Riding on Herbert Hoover Dyke

 We camped at the Clewiston KOA which is few miles west of Clewiston Florida for a couple nights and were pleasantly surprised about the biking potential. Initially we had decided to camp there to use the ACA Florida Connector map as practice but then we heard that there was a hiking/biking path atop the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The path is said to be about 110 miles around but is only paved for about half that. The pavement is on the northern quarter and the southern quarter with the East and West quarter being gravel.

From the KOA the entry ramp was 3.6 miles north on CR-720, then right on Griffin Rd which ends after about .7 miles at the ramp to the dyke. The roads are lightly traveled and the cars all gave wide clearance when passing.

Once on the dike we decided to head for Moore Haven about 6.7 mile west. The pavement was great with gentle elevation changes. There are long views across the sugar cane fields where some were being burned off and the marsh of the south lake.

We meet one group of about 10 hikers who had started in the Keys and were headed for Pensacola. One man in that adventurous hiking group is then headed for Canada via the Appalachian Trail. The really impressive thing was none of these hikes looked under 60 years old. Very inspiring. Maybe that cross Florida hike should be on our bucket list too:)

Can’t say there is much to Moore Haven, probably less than when we stopped there back in ’05 during our cruising on Tschuss. So we headed back towards Clewiston. The ride was easy with the wind at our backs. All told it was a very pleasant 23 miles. I suppose another bucket list item is to ride the hole loop around Lake Okeechobee.

Sailboat in the canal headed towards Moore Haven Fl

Sugar Cane field fires in the distance