Florida Trail

The Florida National Scenic Trail crosses the length of the state, from Big Cypress National Preserve in the far south to the old coastal fort of Fort Pickens in Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola Beach. On the way it passes through some of the most varied country in Florida, with beaches, hardwood hammocks, pinelands, prairies and cypress swamps.

The southern end lies at the Oasis visitor centre on the Tamiami Trail, and the first 36 miles or so lead north through Big Cypress, where campsites along the trail need a backcountry permit. The National Park Service warns that in the dry season, from November to April, there may be very little water, while in the rainy months parts of the trail can be overgrown or under water.

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection gives the trail a length of 1,500 miles, while the National Park Service describes it as about 1,400 miles long. Both agree on the two ends, Big Cypress in the south and Fort Pickens in the north-west.