Florida's Lovely Trail Starting In The Greater Everglades Is Called One Of The 'Most Beautiful Hikes In The US'

When you think about famous scenic hiking trails in the United States, what comes to mind? The Appalachian Trail? The Pacific Crest Trail? How about the Florida Trail? If you're like many people, you probably don't readily associate the Sunshine State as an epic thru-hiking destination, which is why it might seem puzzling to see the Florida Trail land on Outside's list of "The 10 Most Beautiful Hikes in the U.S." Florida, after all, lacks anything resembling a mountain range, or, as the adventurer journal put it, Southern Florida is "as flat as a flounder." Mountainless though it may be, Florida offers a lot in the way of wild spaces, including more than 5,000 miles of hiking trails that cut through two time zones. Florida is also home to one of only 11 designated National Scenic Trails in the United States: the lovely Florida Trail. 

According to the Florida Trail Association, every year, about 360,000 people hike all or parts of the Florida Trail, which crosses a number of public lands, including state parks and forests, a national wildlife refuge, and three national forests. While the entire Florida Trail is approximately 1,500 miles long, the section that landed itself on Outside's list includes only the first 30 miles through the Greater Everglades ecosystem in Big Cypress National Preserve.

Discover why this long and challenging hike, which winds through watery pine forests and murky swamps reeling with frogs, turtles, and alligators, is unexpectedly breathtaking, and may be worth adding to your adventure bucket list. 

Venture about 60 miles west of the bikini-clad crowds at South Beach into the Greater Everglades, and you'll find Big Cypress National Preserve, a tropical jungle-like wilderness full of wildlife. Not to mention, the over 700,000-acre area is one of the only spots in Florida where the Milky Way can be seen telescope-less. Inside the preserve, next to the Oasis Visitor Center, is where the southernmost point of the Florida Trail begins, ending at Interstate 75. The entire trail terminates in the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the Florida Panhandle.

"There are few stretches of trail more gorgeous, mysterious, and outright fun in the U.S. than the southernmost 30 miles of the Florida Trail," writes Grayson Haver Currin for Outside, though he admits few people believe him, and perhaps for good reason. The Florida Trail ranks at No. 7 on our list of 11 U.S. national scenic hiking trails, ranked by difficulty. What's more, according to FloridaHikes.com, the first 30 miles of The Florida Trail are some of the most challenging. "The mud is like axle grease," the site warns, with the added challenge of having to maneuver over deep holes or slippery logs. This part of the hike takes you through swamp land, where seasonal rains can mean having to wade through deep water or mud.

The entire Florida Trail offers a range of geographical diversity, which includes a patchwork of pine trees, wet prairies, rivers, swamps, salt marshes, fresh-water springs, and mangrove thickets. As you hike, you'll hopscotch your way across limestone bedrock, duck under giant ferns, and weave through groves of tall, needle-like slash pines. At the end of each night, you can watch the sun glinting off the still waters before crawling into your tent under a Milky Way of stars to the sound of wild turkeys splashing through the groves of dwarf pond cypress. "Florida National Scenic Trail (officially) is just beautiful," says a commenter on Reddit. "Some real-life National Geographic-level wild nature."

The Florida Trail also offers opportunities to spot wildlife (and not just gators). A hiker on Tripadvisor says, "I've hiked sections all over central Florida and have never had a bad time. Well maintained and clearly blazed, always in orange ... Saw deer, bobcat, woodpecker, owl, and a pack of wild hogs right on the trail!" But what about the alligators, you might wonder? While you may encounter some in the marsh, the Florida Trail Association reports that no incidents have been reported on the route. Alligators are shy and tend to avoid human contact — in fact, alligator incidents are so rare that you're more likely to get hit by lightning than get attacked by an alligator in Florida.

Though you can hike the trail year-round, the Florida Trail is the only long-distance route in the United States that is primed for tackling in the winter, as the colder months are the best to embark on a backpacking trip in Florida. Most people who are thru-hiking will start in the south and head north. If you plan on hiking the entirety of the trail, give yourself between 60 and 90 days. For those sticking to the first 30 miles, two to three days are recommended. Parts of the trail require permits and camping reservations, so plan ahead before you go.