Deep Lake Trail
in Florida · centroid 52 mi from Cape Coral
Length: 1 Mile Round-trip Difficulty: Easy-Moderate The Deep Lake area of Big Cypress is a unique spot in the South Florida ecology. As one of only five naturally occurring sinkhole lakes in South Florida, it is truly a rare gem. The hike to this tranquil spot not only offers a one-mile round-trip stroll through sub-tropical beauty and diversified habitats, but also history.
This area was some of the first property Barron Gift Collier purchased within the vicinity of the county that would soon bear his name. This high, dry parcel of the Preserve rewards any visitor equipped with an old pair of tennis shoes and a walking stick with an exceptional experience.
- States
- Florida
- Trail type
- National Preserve trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Cape Coral, FL · 52 mi · ~1.5 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 26.0427°, -81.3432°
About Big Cypress National Preserve
This trail is inside Big Cypress National Preserve, a national preserve managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/deep-lake-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/bicy/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Deep Lake Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Fire Prairie Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Turner River Paddling Trail
11 miles from this trail's centroid
Halfway Creek Paddling Trail
13 miles from this trail's centroid
Sandfly Loop Paddling Trail
16 miles from this trail's centroid
Gator Hook Trail
21 miles from this trail's centroid
Florida National Scenic Trail Southern Terminus
23 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.