Largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida and the second largest natural freshwater lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states
General Information
Open 6am to 9pm daily
How to Get There
Lake Okeechobee is Florida's largest lake and the seventh largest in the United States, covering 730 square miles across five counties (Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry) yet averaging only 9 feet deep. Known as the "Big O," it is the headwaters of the Everglades and a destination for bass-fishing enthusiasts, cyclists, and hikers on the 109-mile Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.
A 1928 hurricane breached the old dike and flooded nearby communities, killing at least 2,500 people, and the Army Corps of Engineers then built the Herbert Hoover Dike, which now encircles the lake. The dike carries the trail, and the water level is managed to protect surrounding communities and the Everglades.
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail
The 109-mile multi-use path atop the Herbert Hoover Dike circles the lake as part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, crossing five counties.
- Best for: long-distance hiking and cycling with wide-open lake views
- Camping: 13 camping areas, most with no water or sanitation
- Cautions: almost no shade, some stretches leave the levee for road traffic, and alligators are common; partial closures are frequent, so check Army Corps of Engineers conditions before you go
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lake Okeechobee", and "Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
-1000.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}