air Force Base (AFB)
Preserved as Choctawhatchee National Forest in 1908, the rolling hills
of Eglin AFB provide one of the most beautiful venues for backpacking
in Florida. The Florida Trail meanders between Crestview and
DeFuniak Springs through dense forests where old-growth oaks and
pines stand sentinel above rushing creeks, and pitcher plants grow on
steep slopes. Primitive campsites with benches, fire rings, and nearby
water sources are spaced 8-12 miles apart. Use the trailheads off SR
85, SR 287, and US 331 to enjoy round-trip day hikes. To hike the
trail, an annual Eglin Recreational Permit is required. Contact the Eglin
Natural Resources Branch for a permit.
Length: 49 miles total

Eglin Natural Resources Branch
(850) 882-4164, 7:00-4:30 M-TH, 7:00-6:00 FR, 7:30-12:30 Sat.;
All times CST
www.floridatrail.org
2. Pine Log State Forest
Inside Pine Log State Forest,
established north of Panama City
in 1936 as Florida’s first state forest,
hikers enjoy several options to explore
rolling sandhills topped with longleaf
pine and wiregrass, pine plantations,
and hardwood forests along burbling
creeks. A hiking-only segment of the
Florida Trail crosses the entire length
of the forest, converging with the
Campground Loop and the Dutch
& Faye Trail, at the trailhead kiosk at
beautiful Sand Pond, located off SR 79.
Length: 6 miles (Florida Trail); 2 miles (Campground Loop);
5 miles (Dutch & Faye)



Pine Log State Forest
(850) 872-4175, 7:00-4:00 CST M-F
www.fl-dof.com
www.floridatrail.org
Sand Pond
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3. Florida Caverns State Park
Nowhere else in Florida does a hiking trail go straight through a
cave—the long skinny Tunnel Cave on the Floodplain Trail at
Florida Caverns State Park, north of Marianna. Best known as the
location of the only public cave tour in Florida, the park’s hiking-
only Cavern Trail System circles a paved walking route around the
caverns along rugged, rocky bluffs with steep cliffs and small caves
above the floodplain of the Chipola River. Seven named trails make
up the system, with signposts at intersections. Visit in spring to see
trillium and columbine in bloom amid the limestone outcroppings.
The outer loop has numerous possible routes as well.
Length: 2 miles total

Florida Caverns State Park
(850) 482-9598, 8:00-Sunset CST, 7 days a week
www.floridastateparks.org
4. Tate’s Hell State Forest
Where the Gulf breezes whisper
through the tall pines along the
shoreline between Carrabelle and
Apalachicola, Tate’s Hell State Forest
provides an introduction to the
coastal pine forests that front the
Gulf of Mexico. High Bluffs Coastal
Nature Trail loops through dunes
covered with scrub plants like Florida
rosemary and scrub mint under a
canopy of sand pines, and passes
within sight of cypress domes. Access
the trailhead from US 98 just west of
Carrabelle Beach.
Length: 1.6 miles
Tate’s Hell State Forest
(850) 697-3734, 8:00-5:00 M-F, 8:00-4:30 Weekends
www.fl-dof.com
New River in Tate’s Hell State Forest
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Florida Hiking Trails
5. Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines
Preserve, and Torreya State Park
Imagine scaling steep hills beneath
a lush blanket of hardwood
forest. You’d think you’re in the
Appalachians—but no, it’s the
bluffs and ravines along the scenic
Apalachicola River in the heart of
Florida’s Panhandle. Two parks
north of Bristol off CR 12 showcase
this unique combination of geology
and botany along their hiking trails.
At Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines
Preserve, the Garden of Eden
Trail is by far the most rugged day
hike in Florida. Adjacent Torreya State Park offers the Weeping
Ridge Trail, a round trip to a 25-foot waterfall, and the extensive
Torreya Hiking Trail, with two loops through challenging terrain.
Length: 3.3 miles (Garden of Eden); 1 mile (Weeping Ridge);
14.5 miles (Torreya)
The Nature Conservancy
(Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve)
(850) 643-2756, 9:00-5:00 M-F
www.nature.org
Torreya State Park
(850) 643-2674, 8:00-Sunset, 7 days a week
www.floridastateparks.org
www.floridatrail.org
Apalachicola bluffs
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Photo Credit: Anderson PhotoGraphics
6. Lake Talquin State Forest
The paved Living Forest Trail within the Terry L. Rhodes Trail
System, just west of Tallahassee, provides the gateway into this
extensive hardwood forest in Lake Talquin State Forest along
the north shore of Lake Talquin, a large reservoir created by the
damming of the Ochlocknee River. Follow the Ravine Trail to
enjoy a rugged walk along a ravine created by a creek draining into
the lake, or hike the Bear Creek Trail* into the drier upland pine
flatwoods and sandhills.
Length: .7 mile (Living Forest); 2.5 miles (Ravine);
3 miles (Bear Creek)

*Tour Guide Available (see Tour Guides)
Lake Talquin State Forest
(850) 488-1871, 7:00-7:00, 7 days a week
www.fl-dof.com
7. Leon Sinks Geological Area
To learn how water flows through the cracks and crevices of
Florida’s limestone, visit the loop trails of Leon Sinks Geological
Area, south of Tallahassee along US 319. Along the Sinkhole Trail,
you’ll walk the rolling wiregrass-covered sandhills of the Apalachicola
National Forest past side trails to scenic views over deep sinkholes;
the trail crosses a vanishing stream and a natural bridge between a
sink and a rise in Fisher Creek. The Gum Swamp Trail offers a look
at a swamp forest surrounding depressions in the limestone; the
leaves are especially colorful in late fall.
Length: 3.1 miles (Sinkhole); 1.7 miles (Gum Swamp)

