Nature on the Trail
The flora & fauna on the Florida Trail can also vary greatly by sections of trail. Florida is home to unique environments, some of which are not seen anywhere else in the world. This means that Florida Trail users have prime access to some of the best nature and wildlife viewing opportunities in the country.
Natural Community Ecology on the Florida Trail Story Map
Produced in partnership with the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, the collection offers an in-depth review of each of Florida's four region's natural ecosystems and what makes them special.
Nature on the Florida Trail
One would think that traversing through Florida would be flat, plain, and boring with only the occasional swamp to slog through. But the reality is far from that, as you pass weave through the interconnected green spaces in Florida, you'll find a wide variety and diversity in habitat, ecology, and wildlife. Read below to see what you can find in the different geographic areas along the Florida Trail:
- Southern: Swamplands, pine flatwoods, scrub, and saw palmetto are frequently seen on the southern portions of the FT. Some of the common types of wildlife seen in this region include: alligators, cattle, panthers, Florida black bears, and many different bird species.
- Central: Wildlife common to this region include sandhill cranes, white-tailed deer, feral hogs, wild turkey, cattle, the Red Widow spider, Florida pine snake, black bear, and gopher tortoises. Palmetto prairies, ranch land, scrub, oak hammocks, and pine flatwoods can all be seen in the central region.
- Northern: Wiregrass, longleaf pine, pine plantations, hardwoods, and oak hammocks are commonly found in this region. Additionally, users can find red-cockaded woodpeckers, black bears, rabbits, wild turkey, deer, red-tail hawks, and gopher tortoises.
- Panhandle: Pitcher plants, hardwood hammocks, salt marsh, pine flatwoods, orchids, and dune grasses can all be found in the northern region. Users can spot bald eagle, osprey, black bears, otters, sea turtles, and piping plovers in this region.