Florida Trail (FL)

Florida, US

Distance

1,500 mi

Vertical Gain

10,000 ft

The Florida Trail is a 1500-mile National Scenic Trail crossing the state. The Florida National Scenic Trail is a congressionally designated National Scenic Trail. The USDA Forest Service is the administrator of the Florida Trail, charged with planning routes, overseeing development and establishing partnerships to complete the trail. The trail is approximately 1,300-miles long and is intended to offer a continuous, permanent non-motorized recreation opportunity for hiking and other compatible activities. Over its length, it showcases the incredible biodiversity, history, and rich culture of Florida. Its termini lie in Gulf Islands National Seashore to the North and Big Cypress National Preserve in the South.

This trail has seen mainly thru-hiker style (self supported) FKT activity.

GPS Track

Florida-Trail-Shayna.gpx393.5 KB

FKTs

Male

Supported
Hunter Leininger			21d 11h 8m 0s	2024-01-17
Sean Blanton			22d 7h 28m 0s	2020-02-29

Self-supported
Daniel Munsell	24d 11h 45m 0s	2018-02-26
Phil Phelan	26d 8h 54m 0s	2017-01-15
Glenn Tremml	28d 7h 58m 0s	2017-03-15
James Hoher	28d 9h 59m 0s	2017-01-07
Joe Kisner	30d 3h 0m 0s	2012-01-01

Female

Self-supported
Miranda Pridgen			31d 4h 38m 0s	2023-02-23
Shayna Kott			38d 21h 25m 0s	2022-02-19

Female

Supported
Amy Ansbaugh			45d 17h 37m 0s	2022-02-11

This route on the old FKT site

http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/204/florida-trail

Comments

Hi there all,

My name is Antonio Sierra, and I am announcing my intentions to go after the Fastest known time for the Florida Trail in Self Supported Fashion beginning the morning of Thursday, January 3rd, 2019. I will be following the guidelines as lied out on the website for self-supported trips. Huge thanks to Dan and those that have raised the bar to this impressive feat for myself and others to pursue, and for the help that he has freely given to me in preparing for this trip. I will be placing the link to my Spot tracker below as well as in my instagram bio, @antoniosierra22. Here goes nothing!

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0fqTNDlS193…

I am announcing my intention to go for Self Supported FKT on Florida Trail beginning tomorrow morning (2/13). I will follow the self supported guidelines and established culture on Florida Trail FKT. I have not used caches but will send mail drops. I will not accept food, pacing, rides, or gear from strangers or people known to me. I will take the Moore Haven and Clewiston area re routes as Army Engineers are doing construction and turning hikers back. I will plan to cross the Econ River (whether on bridge or fording). I will stay on trail north of Lake Butler and not take the paralleling road. As for flooded trail further north such as Aucilla, I will pray conditions are passable by my arrival. I have made every effort possible to reach Eglin AFB at a time when passage is possible. I am aware that Dan Munsell did not take any reroutes but it is my intention to raise notoriety of the FT and can not see doing so if I am violating rules and laws (no offense to Dan personally).

My garmin link is attached below and will ping hourly. I can be followed on Instagram @arashalbekord

https://us0-share.inreach.garmin.com/Albekord

Amy Ansbaugh here! I’m starting a supported attempt to run/hike the Florida Trail. Starting in Big Cypress Dec. 28 2021

Shayna Kott

Self-Supported start Jan 11th Oasis northbound

I am choosing west around Lake Okeechobee - roadwalking around the current closed section due to construction - and east around Orlando. Considering the previously mentioned detour and other current trail reroutes, my route should only add 4 miles to the traditional 1,108 mile track.

Thanks and oo-de-lally

https://share.garmin.com/KTCNH

Hi friends,

My name is Vincent Gasso, and I am announcing my intentions to establish the Fastest Known Time for the Florida Trail (via Western Corridor) in Self-Supported Fashion beginning the morning of Sunday, January 1st, 2023. I will be following the guidelines as listed on the website for self-supported trips.

I will be placing the link to my Garmin tracker below as well as in my instagram bio, @vinnywinning

Happy new year :)

Eastern* not western corridor.

