About Us

The Florida Trail Association (FTA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit volunteer organization incorporated in 1964. The FTA works statewide to develop and maintain hiking trails for public use, most notably our 1,400-mile Florida Trail, designated as a National Scenic Trail in 1983. 

Chartered in August 1981, the Suncoast Chapter is more than just a local hiking club. We are one of 19 local chapters of the Florida Trail Association providing a place for hikers to gather and enjoy each other's company in the great outdoors while serving the public through their trail work. The chapter works in cooperation with the National Forests in Florida, the Federal management agency for the trail, and several dozen other landowners statewide to keep the Florida Trail open for recreational use.

The Suncoast Chapter serves a seven-county area in west central and southwest Florida. Chapter members live in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties. Cities served by the Suncoast Chapter include Bradenton, Brooksville, Clearwater, Dade City, Inverness, Sarasota, Spring Hill, Saint Petersburg, Tampa and Zephyrhills. With over 500 members the Suncoast Chapter is the Florida Trail Association's largest chapter.

The chapter maintains over 200 miles of trail and offers recreational events throughout the region. Our members lead and participate in many hikes and maintenance work parties. Annual events include weekend campouts preceding Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the long-running Stone Soup campout and potluck feast held each January, the challenging "27-miler" single-day hike, and more weekend campouts February to May.

The Suncoast Chapter maintains The Florida Trail from SR 471 entering Green Swamp West north to the Citrus/Marion County line south of Dunnellon and hiking trails in the Withlacoochee State Forest (WSF). The chapter maintains 10 loop trails in the Citrus/Croom/Richloam tracts of WSF, Green Swamp West, Hillsborough River State Park, Little Manatee River State Park, Myakka River State Park, Potts Preserve, Annutteliga Hammock Unit, Upper Hillsborough Preserve and Withlacoochee River Park.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the FTA Suncoast Chapter at email address suncoast@floridatrail.org.