Ocean to Lake Trail

[tjkenney67]

Can someone provide information on the Ocean to Lake Trail starting in JDSP? I would like to try this trail for a "shake down" hike for my AT thru in February.

Is the trail well marked?
Water available?
How many days from JDSP to Lake O and round trip milege.

Any info will help... thanks a lot!!

[fcoulter]

Have you considered buying the map (http://www.floridatrail.org/store/html/product.cfm?id=262)? (You want O2L.) They usually are updated in November.

[WingedMonkey]

Your post is not clear as to when you are planning the hike or where you are starting in Jonathan Dickinson. After the record setting rain fall from Tropical Storm Isaac the Corbett Wildlife Management area and the adjoining Dupuis Reserve are flooded. Water managers have cut a new spillway at the backside of the Corbett and are pumping water out to reduce the risk of breaching the levee. That is the condition now, it will slowly change. Also there are hunting season dates to be aware of and plan around.

There are several options in Dickinson for getting to the camp site at Kitching Creek. The east loop trail is about 9 miles from the check in station to the campsite.

From Kitching Creek to Lucky Tract campsite is about 11.5 miles

Lucky Tract to Corbett Everglades Youth Camp is about 12 miles. (The Youth Camp is usually reserved for group activities and it is another 6 miles to the designated primitive site at Bowman Island Camp).

From Everglades Youth Camp to Little Gopher campsite about 12 miles

From Little Gopher to Loop Four campsite in Dupuis is about 10 miles.

From Loop Four campsite to the trail-head junction with the Florida Trail (LOST Trail)is about 9 miles.
This is at Route 441/ Route 98 south of Port Mayaka. Due to dyke construction you can not get to the Florida Trail or to Lake Okeechobee.

[bear bag hanger]

I've led the Ocean to Lake hike for all but one of the last nine hikes. Here are a couple links about our hike that may have the information your looking for:
http://www.meetup.com/Florida-Trail-Association-Loxahatchee-Chapter-PBCounty/events/41043612/
http://www.meetup.com/Florida-Trail-Association-Loxahatchee-Chapter-PBCounty/events/53871252/
The first one was for the 2012 hike, the second one is not as complete and is for our Feb 2013 hike.

[tjkenney67]

Winged Monkey... Thanks for the info. I'm planning for the second week in December when I return home from work. Hopefully it will be dried up a bit.

Bear Bag... Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for....