huckepack

Florida National Scenic Trail

Length

This trail
1,783.7 km
How
Measured on our OpenStreetMap map line (data of 5 Nov 2026): the main route
Official
2,072.7 km, stated length (Florida Trail Association)
Keep in mind
Florida Trail Association measures the route differently

1,784km

Ascent · descent

This trail
2,400 m up, 2,420 m down, estimated
How
Estimated from the GEDTM30 terrain model along our OpenStreetMap line: every main stage's climbs and drops along samples 100 m apart, each counted once it reaches 10 m
Keep in mind
A 30 m terrain model: short climbs between the samples are missed

estimated: 2,400m ↑2,420m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: ModerateNatural ground: 56 %
  • Climate: Moderate in Oct–AprHeat: 26 °C by day (October)
  • Effort: HardLongest day: ≈ 29 h 15 (stage 21)

All measures

Terrain: Moderate; Climate: Moderate in Oct–Apr; Effort: Hard

Suggested

Source
Florida Trail Association

60–90days

Per day

This trail
20–30 km · ≈ 30–40 m ↑
How
The trail's length (our measurement, 1,784 km) ÷ its days (60–90, from Florida Trail Association); ascent likewise

20–30km· about 30–40 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 63%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 24%
  • Farmland and villages: 9%
  • Water, snow and ice: 4%
  • Bare rock and sand: 2%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by Chris M Morris, Andrew Heneen, BoFTA2023, Michael Rivera, The Bushranger and APK; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
United States
Regions
Florida
Start
Oasis Visitor Center (Big Cypress National Preserve)
Finish
Fort Pickens (Gulf Islands National Seashore)
Route type
Point to point
Permit
Required
Travel hubs
  • Miami90.8 km by road · 84 min
  • Miami International Airport (MIA)81.6 km by road · 78 min
  • Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL)123.7 km by road · 105 min
Protected areas
Big Cypress National Preserve; Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park; Juniper Prairie Wilderness; St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; Bradwell Bay Wilderness; Gulf Islands National Seashore
Managed by
USDA Forest Service, Florida Trail AssociationOfficial website (opens in a new tab)
Waymarking
Orange blazes, with blue-blazed side trails; the trail is well blazed in most places, a double blaze marks a turn, and in some places offset blazes show the direction of the turn.
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
the trail's ascent (the terrain model's estimate) over the main stages' length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Moderate

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T1 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The association: "No climbing, but still physically demanding", with marl mud and deep water in Big Cypress, eight miles of swamp forest in Bradwell Bay, rough uneven limerock and grass on the South Florida dikes and soft sand in the scrub of the Ocala National Forest, and long road walks. A flat trail on footpaths, forest roads, levees and roads (T1); wading, heat and the length make it hard.
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club (opens in a new tab)

    estimated T1
  • Climbingestimated 1 m per km
  • Steep stretches0 % of the way
  • Natural ground56 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Moderate in Oct–Apr

  • Heat · October26 °C by day
  • Cold · January6 °C at night
  • Wet days · March10 days
  • Snow · January0 days
  • Wind · March17 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Longest day · stage 21estimated 29 h 15

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
16–26°C
Nights in season · highest point
6–16°C
Wet days a month
6–10
Daylight
10.2–12.9h
SeasonSeasonDay high and night low0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °C40 °CWet days, at the highest point510152025Daylight10.4 h11.1 h11.9 h12.9 h13.7 h14.1 h13.9 h13.2 h12.3 h11.4 h10.6 h10.2 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January16.4 / 8.515.3 / 6.18.70.1510.4
February18.1 / 10.117.4 / 7.98.401.911.1
March21.1 / 12.820.7 / 10.99.500.511.9
April24.4 / 15.924 / 14.18.20012.9
May28.4 / 20.128.2 / 18.49.40013.7
June30.5 / 23.430.6 / 22.416.40014.1
July30.9 / 24.631.1 / 23.621.40013.9
August30.8 / 24.730.9 / 23.619.50013.2
September29.4 / 22.929.3 / 21.311.60012.3
October26.1 / 18.425.5 / 166.10011.4
November21.4 / 13.420.3 / 10.77.500.210.6
December17.9 / 10.416.8 / 7.89.202.210.2

