Recognizing February as Florida Hiking Trails Month, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is joining the Florida Trail Association to encourage Floridians to take advantage of Florida’s extensive trail system and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System Act.

“February is a great time for Floridians to promote environmental stewardship and adopt a healthy lifestyle by exploring the more than 4,000 miles of trails Florida has to offer,” said DEP’s Office of Greenways & Trails Director Jena B. Brooks. “We are proud to celebrate Florida’s Hiking Trails Month and the 40th anniversary of an important milestone in the preservation of natural lands and resources.”

The National Trails System Act was first signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to promote preservation of the Nation’s open-air, outdoor and historic resources for public enjoyment. The idea was to create scenic, historic and recreation trails that would share the experiences of the Nation’s native people and pioneers and prevent history from being paved over. Today, the National Trail System boasts more than 40,000 miles of trails, including the Florida National Scenic Trail, one of eight congressionally-designated scenic trails in the United States.

“This legislation created the pathway for the national trails program which now consists of eight National Scenic Trails, 13 National Historic Trails and approximately one-thousand National Recreational Trails,” explained Florida Trail Association Executive Director Deborah Stewart-Kent. “This year we also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Florida Trail’s designation as a National Scenic Trail.”

The Florida National Scenic Trail is the largest in the state and will ultimately extend 1,400 miles from the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the Panhandle to the Florida Keys. This national treasure includes loop and linear trails on public lands throughout Florida. The sections are built and maintained by volunteers from the Florida Trail Association, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, and include state greenways and trails such as the Cross Florida Greenway and the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.