112.3 miles. Walking atop a 35-foot-tall dike built to hem in the waters of the second largest lake entirely within the United States, you cultivate a sense of perspective.
On one side, the lake or its marshes shimmer into the distance. On the other, an expanse of Big Agriculture in the form of vast sugar cane fields and cattle ranches.
Some of our favorite natural pockets include the pond apple thicket in Pelican Bay and the vast shallow marshes fed by Fisheating Creek.
The rocky former shoreline of the lake, topped with ancient cypresses and tropical trees, can be seen along a ridge paralled by US 441 in Port Mayaca.
A rugged tangle of vegetation defines the Fisheating Creek floodplain on the marshy western side of the lake, which the trail skims past on a paved bike path.
Most of the dike around Lake Okeechobee is now paved, a project that started twenty years ago to facilitate ease of use for cyclists. It’s tough on feet when you’re carrying a backpack.
For a thru-hiker or section hiker, the western side of Lake Okeechobee is optimal if you prefer a quieter, more scenic walk with more frequent places to camp.
The section between Harney Pond Canal and the Kissimmee River remains blissfully pavement-free, and is one of the most remote portions of the trail.
We recommend it for an out-and-back backpacking trip from Harney Pond Canal north to Indian Prairie or Buckhead Ridge campsites, depending on your stamina and time.
The eastern side has access to more small communities and less campsites but more campgrounds. It’s less than a half mile difference to choose either side of the lake.
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Trip Planning
Camping and Lodging
Designated campsites along the trail provide a covered picnic table, a couple of trees where you can string a hammock, and flat spots for camping.
You won’t find them between South Bay and Port Mayaca, where hikers are expected to use the municipal campgrounds at South Bay, Torrey Island, and Pahokee.
Ample lodging is available in Clewiston and Okeechobee, with motor courts and chain hotels covering a full spectrum of quality and rates.
There are two fish camps along the trail with cottages and camping, and several small motels in smaller lakeside communities.
Random camping is permitted, but avoid doing so near towns. Never camp on top of the levee. Trucks drive down it at all hours. Camp at the base of the levee instead.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome along this section of the trail. However, it is mostly paved and in the sun.
Fire ant nests cluster close to the edges of the pavement. Keep your dog away from the lake and canals, where there are alligators.
Wildlife
Alligators are common in the canals and all throughout the lake. Some are quite huge. We’ve spotted otters, raccoons, and nutria (a large non-native rodent) along the canals.
Birding is superb, particularly in the cooler months. Watch for nesting colonies of egrets near Port Mayaca and sandhill cranes and caracara near the ranchlands.
Water
As silly as it sounds, don’t drink lake water. Straightening the Kissimmee River for commerce in the 1960s destroyed its ability to filter pollutants through its marshes
Despite being one of America’s largest lakes, Okeechobee is plagued by toxic algae and bacteria due to agricultural runoff and spraying of pesticides on aquatic plants.
Make use of potable water sources. Non-potable tap water at the locks should be filtered.
Resupply
Clewiston and Okeechobee are the most fruitful town stops for getting things done, since they have a broad variety of services and accommodations.
There are large grocery stores and a Walmart in each town. Minor resupply is also a short walk from the trail in Moore Haven, Pahokee, and Lakeport.
Parking & Shuttle
It’s best to leave your car behind the gates of a campground or other business than at a trailhead when backpacking around the lake. Call ahead to arrange.
For hikers wanting to reach the Florida Trail by train, Amtrak has an unattended station near downtown Okeechobee.
If you need assistance with a shuttle, join the Florida Trail Hikers Facebook group and ask for assistance.
There are a number of volunteers in the area who can help. Be sure to compensate them for their gas and time.
Safety
Check the Army Corps of Engineers website for any alerts in advance of your planned hike, particular regarding cyanobacteria.
Stinky mats of blue-green algae sporadically appear in Lake Okeechobee. Avoid hiking here when that happens, as it’s bad to breathe.
When sugar cane is lit before harvest, clouds of ash billow to the sky and land on everything, including your pack and tent.
Flooding
There is no chance of the trail being flooded on the Okeechobee section. Lake levels are controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers.
When the water reaches a certain level they dump it out the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Canals (formerly rivers) to the coasts.
Hunting
Hunting is limited to duck hunting in the marshes so it doesn’t affect trail access. You will hear shotguns. Check the FWC website for duck season dates.
Roadwalks
There are several gaps along the circle around Lake Okeechobee to cross waterways.
At Moore Haven, a walk into town leads to the pedestrian walkway along US 27 to cross the Caloosahatchee River to avoid the Moore Haven Lock.
At Clewiston, walk between the Army Corps of Engineers HQ and Levee Park to get around the Clewiston Lock.
At Port Mayaca, leave the dike to get around the St. Lucie Lock by following the shoulder of US 441 up and over the highway bridge.
The longest and most egregious one is at Taylor Creek due to a landowner dispute and a lack of a pedestrian bridge over the creek.
Unfortunately, to get around it, you must walk along US 441, a high-speed two-lane highway, between Nubbin Slough and Taylor Creek.
People
All around the lake, you will encounter people using the trail for daily exercise and for access for fishing. Many boaters and anglers park at the trailheads.
At the locks, you may meet the lock tenders, and they’re always happy to swap stories.
At the southern end of the lake, the trail passes through several economically depressed agricultural communities. If you get into an uncomfortable situation, move on and/or call law enforcement.
Trail Map
Mileages
Key mile markers south to north on the east and west sides of the lake. Capitalized names indicate town access with services nearby.
WEST
0.0 – John Stretch Park
4.4 – Clewiston campsite+
8.7 – Army Corps of Engineers trailhead
9.2 – CLEWISTON
9.8 – Levee Park
14.3 – Liberty Point campsite+
15.0 – Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp $
21.5 – Alvin Ward Park
23.2 – MOORE HAVEN
27.8 – C-5A campsite+ (0.1E)
30.8 – Fisheating Creek parking
32.4 – Vance Whidden Park
33.6 – Fisheating Creek parking
34.8 – Lakeport campsite+
37.6 – Margaret Van de Velde Park
38.7 – Big Bare Beach parking
45.0 – Indian Prairie campsite+
45.3 – Indian Prairie parking
54.7 – Buckhead Ridge campsite+
55.4 – Kissimmee River bridge
55.6 – Scott Driver Park
EAST
0.0 – John Stretch Park
3.9 – Bean City campsite+
5.3 – SOUTH BAY Rec Area
7.3 – Torry Island Campground (0.9W) $
10.9 – Paul Rardin Park
16.9 – Pahokee Campground $
17.1 – PAHOKEE Rec Area
20.7 – CANAL POINT Rec Area
26.9 – NENA trailhead
28.9 – Port Mayaca Lock
30.2 – Port Mayaca Rec Area
37.7 – Chauncey Bay campsite+
37.8 – Chauncey Bay trailhead
44.2 – Henry Creek trailhead
47.8 – Nubbin Slough trailhead
48.3 – Nubbin Slough campsite+
50.4 – TAYLOR CREEK highway bridge
52.8 – Cliff J Betts Rec Area OKEECHOBEE
56.5 – SR 78 junction
56.8 – Scott Driver Park
$ fee charged. + designated campsite.
Trail Segments
Details about all segments of the Florida Trail in this section are in The Florida Trail Guide and app. The hikes below include some of our favorites for this section.
Each is described from the perspective of a day hiker, noting landmarks, water, and campsites along the way.
Not all are oriented from south to north, but this is the order they are around the loop clockwise from John Stretch Park.
Side Trails
Trails that share trailheads with the Okeechobee section.
Along the Trail
Some of the parks along the Okeechobee section.
Connections
These sections of the Florida Trail adjoin Okeechobee to its north, south, and east.