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevation
1Oasis Visitor Center I-75 (Big Cypress rest area)39.6 km0 m ↑0 m ↓0 → 0 m
2I-75 (Big Cypress rest area) Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation boundary12.9 km0 m ↑0 m ↓10 → 0 m
3Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation boundary CR 835 (L-2 canal levee)64.9 km0 m ↑0 m ↓0 → 10 m
4CR 835 (L-2 canal levee) Pahokee State Park50.4 km0 m ↑0 m ↓10 → 10 m
5Pahokee State Park Herbert Hoover Dike north of Port Mayaca35.9 km0 m ↑0 m ↓10 → 10 m
6Herbert Hoover Dike north of Port Mayaca Platts Bluff County Park53.3 km0 m ↑0 m ↓10 → 10 m
7Platts Bluff County Park Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park53.4 km0 m ↑0 m ↓10 → 20 m
8Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park KICCO Wildlife Management Area33.5 km0 m ↑0 m ↓20 → 10 m
9KICCO Wildlife Management Area SR 60 (Three Lakes access road)34.9 km0 m ↑0 m ↓20 → 20 m
10SR 60 (Three Lakes access road) US 44152.5 km0 m ↑0 m ↓20 → 20 m
11US 441 US 192 (Bull Creek WMA)37.4 km0 m ↑10 m ↓20 → 10 m
12US 192 (Bull Creek WMA) St. Nicholas Road (Christmas)56.2 km0 m ↑10 m ↓20 → 10 m
13St. Nicholas Road (Christmas) Spring Hammock Preserve66.4 km40 m ↑30 m ↓10 → 10 m
14Spring Hammock Preserve Clearwater Lake54.4 km80 m ↑70 m ↓10 → 10 m
15Clearwater Lake SR 4045.4 km120 m ↑130 m ↓20 → 10 m
16SR 40 SR 2081.6 km170 m ↑180 m ↓10 → 0 m
17SR 20 SR 21 (Gold Head Branch State Park)55.2 km120 m ↑70 m ↓10 → 60 m
18SR 21 (Gold Head Branch State Park) Lake Butler57.8 km80 m ↑100 m ↓60 → 40 m
19Lake Butler Olustee Battlefield37.0 km90 m ↑90 m ↓40 → 50 m
20Olustee Battlefield Cow Catcher Road38.9 km190 m ↑210 m ↓50 → 40 m
21Cow Catcher Road Winquepin Street (Ellaville)114.3 km230 m ↑250 m ↓40 → 20 m
22Winquepin Street (Ellaville) Aucilla River tract (Foley boundary)79.7 km70 m ↑80 m ↓20 → 10 m
23Aucilla River tract (Foley boundary) Wakulla Beach Road78.6 km10 m ↑10 m ↓10 → 10 m
24Wakulla Beach Road Ochlockonee River (FH 13)78.5 km150 m ↑140 m ↓10 → 10 m
25Ochlockonee River (FH 13) CR 1256.2 km80 m ↑80 m ↓10 → 20 m
26CR 12 Scott Road Trailhead68.2 km180 m ↑130 m ↓20 → 60 m
27Scott Road Trailhead SR 20 Trailhead (Pitt Spring)29.0 km70 m ↑100 m ↓60 → 40 m
28SR 20 Trailhead (Pitt Spring) Strickland Road (SR 20)33.7 km30 m ↑40 m ↓40 → 20 m
29Strickland Road (SR 20) US 33146.2 km90 m ↑70 m ↓10 → 40 m
30US 331 SR 28562.1 km320 m ↑290 m ↓40 → 60 m
31SR 285 Log Lake Road52.9 km160 m ↑210 m ↓60 → 10 m
32Log Lake Road Navarre Bridge54.7 km120 m ↑120 m ↓10 → 0 m
33Navarre Bridge Fort Pickens40.7 km0 m ↑0 m ↓0 → 0 m

Totals and averages count the main stages only. Stage 9 from huckepack. Stage 11 from huckepack. Stage 13 from huckepack. Stage 22 from huckepack. Stage 23 from huckepack. Stage 26 from huckepack. Stage 28 from huckepack. Stage 29 from huckepack. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (GEDTM30, 30 m grid, sampled every 500 m, the climbs every 100 m; climbs and drops counted once they reach 10 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
84m high0m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
6 % (3°), 29 m up over 500 m, stage 30
Steepest descent
−7 % (4°), 37 m down over 500 m, stage 31
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

6% ↑−7% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
0 km up, 0 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 500 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

0km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 56%, 990.7 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 25%, 435.5 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 19%, 340.8 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.
  • Unknown: 0%, 0.9 km. Stretches whose surface OpenStreetMap doesn't record.

