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SOUTH FLORIDA -The Florida Department of Environmental Protection?s (DEP)
Office of Greenways & Trails (OGT) is inviting participants to join in the
annual ?Big O Hike? around the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) on November
21. Sponsored by the Florida Trail Association (FTA), the famous hike is a
Thanksgiving week event that has brought outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy the LOST
trail for the past 18 years.
?Not only is this the ideal time of year for Floridians to enjoy the
recreational resources close to home, but it?s also a good time to invite
visitors to explore the state?s natural beauty,? said Jena Brooks, Director of
the DEP Office of Greenways & Trails. ?Florida?s mild climate and its
outstanding system of greenways and trails attracted an all-time high of nearly
3.6 million visitors this past year, proving that Florida?s greenways and trails
play a key role in the state?s fast growing ecotourism industry.?
Designated as a segment of the 1400-mile Florida National Scenic Trail, LOST
circles Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake wholly contained
within one state in the contiguous United States. The trail, managed by the OGT
in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is located atop the
Herbert Hoover Dike, which surrounds the lake for flood protection. LOST offers
spectacular vistas for viewing portions of the Everglades landscape and abundant
wildlife, particularly in fall and winter, along with excellent opportunities
for paddling and fishing. Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians can access
LOST from several directions as the trail takes users near and through
communities such as Clewiston and Belle Glade.
?As many as 50 to 100 people travel from other states and Canada to
participate in a series of day hikes around the 110-mile trail surrounding Lake
Okeechobee,? said Paul Cummings, one of two FTA members who have participated in
the ?Big O Hike? every year since its inception. ?The purpose of the event is to
highlight LOST as a segment of the Florida Trail and an important recreational
resource and to support the economy of the communities surrounding the trail.?
All of LOST is free and open to the public and there is currently a total of
65 miles of trail paved in intermittent segments with a grass hiking tread. OGT
is working with the Florida Department of Transportation to pave an additional
11.2 miles of trail to provide LOST with a 50-mile segment of continuous paved
trail as it passes through parts of Glades, Hendry and Palm Beach Counties.
Currently there are 45 miles of LOST that have an unpaved limerock surface.
Florida has been named by American Trails as ?Best Trails State in America,?
recognizing DEP?s Office of Greenways & Trails for its vision and leadership,
which includes community assistance, land acquisition, public outreach and the
management of eight state trails and the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida
Greenway. The Greenway is Florida?s longest green corridor stretching 110 miles
from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico near Inglis. Of the
eight state trails, six are rail-trails, which are railroad corridors converted
to recreational trails for hiking, biking, skating, equestrian activities and
alternative transportation. Through Florida Forever, the state?s premier land
acquisition program, $4.5 million is allocated annually to purchase and preserve
land for Florida?s greenways and trails.
For more information on the ?Big O Hike?, visit
www.floridatrail.org.
For more information about Florida?s trails, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/.
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2012 State of Florida