Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail


The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail is a 109-mile multi-use path around Lake Okeechobee, the seventh largest lake in the United States and the largest in the state of Florida. The trail began as the Okeechobee Segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail, a 1,000 mile trail that runs from Miami to Pensacola. The USDA and National Forest Service dedicated the Okeechobee Segment as part of the FNST in 1993. Most of the trail is atop the 35-feet tall Herbert Hoover Dike. The trail crosses five counties, Hendry, Glades, Okeechobee, Martin and Palm Beach. Many stretches run along state and county highways, including Florida State Road 78.
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Facilities

There are 13 camping areas around the trail, most of which have no water or sanitation facilities. While the trail circumnavigates the entire lake, there are portions in which the traveler must come down from the levee. In these areas, they may encounter heavy traffic and/or alligators. Because most of the trail runs atop a levee, there is very little shelter from the Florida sun, and running off the edge may result in a dangerous, rapid descent.

Restrictions

Because the trail is administered by the federal government, firearms are prohibited. Groundfires are prohibited, pets must be kept on a leash, and all trash must be carried out.

Closures

Because of the age of the dike and the instability of the terrain, there are frequent partial closures of the trail. A thirty-mile section from Mayaca to Canal Point is currently closed for renovation of the levee. Additionally, the portion of the trail running from Taylor Creek to Nubbin Slough section, the portion from Pahokee to Torry Island section, South Bay to Clewiston and Liberty Point to Lakeport section of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail as well as a portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail are closed for extensive dike rehabilitation work. The US Army Corps of Engineers maintains the trail and posts information about trail conditions on their website.

Access points

According to the Corps of Engineers, the following access points are available:

John Stretch Park

John Stretch Park is a small roadside park on the south side of Lake Okeechobee that allows access to the trail. The park is accessed along U.S. Route 27. The park provides picnic areas, restrooms, a large grassy field, an outdoor basketball court, and a boat ramp. Admission is not charged. The entire north edge of the park is dominated by the twenty-foot dike surrounding the lake. Set into this dike at one end of the park are flood control machinery and a lock for moving boats into and out of the lake.
This park also displays several diesel engines, valves, and pipes that once were part of the flood control facility.
The park is named in honor of John H. Stretch. A plaque in the park explains that Stretch worked as director of recreation and conservation for the flood control district between 1963 and 1970. In May 1970, Stretch was killed in a plane crash while working for the Florida Flood Control Agency.
In 2022, a man and a woman were shot to death in the park.