Caverns Trail System, Florida Caverns State Park

One of the best parts of Florida Caverns State Park is its Caverns Trail System, an interconnected group of nature trails that surround the big show cave. Most folks don’t step off that paved path and into the forest, but for those who do, a landscape like no other awaits.

The trail system includes seven short hiking trails on limestone bluffs above the floodplain of the Chipola River. If you’re heading to the park to hike, start with the Floodplain Trail at the far corner of the parking area. If you’re doing the cave tour first (highly recommended), it’s harder to do the outer loop without backtracking on yourself.

The Floodplain Trail is flat and straight, running through the floodplain of the Chipola River. If the water is high, the floodplain will flood and it’s best not to hike the trails below the cave. If you have time to do nothing but the Floodplain Trail, do, since it leads to Florida’s weirdest little trail, right through Tunnel Cave. You won’t have to crawl, but you will have to stoop pretty darn low to get through it, and as the name suggests, you can see light at the end of the tunnel. A flashlight isn’t necessary, and without it, it’s a little spooky. For those who are troubled by dark, tight spaces, the Short Cut Trail lets you cheat by going around the cave.