Florida National Scenic Trail

The Association

Incorporated in 1964, the Florida Trail Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit volunteer organization based in Gainesville, Florida. Since 1966, we've been working statewide to develop and maintain hiking trails for public use, most notably our 1,500-mile Florida Trail, designated as a National Scenic Trail in 1983. With 18 local chapters throughout Florida, our association provides a place for hikers to gather and enjoy each other's company in the great outdoors while serving the public through their trail work. We work in cooperation with the National Forests in Florida, the Federal management agency for the trail, and several dozen other landowners statewide to keep the Florida Trail open for recreational use.

History

Every organization has a unique story behind its founding, and the Florida Trail Association is no exception. It was incorporated in 1964 to rally hikers in Florida around a purpose: building a long-distance hiking trail. This section of the website provides background on how the dream of founder Jim Kern grew to today's reality of more than 1,800 miles of hiking in Florida, thanks to the efforts of volunteers, land management agencies, and the U.S. government.

See the story of our organization in our historic photos.

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