56% natural25% gravel19% paved
0 m84 m12468101214161820222426283032330 km1767.9 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
GEDTM30 terrain model (OpenGeoHub, from Copernicus and other elevation data), 30 m grid, the bare ground under the trees, every 500 m along the main route
Colours
Each 500 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 75% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest63%Grassland and shrubs24%Bare rock and sand2%Water, snow and ice4%Farmland and villages9%12468101214161820222426283032330 km1767.9 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 500 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. During hunting seasons on certain public lands hikers must use designated campsites; on many others they can camp where they wish, using Leave No Trace principles. Some land managers allow camping only at designated, often reserved campsites (the water management districts, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge), and none on the Seminole Reservation.

150.9 km without a bedCamping93Huts2Hostels0Rooms212468101214161820222426283032330 km1767.9 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 93 campsites, 2 huts, 0 hostels, 2 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 788.7–939.6
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
189.5 km without clean water, km 750.1–939.6, stages 16–20
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 19 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 2 places to sleep with drinking water, 64 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

189.5kmScarce

Any water

This trail
189.5 km without any water, km 750.1–939.6
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 52 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

189.5kmScarce

Shops

This trail
408.2 km without a shop, km 176.3–584.5
Counted
64 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

408.2km
Water · 189.5 km withoutPublic drinking water · 756.1 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 596.4 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 189.5 km withoutShops · 408.2 km withoutSupermarkets · 408.4 km withoutConvenience and general stores · 408.2 km without12468101214161820222426283032330 km1767.9 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official sources: National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve; USDA Forest Service
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Venomous snakes ModerateFlorida panther LowFlorida black bear Low

Venomous snakes (cottonmouth, rattlesnakes, copperhead, coral snake)

Moderate danger

The association counts six venomous snakes in Florida (the cottonmouth, three rattlesnakes, the southern copperhead and the eastern coral snake); Big Cypress says they are active year round and bites rare but serious.

If you meet one

  • Pay attention to where you walk and place your hands
  • Consider wearing high boots or protective leggings while hiking
  • Inspect your shoes and sleeping bags or bedding before use and always carry a flashlight at night
  • If you are bitten by a snake, it is crucial to exit the backcountry and go to the nearest emergency room

Don't

  • Stay a safe distance from any wildlife

Advice: National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve. Level: ours. Silhouette: Blair Perry (Crotalus viridis), PhyloPic, public domain.

Florida panther

Low danger

Big Cypress calls itself panther country, where attacks are rare but do occur; the association knows of no panther that has harmed a person in modern times.

If you meet one

  • Should you encounter an aggressive panther, hold your ground, wave your arms, throw stones, and shout
  • Keep groups together
  • It is strongly advised to not hike alone

Don't

  • Never run

Advice: National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve. Level: ours. Silhouette: Margot Michaud (Puma concolor), PhyloPic, public domain.

Florida black bear

Low danger

The Forest Service says interactions between campers and Florida black bears are rising in the national forests; the association knows of no attack on a person by a Florida black bear.

If you meet one

  • Hang all attractants at least 10 feet above ground and 4 feet from any vertical support
  • Make noise to avoid surprising a bear
  • If a bear approaches you, move away slowly and get into a vehicle or secure area
  • Carry EPA registered bear pepper spray

Don't

  • Never store food in your tent
  • Never approach a bear or other wild animal
  • DO NOT burn or bury any attractants

Advice: USDA Forest Service. Level: ours. Silhouette: Abby Weber (Ursus americanus), PhyloPic, public domain.