Citrus Hiking Trail

Four days, 43 miles: that’s just part of the challenge of the Citrus Hiking Trail, the second-longest backpacking loop on a single piece of land in the state of Florida. Add aggressively rolling sandhills, steep descents into sinkholes, and rock-strewn footpaths, and you’ve got yourself one of Florida’s most rugged hikes. Traversing extreme contrasts in habitats, from deeply shaded hardwood forests to longleaf pine savannas, rosemary scrub, and open prairies, this trail numerous opportunities for wildlife encounters. It is a well-groomed trail, easily followed, with a clearly defined footpath and signposts at trail junctions. If you’re directionally challenged, make sure you carry a map and compass or GPS, since one wrong turn at a trail junction can send you a day out of your way! But you don’t have to be a backpacker to enjoy this lengthy trail. Using forest roads, you can break this trail up into a series of very comfortable day hikes! TR-13 (north-south from SR 471 to SR 44) provides access to several trail crossings and is passable for passenger cars.

Veteran trailblazer Fred Mulholland of Tampa designed the Citrus Hiking Trail, heading up a roving Florida Trail Association work crew during the late 1970s that built trails in Florida State Parks, including Torreya, Myakka, Collier-Seminole, and others. Today, the 43.3-mile loop – made up of four shorter loops (A, B, C, and D) – is one of the state’s best backpacking destinations. There are three primitive campsites set aside specifically for backpackers, and Section Leader Larry Jackson, who heads up the trail crew that keeps this trail open, suggests weekend warriors head for the west side of the C Loop for the best camping experience. “It’s an excellent campsite,” said Jackson, “set well off the trail in an oak hammock. Go in on the south end of trail from T-17 or T-13, and hike north to the camp.”