DNF - attempting again next month

Trying again at midnight tonight :) Tracker link in IG bio when I start

DNF - but man did I get closer! Reached Lake O by day 3, I’m sure I can improve by next year :)

Sjors van Eijsen

I will attempt a Self-Supported northebound thru hike starting Jan 1th Oasis visitor center

I am going east around Orlando

You can track me on my inreach

https://share.garmin.com/UYEDK

you can follow me on instagram

@ Dutch tin man

DNF

Might as well give it a shot.

Congratulations to Run Bum and Splash for setting an incredible time on this trail. Thank you Run Bum for the races you and your volunteer put on, especially the Forgotten Florida 100 that I had the privilege and enjoyment of running/hobbling in 2022. And to SPLASH for being an amazing friend, Piggy Gurl, and Rippity Skippity’din gosh darn hard hiker.
A million thank you’s to everyone who was part of my 2020 FT Thru hike, Dean Bennett with Direct Action Athletics, Hope Westall with Alt Route Meals, Edward Shitterhands, and Brooks shoes.

Daniel Munsell, with luck I’ll beat your time. With a miracle I’ll beat Run Bum’s.

Florida Trail, I’ve got a 21 day date with you starting Friday at noon. Don’t be late.

- Wild Turkey

I came in with a DNF by day four. My body kept bonking and by the fourth day it took nine hours to do a twenty mile road walk to the top of Lake Okeechobee. My legs felt heavy and I didn’t have much of an appetite. I believe my body still needs time to recover from the Ice Age Trail FKT.
Thank you to all the trail angels, hikers, and friends I made over these few days who made this experience incredible.
Thank you to Hope Westall with Alt Route Meals providing light, clean, nutrition.
Thank you to Dean Bennett with Direct Action Athletics who without his training my body would still be a wreck.

DNF

Wild Turkey OUT!

12/27/2023 I'll begin my Supported FKT Attempt of the Florida Trail. Heading NOBO, same route as the previous overall FKT (West Lake-O and Eastern Orlando Corridor). I'm hoping to reach Fort Pickens within 22 days!

I'll be tracking the entire run with a Coros watch and will be uploading the data publically to Strava throughout the attempt.

I'll also be carrying a Live GPS Tracker every single mile so anyone can follow along exactly where I am at all times https://live.enabledtracking.com/flfkt2023/.

I'll also be posting videos and pictures every day of this attempt, over on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hunter_leininger/

Massive respect to everyone who has attempted or set an FKT on this incredible trail, you all are incredible! I can't wait to explore my entire home state!!

Great job on your effort. You missed over 100 miles of the trail though. The next person that attempts this FKT, should they do the entire trail? Run your route? Or swap out even more trail for road miles?

This comment got me curious about what sections might've been missed. I checked Hunter's tracker map: maybe some of the Suwannee and Aucilla River sections? Looks like he might've also missed out on the fun of Bradwell Bay. What else? Seems like the Suwannee miles (maybe the others too) are legit reroutes due to Hurricane Idalia damage: https://floridatrail.org/trail-closures-and-notices/

From my experience working for the FTA and running the Florida Trail, I've learned that the route is always in flux. There's going to be closures in effect. Ever since getting "panhandled" in 2015 and moving out of the state I haven't paid much attention to records on this trail. I think the best thing is to be as transparent as possible about what route was taken. Hunter took an important step in this direction by sharing his tracker map, so kudos to him!

I’ve notice you’re off the trail a lot. Are you bypassing it in some areas?

This is confusing. The FKT website says the Florida trail is 1500 miles long. In the same paragraph, then they say the trail is 1300 miles long. The Florida Trail Association site says the trail is 1500 miles long. Hunter Leininger in his FKT report says the trail is 1100 miles. Can someone explain this discrepancy? Are people just making up stuff?

Yes, it is confusing. The thru-hike distance that most hikers use to get from Big Cypress to Fort Pickens is 1100 miles, using the eastern corridor. ~1100 miles is what every FKTer that took the eastern corridor did. The western corridor thru-hike route is 1300 miles. The 1500 miles is the total mileage of all the Florida Trails around the state, not the official thru-hike distance. If you look at the full map on the Florida Trail Association you will see this 1500-mile number accounts for all the alternative routes, day hikes, and route variations. It would be almost impossible to thru-hike the complete 1500 miles, you would have to do all the out and back and somehow take the eastern route around Orlando, then drive back down to Kissimmee and then take the western route around to Ocala. I hope this helps explain the mileage confusion for the Florida Trail.

Route: Florida Trail (FL)

FKTs

Comments