Overview
Add a Fourth Season to Your Adventures: Winter Hiking on the Florida Trail
Depending on where you live, you might only have three hiking seasons: spring, summer, and fall. But what if you could add winter to the list without investing in expensive, new gear or braving harsh winter weather? The Florida Trail, a 1,500-mile National Scenic Trail, is a great option and its popularity is growing! Join us to learn how to beat the crowds, plan smart, and stay safe around the alligators.
Hiking in the Everglades?! Really?!
It’s true — hiking in Florida is unlike anywhere else in the country. The trail winds through wild swamps, shady hammocks, and sandy ridges, offering a one-of-a-kind winter hiking experience. It’s warm, wild, and full of fascinating wildlife — including gators, river otters, and the occasional snake.
Join experts from the Florida Trail Association for a free virtual event packed with insider tips for hikers and backpackers who want to plan a successful — and sustainable — adventure on the Florida Trail.
What You'll Learn:
- When and where to hike for the best experience
- Thru-Hiking vs. Section Hiking Strategies
- How to get permits and avoid trail closures
- Tips for minimizing your impact on the fragile ecosystems
- Staying safe around wildlife - including gators, snakes and other critters
- Leave No Trace practices that work in Florida's unique terrain
- Backcountry hygiene essentials: peeing, pooping, periods and more
This session is part of Kula Academy’s on-going Protecting the Places We Love series, which has brought together thousands of outdoor enthusiasts committed to stewardship and conservation. Whether you're a hiker, camper, backpacker, or just someone who loves being outside, this is a must-attend event.
About the Kula Academy:
Since the pandemic, the Kula Academy has hosted over 600 classes and events. We’ve hiked sections of the PCT, summited volcanoes, paddled wild rivers, camped under starlit skies, painted, jumped into cold water for no good reason and danced — A LOT! Along the way, we’ve removed heaps of garbage from the Mountain Loop Highway, planted deciduous and evergreen trees, and taught people how to leave the world a better place. It's a corner of the universe where adventure, creativity and stewardship collide!
Whether you’re here to learn how to secure permits, master winter camping, learn “How Not to Die” doing the things you love, or simply because a pee cloth brought you our way, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here! And we’re glad that our paths have crossed. We hope that you’ll join us on our adventures because you’re the missing ingredient in our trail mix. Come ready to laugh, learn, and leave with new friends and hopefully a deeper connection to others, yourself, and the world around us.
