Hiking the Florida Trail on Eglin over Thanksgiving: permit, closures map and gun season

Hiking the Florida Trail across the Eglin Reservation takes three things this season: an Eglin permit, a look at the Public Access Map the day you go and, over Thanksgiving weekend, fluorescent orange. Everyone 16 or older needs a permit and a photo ID; it costs $5 a day or $30 a year, per Eglin AFB’s permit page as of Nov. 2, 2026. General gun deer season on Eglin runs Thursday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 29, per Eglin’s fiscal 2027 hunting table.

Who needs an Eglin permit to hike?

Anyone 16 or older on the Eglin Reservation, whether hiking, biking or doing other outdoor recreation, needs an Eglin recreation permit and a photo ID. Eglin’s prices:

• $5 for a day or $30 for a year.
• $10 for people 65 and older.
• $1 for people with a 100% disability rating.
• Free for Florida Trail thru-hikers.

Camping is a separate $10-a-night permit sold only at the Jackson Guard office. Permits are sold through eglin.isportsman.net.

Why check the Public Access Map first?

Eglin is an active military range, and areas close for missions. Eglin asks visitors to check its Public Access Map, on the same iSportsman site, for closed areas the day they go. A permit does not mean every part of the reservation is open that day.

How long is the Florida Trail on Eglin?

Eglin lists three sections on its Florida Trail page:

• East/North section, U.S. 331 to State Road 85: 45.2 miles.
• West section, State Road 87 to East Bay: 14.3 miles.
• Cimarron section, State Road 85 to the Yellow River: 8.8 miles.

That is 68.3 miles in all, crossing Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties.

When is hunting season on Eglin?

Eglin sets its own seasons, and they differ from the rest of Florida’s Zone D. On Eglin in fiscal 2027:

Elsewhere in Florida’s Zone D, the Panhandle, general gun season is Nov. 26-29 and then Dec. 12, 2026, through Feb. 21, 2027, per FWC. So from Dec. 12 to Dec. 17, hunters may be in the woods off Eglin but not on it.

Eglin strongly encourages Florida Trail hikers to wear fluorescent orange during hunting seasons, and warns that hikers may meet free-running hunting dogs. Archery season, already open on Eglin, runs through Nov. 25.

Where can I hike Thanksgiving weekend without hunters?

Hunting is not allowed in Florida state parks, per FWC. Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville, Topsail Hill Preserve and Grayton Beach state parks in Walton County, and St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach all stay hunt-free. They are open 8 a.m. to sundown every day, including Thanksgiving, per Florida State Parks.

One caution near Milton: Juniper Creek Trail leaves Blackwater River State Park and enters Blackwater River State Forest, a wildlife management area with its own hunt dates, per FWC. Treat the forest as hunting land from fall through spring and wear orange there too.

What should I bring?

• Your Eglin permit (on your phone or printed) and a photo ID.
• Fluorescent orange: a hat or vest for each hiker.
• Something bright for your dog. On Eglin, dogs must be under physical restraint.
• A printed or downloaded trail map, since Eglin’s sections run 8 to 45 miles between road crossings.

Who do I contact?

Eglin’s Natural Resources office at Jackson Guard sells camping permits and answers access questions; its details are on eglin.isportsman.net. Hunting dates for the rest of the Panhandle are on FWC’s season page.

Hiked a section this fall and found a closure or a washed-out stretch? Email our newsroom through the Contact link at the bottom of this page.

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