Office of Greenways and Trails

What’s the Florida Paddling Scene?

Paddling offers a quiet, low‑impact way to experience Florida’s natural landscapes while building practical outdoor skills. Whether you prefer a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, learning how to read the water and handle your equipment confidently enhances both safety and enjoyment.

From the Suwannee River to the mangrove tunnels of the Everglades, Florida’s waterways provide excellent opportunities to develop technique and connect with others who share an interest in paddling. Whether you are practicing navigation or looking to join a group outing, these trails offer a welcoming environment for paddlers of all experience levels.

Key points to keep in mind:

Technique Matters: Effective paddle strokes improve efficiency, reduce fatigue, and help prevent common overuse injuries.
Safety in Numbers: Group paddling promotes awareness, assistance, and shared decision‑making, especially during challenging conditions.
Shared Experiences: Time on the water and at campsites supports community building and creates meaningful outdoor experiences.

Find launch sites and paddling trails across the state using the Florida Online Trail Guide.

Outdoor Florida Webinar: May 13 at 10 AM ET

Join us for an inspiring session with Jill Lingard, a passionate advocate for Florida’s waterways and paddling community. With over two decades of experience in water education and leadership roles, Jill brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. Discover how paddling clubs can open doors to safe adventures, skills training, and a vibrant community of fellow water lovers. Register for the webinar.

Share Your Expertise

We’re seeking outdoor professionals to present in our Outdoor Florida Webinar Series. Showcase your knowledge, inspire others, and help grow Florida’s outdoor community. Interested? Contact us here.

Free Resources

Download the Outdoor Recreation Activity Book for children here or request a printed copy by email.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) – Technical Assistance Opportunity

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) will soon be offering free technical assistance for applicants interested in the upcoming Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program. While they are still awaiting publication of the FY26 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), TPL is preparing a suite of resources to help eligible entities get ready, including:

Three informational webinars
Online application resources
Potential one‑on‑one assistance for selected applicants

Local governments and other eligible organizations are encouraged to sign up now to be notified as soon as the NOFO is released and these support resources go live.

Learn more or sign up for notifications here:
https://www.tpl.org/resource/orlp

Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail Story Map Guide

The Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail (C2C) was conceived as an ambitious effort to create a continuous paved multi-use trail across the state of Florida from the Gulf of America to the Atlantic Ocean, the first state trail of its kind in the United States. It will span approximately 250 miles and is currently 88 percent complete. The trail will link communities between St. Petersburg and Titusville along its entire length, allowing residents and visitors to explore Central Florida by bicycle or foot. The trail is linking all or part of several existing multi-use trails and will be managed by a broad range of communities and agencies. The Coast-to-Coast Trail Alliance is coordinated by OGT. For more information, visit OGT's C2C Alliance webpage.

The Coast-to-Coast Story Map Guide is the culmination of efforts to create a practical, adaptable, accessible mode for communicating information about the trail including wayfinding, alternate routes for large gaps, amenities and local information.

Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail Mapping Update

The initial scouting and mapping of the 1,515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail (CT) was completed in 2007, but periodic updates are needed for a trail of this length and magnitude. For our latest map upgrade, we changed the appearance and scope of the 26 segment maps to make them clearer and more informative. For more information, visit OGT's CT segments webpage. We have also created a CT Story Map and a Suwannee River Wilderness State Trail Story Map.

Outdoor Florida Webinar Series

For more information, visit the Outdoor Florida Webinar Series webpage.

Trail Safety Video

With our sunny skies and active lifestyles, Florida’s residents and visitors enjoy exploring our numerous miles of trails. Trail safety is important, particularly where trails and roadways cross. We all need to do our part to protect one another and prevent accidents. Whether as a motorist or trail user, we have a shared responsibility to:

Look and listen.
Obey signs and markings.
Take responsibility for our own safety.

The Florida Department of Transportation and the DEP's Division of Recreation and Parks joined together to put the spotlight on this important topic by developing a Trail Safety Video.

Feel free to share or download the video along with the extra information found below ... and remember to Always Put Safety First.

More Trail Safety Information
Trail Safety Poster
Trail Safety at Crossings

For even more information on trail safety, please visit our Assistance and Resources webpage.

For more information on requesting a speaker, visit the Contact Us webpage.

Do you enjoy hiking, biking, paddling or horseback riding? OGT, within the Division of Recreation and Parks, provides statewide leadership and coordination to establish, expand and promote non-motorized trails that make up the Florida Greenways and Trails System, pursuant to the Florida Greenways and Trails Act (Chapter 260, Florida Statutes). More can be found in the OGT office overview and historical timeline.

"Florida's Growing Trail System" article in the March/April 2019 issue of Quality Cities Magazine provides an overview of Florida's trail system and Trail Town program.

To be included in OGT's online calendar, send regional and state event announcements to OGT's inbox.

Featured Publications: