The 61-mile Ocean to Lake Trail is a noteworthy and fascinating trek through “Real Florida.” Rusty and I hiked the OTLT in 2019, starting at Lake Okeechobee, and ending at the Atlantic Ocean in Hobe Sound. What makes this trail so special is it winds through nearly every terrain that Florida has to offer: pine flatwoods, cypress swamps, ponds, and prairies. If you’re a hiker thinking about hiking the entire Florida National Scenic Trail, the OTLT is a great place to get your feet wet, test your endurance, and challenge your temperament.

Rusty really wanted to hike this trail again, but I didn’t particularly want to, so Rusty invited his friend Tom to join him. We spent a few days with Tom and his wife Cindy in Lake Wales, Florida, staying at the Oak Hammock Resort, located on the banks of Lake Pierce. After a fun long weekend, Cindy headed back to Jacksonville, and we took Tom with us back to the DuPuis Family Campground, located near the “Big O” lake.

The guys spent a day packing and unpacking their packs, figuring out their food supplies, and studying the maps for campsite locations. The next day, which was a Wednesday, they took off down a spur trail that leads from our campground to the DuPuis Loop Trails, which eventually meets up with the OTLT at about the 4.5 mile mark.

Their first day was an easy hike through flat pine forests and palm hammocks, only 8.7 miles, sunny and breezy, to the Loop 4 campsite. The guys met up with lots of critters along the way, like pigs, alligators, a black racer, turkeys, and woodpeckers. Rain came through during the night but stopped just before dawn, and the guys packed up for a longer, wetter, more difficult day of hiking.

Day two was a 16-mile trek, with lots of wading through wet prairies and cypress swamps that would take them into the Corbett Wilderness Management Area to Bowman Island to camp for the night. The terrain was very unpredictable, and torn up by horses and pigs. Wading through water is tough on legs, and requires mental determination. There’s always a chance of running into a water moccasin or alligator. They did, indeed, see numerous alligators, but none too close to worry about, until Tom showed Rusty how to call a gator, and before long a 12-foot gator is swimming across a pond to check out the two hikers. Rusty and Tom quickly took off down the trail before it had a chance to climb the bank and investigate further.

By the time they get to Bowman Island, the two were exhausted after a day of wading through mud and set up camp before the mosquitos can attack. Tom is suffering from plantar fasciitis on his left foot now, and has decided not to finish the rest of the trail. He calls Cindy and she agrees to pick him up the next day, and Rusty will continue on his own. But it was an amazing campsite, as removed from civilization as one can possibly get. Tom said he never would have considered wading through a wet prairie to get there before this. Rusty said about that night, “The frogs and the birds – owls, whippoorwills, and several others I didn’t recognize – put on a show for us as night fell.”  

The next day, Rusty and Tom skipped breakfast and waded off the island at about 7 a.m. “The wet prairie was beautiful with the setting moon smiling down through the mist,” recounted Rusty. But the trail was still muddy and mucked over by recent horse traffic. There were still a few spots of wading through wet trail, and a few dry spots that were easier going, but the first 5 miles were mostly uneven, muddy and slow. The occasional birds, tiny and colorful flowers, and thousands of spider webs were nice though.

The highlight of the day was crossing half a mile through “The Pond.” It was knee high most of the way, except where Rusty almost stepped into the chest-deep pool at the east end. Luckily, Tom was there to help. After 5.5 miles they finally exited the wet trail through the Corbett WMA, passing the Everglades Youth Camp where Cindy would be picking up Tom. With Cindy on her way, Rusty continued the rest of the hike alone.

Rusty doesn’t mind solo hiking, as it allows him to hike at his own pace and be at peace with his own thoughts and observations. But it was another long day if he was going to finish this excursion on schedule. The trail passed through drier terrain here, old irrigation canals, crossed Hwy 710 and some road-walking, the desolate Palm Oasis (the shade of only three palm trees, LOL) and he was getting tired. Finally, more wetlands, palm and pine hammocks, and boardwalks. He’d planned on stopping at Lucky Hammock campsite, but decided to stop 2 miles sooner at the appropriately named Soggy Sock campsite, making this another 16-mile day. Tomorrow will now be a 20-miler. Nobody showed up to share the campsite tonight. With the barred owls and frogs singing, Rusty fell into a deep slumber.

On day four, Rusty was eager to get to Hobe Sound and the end of his trek. This was his longest day, a little over 20-miles. Rusty was expecting it to be drier in last section, but no such luck. As soon as he got through the Soggy Socks hammocks, he was in calf-deep water winding his way between cypress stands and wet prairie. After several miles, the trail came out of the swamp and followed the C-18 canal and then the Riverbend Park. Then hiking under I-95, the trail transitioned to the sandier, pinewoods of the Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

It was beautiful here, but then the weather turned cooler, the clouds moved in, and he was hit with rain along the way. Rusty says that rain always invigorates him and accelerates his pace. The rain dies down but the dark clouds still make the landscape gray and dreary. He makes his way through the last section at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, into the hillier coastal dunes section. He finally emerges into Old Dixie Hwy (A1A) and heads for Hobe Sound and the ocean.

While Rusty was completing his hike, Cindy and I were shopping in Hobe Sound, with poor Tom putting up with our endless banter. We stopped for a bite to eat and while we’re happily gobbling down gator bites and fried shrimp, I check Rusty’s location on my phone and realize he’s just down the street! We hop in Cindy’s car and meet him along the banyan-lined road that ends at the beach. Tom walks with Rusty the rest of the way, while Cindy and I drive down to the beach park to wait for them. Rusty has a big smile on his face and I greet him with a kiss.

He takes a quick shower and changes into clean clothes, then we head out to another restaurant for dinner and drinks, toasting both of the guys on their quest of the OTLT.

Great job, guys!