Apalachicola National Forest, Wakulla Ranger District
(850) 926-3561, 8:00-4:30 M-TH, 8:00-4:00 FR
www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida
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Florida Hiking Trails
8. Suwannee River State Park
Suwannee River State Park, west of
Live Oak off US 90, has a hiking trail for
everyone. The Earthworks Trail leads
through defensive earthworks built
during the Civil War, and the Sandhills
Trail passes through the cemetery
of the ghost town of Columbus. The
Suwannee River Trail System has
several options to enjoy scenic views
along the river and its cypress-lined
tributary. Backpackers can head out on
the Big Oak Trail, which passes a side
trail to the historic ruins of a former
governor’s plantation before it connects
with the Florida Trail to lead you to a deeply forested peninsula.
The Park is a gateway to outdoor recreation on the Suwannee River
Wilderness Trail (SRWT). For more information on SRWT,
visit www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness or call (800) 868-9914.
Length: .5 mile (Earthworks); 1.2 miles (Sandhills); 1.7 miles
(Suwannee River); 12.5 miles (Big Oak); 6.3 miles (Florida Trail)


Suwannee River State Park
(386) 362-2746, 8:00-Sunset, 7 days a week
www.floridastateparks.org
www.floridatrail.org
9. Osceola National Forest
From a trailhead along US 90 east of Lake City at the site of
Florida’s largest Civil War battle, the Battle of Olustee, the Florida
Trail heads north where endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers
nest in colonies. At the Florida Trail trailhead, the Nice Wander
Trail forms two loops, ideal for children and accessible with
assistance. Backpackers continue through the pines, cypress
swamps, and oak hammocks on their two-day journey, passing a
side trail to Ocean Pond Campground, which makes a great base
camp to explore the Florida Trail on day hikes.
Length: 20.7 miles (Florida Trail-red); 2.8 miles total
(Nice Wander); 11 miles (Florida Trail-green)
Osceola Ranger District Office
(386) 752-2577, 8:00-4:30 M-TH, 7:30-4:00 FR
www.floridatrail.org
Suwannee River State Park
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Florida Hiking Trails
10. Cary State Forest
In the pine forests west of Jacksonville, the Cary Nature Trail loops
through pine flatwoods where pitcher plants grow in boggy marshes
along the edge of cypress domes. The footpath is well graded and
includes a boardwalk along part of its route. An observation tower
enables you to look out over the forest and spot Florida’s abundant
wildlife. A camping area near the start of the trail is ideal for families
trying out their skills, as it has a restroom and showers nearby. The
trailhead is off US 301 north of I-10 at Baldwin.
Length: 1.4 miles

Cary State Forest
(904) 266-5021, 8:00-5:00, 7 days a week
www.fl-dof.com
11. Bulow Creek Trail
Following the winding course of
Bulow Creek, this trail connects two
sites important to Florida’s history. At
Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State
Park, explore the ruins of an 1831
sugar mill on the Sugar Mill Trail. The
Bulow Creek Hiking Trail runs south
from the park and provides a day-
hike loop option, the Bulow Creek
Loop, through old growth forest. If
you continue south into Bulow Creek
State Park past Boardman Pond,
a side trail leads to a backpacker’s
campsite, and the main trail ends at the Fairchild Oak, a gargantuan
tree thought to be 2,000 years old or more, where the Wahlin Trail
loops around a spring. Both parks are off I-95 between Flagler Beach
and Ormond Beach.
Length: .1 mile (Sugar Mill); 6.5 miles (Bulow Creek); 5.2 miles
(Bulow Creek Loop); .3 mile (Wahlin)

Tomoka State Park
(386) 676-4050 8:00-7:00, 7 days a week
www.floridastateparks.org
www.floridatrail.org
Bulow Creek Wetlands
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Florida Hiking Trails
12. Welaka State Forest
Imagine staring into a mirror-clear underwater garden. That’s what
you’ll find along the Mud Spring Trail, a loop leading to one of the
most beautiful springs along the St. Johns River in Welaka State Forest,
just south of Palatka off US 17. Located at the fire tower, the Talking
Tree Trail is an interpretive loop on a boardwalk through a cypress
and red maple swamp. The Johns Landing Trail provides a loop that
also affords backpackers an easy overnight getaway at either of two
beautiful campsites along the St. Johns River.
Length: 1.7 miles (Mud Spring); .5 mile (Talking Tree);
4.5 miles (Johns Landing)


Welaka State Forest
(386) 467-2388, 8:00-5:00 M-F
www.fl-dof.com
13. Ocala National Forest
First blazed in 1966, this segment
of the Florida Trail is also its most
popular, leading backpackers on
a weeklong journey through the
world’s largest scrub habitat, from
Clearwater Lake Recreation Area
north of Eustis to the Buckman
Lock south of Palatka. Several
trailheads provide day hikers access
to spectacular spots, including the
Juniper Prairie Wilderness off SR 40
east of Ocala. A popular loop along
the Florida Trail, the Yearling Trail,
commemorates the setting of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings novel
and can be reached from SR 19 south of Salt Springs.
Length: 71 miles (Florida Trail); 5.5 miles (Yearling)

Ocklawaha Visitors Center
(352) 236-0288, 9:00-5:00, 7 days a week
www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida
www.floridatrail.org
Ocala National Forest
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