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Experiences You Should Have Podcast Show Notes
The Florida Trail is one of 11 National Scenic trails in the United States and is Florida’s thru-hike. Most people know the bigger thru-hikes like the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail but there are shorter ones as well, like the Arizona Trail or the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin or the Florida Trail. The Florida Trail (Florida’s thru-hike) is 1,103.7 miles long. It starts in the Everglades at Big Cypress National Preserve and ends at Ft Pickens, near Pensacola and the Alabama border. Learn about hiking Florida’s thru-hike on Experiences You Should Have Podcast (listen above) or read further to find out top tips discussed on the podcast.
Interview with Erin Franke (Thru-Hiker)
Listen to the above podcast episode with Erin Franke on her experience of hiking the Florida Trail, Florida’s thru-hike. Erin spent 80 days hiking this one-of-a-kind thru-hike and shared her adventure of this incredible experience. Erin Franke completed the Florida Trail Thru Hike in 2019 after hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2018.
Hiking the Florida Trail: South to North
You can start at the North or the South of the Florida Trail. The southern terminus of Florida’s thru-hike is at Big Cypress National Preserve and ends at Fort Pickens. Erin started at the southern end as the first 30 miles are the most difficult and the end of the trail (if going South to North) ends on beautiful beach trails.
The first 30 miles has limited water and the trail is rough and hard. After Erin finished the first stretch, she made it to a glorious I-75 rest stop where she found ice-cream vending machines (and had her battery pack stolen). Essentially, it’s recommended to get the hardest stretch out of the way, eat your ice cream, and continue on with dreams of beach trails in your head.
Continuing on the Florida Trail
Erin then hiked through the Sugar Cane Fields, a long stretch where you have to rely on water caches left by volunteers. From there you can go East or West around Lake Okeechobee. Erin went west because of construction in 2019. The view of the lake was mostly blocked, but that’s part of the journey.
From there you head towards the Kissimmee Prairie, from there you can go East or West around Orlando. Erin chose to go East to be closer to her family and home. East is more wooded, and has beautiful trails, and is around the Ocala National Forest.
The Big Left Turn (Half-Way Point)
Once you get to the top of FL, you make The Big Left Turn. It’s funny because once you get to the top of the trail, you’re only halfway. Florida is a long state, and you still need to hike 500 miles west. You’ll hike through Apalachicola, walking along the Suwannee River, and St. Marks Seashore after taking the big left turn.
An interesting part of the trail goes through Eglin Air Force Base. Paperwork is required to enter this area at least a day or two before getting there. Make sure to read the signs there very carefully as they could be testing bombs. (That’s right, you might dodge a bomb while going through this section)… it’s a very adventurous trail.
End of the Hike
Another week or week and a half, and you’ll finish up the hike. The end is beautiful, because you’ll cross over the bridge to the outer islands of Pensacola Beach, and you’ll hike and sleep along the beach for 3-4 days. You can do it in about 2 days, but there are so many bars to visit along the way to celebrate your hike! Erin even timed her thru-hike to finish the Florida Trail on her birthday at Fort Pickens. Yes, it ends in a gift shop (the Florida way).
When Should You Start the Florida Trail and How Long Does it Take?
It’s recommended to start the Florida Trail thru-hike in January for a few reasons. First off, the alligators are sleeping at this time and it’s much more pleasant to walk over sleeping chill alligators than alligators with energy. January is also a cooler month with much less bugs than the summer months.
Erin’s hike took 80 days, but some do it faster, and others are slower. It would be wise to budget about 2.5 months for this Florida thru-hike.
How Far in Advance Should You Plan to Hike the Florida Trail?
If you have basic gear and knowledge, you can get your permits and everything about two weeks beforehand. Researching what you want as far as clothes and gear is a personal preference. Erin likes to stay as lightweight as possible. You’ll have to sacrifice luxury and comfort. The more durable and lightweight things are of course more expensive. Her tent, sleeping bag and clothes are a bit heavier, but that’s a personal preference.
Other Tips for Hiking the Florida Trail (Florida’s Thru-Hike)
- Get a membership to the Florida Trail Association to help you with the permitting process.
- Use a sawyer squeeze and Smart water bottles to filter your water on the trail.
- Buy the Guthooks app that has a series of maps, elevation, waypoints, where water is, and more. It is worth every penny.
- Join Facebook groups to hike the Florida Trail
Accessible Portions of the Florida Trail
Check out this Map from Florida Hikes to find accessible portions of the Florida Trail. Favorites include Anhinga Trail, Blue Spring Boardwalk, Centennial Trail, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Cypress Boardwalk, and Falling Creek Falls.
Budgeting for the Florida Trail
It’s wise to budget at least $1,000 a month to hike the Florida trail (as well as other thru-hikes). Note that this budget does not include gear. If you get stuck in a bind, you don’t want money to be an issue for not grabbing that Uber or grabbing that motel that may be much needed. Plus, once hiker hunger kicks in, you can’t get enough food, you’ll eat 4,000 to 8,000 calories a day and you will want that spare cash to buy mozzarella sticks, spam n ramen with stoffers stuffing (just listen to the episode above), or whatever suits your hunger fancy.