13-Year-Old Girl Becomes Youngest Person to Hike This 1,100-Mile Florida Trail

A 13-year-old girl has become the youngest person to walk the Florida National Scenic Trail end-to-end, completing a 1,100-mile journey (via The Tampa Bay Times). 

'Toughest Girl in Florida'

On June 4, 2025, Cali Booth and her father, Jamie, crossed the trail’s finish line at Fort Pickens. In that moment, she officially became the youngest person in history to hike the massive trail from end-to-end—a total of 1,111 miles. As she crossed the finish line, family members and local well-wishers cheered Cali on. One held a sign proclaiming the 13-year-old “the toughest girl in Florida.”

“You may not think you can do something amazing —and over time, it might feel stressful or, like, scary—but at the end, it feels really amazing to be able to get something done like that," Cali said. “No matter what it is, when you get it done, you feel good about yourself, and you feel stronger at the end.”

Nearly 400 Miles of the Trail Are Urban 'Road Hikes'

Indeed, walking the entirety of the trail was not as simple as Booth’s victory parade made it seem. The daunting task often required Cali and her father to rise at obscene hours to meet their daily hiking goal. Last April, the pair woke up at 1 a.m. and hiked a 23-mile stretch of largely unincorporated trail alongside traffic that whizzed by at 75 MPH or faster. That section is just part of what officials estimate to be roughly 373 miles of “road hikes” that they hope to divert back into the wilderness. The Booths hoped to draw attention to the planned diversions with their trek.

“These public lands create opportunities for family connection, confidence-building, and lifelong memories that can only be found in wild Florida,” said Florida Trail Association spokesperson Jane Pollack. Pollack added that the Booths’ story serves to remind us that the trail’s ongoing preservation and access are of the utmost importance.

'Get Out...and Go Enjoy It'

Cali and Jamie second that opinion. “Our message is: Help the Florida Trail Association eliminate road hiking, and let folks get out there in the woods,” said Jamie, who previously commanded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District from 2021 through 2023. “That’s a gracious plea: We’re looking for people who are willing to come alongside the entire hiking community to make the Florida trail even better.”

As for Cali, she feels that hiking the trail end-to-end has cemented a love for the National Scenic Trail that she’s had ever since she was a young child. She intends to hike the trail again, but maybe not from end-to-end. “It doesn’t have to be a long hike. It could even be 20 minutes of walking outside or in the woods. But go out and talk with each other, or just walk and embrace the silence,” she said. “Get out with family and friends and go enjoy it.”