The Amazon Outdoor StoreIn the early 1960s, Jim Kern, a Miami resident, visited the Appalachian Trail for a backpacking trip and came back to Florida with a burning desire to create a long-distance hiking trail in his own backyard. Founding the Florida Trail Association to pursue that goal, Kern rounded up like-minded Floridians and set to work. The Florida Trail’s first blaze was painted in the Ocala National Forest near Clearwater Lake in October 1966.
Today, Kern’s original dream of a 500-mile long distance hiking trail has grown to a federally designated National Scenic Trail more than 1,400 miles across the state of Florida, with volunteers from all over Florida seeing to its maintenance, expansion, protection, and promotion. Their goal is to establish a continuous wilderness corridor in which a footpath enables hikers to enjoy Florida’s natural habitats. After 40 years, nearly 1,000 miles of “Florida’s Footpath Forever” lies within a protected corridor, connected by orange blazes along back roads where they have not yet been able to protect the corridor.
Hike the Florida Trail
Follow the orange blazes! The 1,400-mile Florida Trail is within an hour's drive of most Floridians, with trailheads along many major highways such as US 98, US 90, US 441, US 301, and more. Most people day hike on segments of the Florida Trail close to home. Backpackers and long distance hikers need to consider logistical issues before heading out on a longer hike, and for that, the Florida Trail Association has maps and guidebooks that can assist you in planning an enjoyable trip.
