One of the most beautiful and unique State Parks in Florida that I have had the opportunity to explore is Torreya State Park in Florida's panhandle. The park is named for an extremely rare species of Torreya tree that only grows on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River. This magnificent place is located 15 miles south of Chattahoochee and 13 miles north of Bristol off of State Road 12 on County Road 1641. The High bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River and Torreya trees are just a couple of the intriguing features there that you'll discover. The park sits on 12,000 acres of river swamps, high pinelands, extensive ravines and high bluffs along the Apalachicola river. This area has one of the most variable terrains of any in Florida.
Trailhead at Picnic Area
Once you enter the park, drive past the gate entrance and pay at the self pay station which is only $2. Now that you are in the park it's time to find some trails and begin exploring! You have some options here as to what trailhead to begin at, as there are a few. As soon as you enter there is a trailhead, however there is no parking available. Continue down the road to the picnic area on the right, or keep driving until you get to the historical Gregory House. On this particular hike we started at the picnic area trailhead for a blue connector trail.
Autumn Foliage in Florida
It was early morning, the skies were clear and the sun was shining through the trees. The temperature was a cool 45 degrees when we started out. It was autumn and we couldn't have picked a better time to see this place! It was a stunning array of colored foliage. I've never seen so many fall colors in Florida and when you combine that with the terrain, you don't feel like your in Florida at all!
The Stone Bridge
The trail starts off as a wide multi-use trail and you begin to traverse down in elevation as you near a ravine. We hiked down this part until we reached an old stone bridge that crosses a ravine. It is part of the main orange blazed trail on your left around the bend. The stone bridge was the first scenic feature of the hike. We couldn't resist to stop here for a break to take photos and videos. The stone bridge was built in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This State Park is one of the first in Florida that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped develop. Truly, this is a must see! It just has an old rustic feel and I felt transported to another time and place. The ravine, stones and hilly pine forest beside it gives you this impression. You can feel the history here. Walk down the side of the bridge by the water and notice the ravine and rugged terrain as you look up. The water levels were low when I was here, but I'm sure they are higher during the wet season. From the carved ravine you notice how high water levels have been in the past. Since the water levels were low, I took a walk under the bridge to get another perspective. I took this opportunity to take tons of photos and videos before moving on.
Taking Some Pictures
When leaving the stone bridge you begin to hike up in elevation. We were now on the main orange seven mile loop trail that meanders through the park and is maintained by The Florida Trail Association. Further along we ran into a blue blazed trail that connects to the "Torreya Challenge Trail". This part of the forest is extremely hilly so be prepared for climbing up and down as you cross over streams and ridges. I only got to explore a little part of the Torreya Challenge Trail on this trip so I am looking forward to checking more of it out on the next visit.
For this hike we continued on the main orange trail and this lead us south toward the front entrance gate. Upon entering, we were instantly surrounded by shaded hardwood hammocks. The trail is a single narrow path and is really well maintained. You'll hike up and down over bluffs as you cross several creeks and wooden bridges over the ravines. Notice the geography here as you look at the surrounding bluffs and ravines. You can clearly see how the land has been carved out here. I could see the land sloping down back into the Earth. The place will have you marveling in wonder as you observe the terrain.
Upland Pine Forest
After hiking through the bluffs, ravines and shaded forests we began to hike back up in elevation into the upland pine forest areas. What spectacular views here! We saw deer and plenty of birds in this part. This area of prairie is mixed with grasses and tall pine trees. It's here where you'll see cotton plants as well. An old cotton warehouse once stood along the river within the park - a reminder of the days when the cotton industry helped feed the area's economy. You'll mostly hike on flat level terrain through here and notice off into the distance the surrounding border of trees and forests where you just came out of. Since it's so open, it's nice to take in the fresh air and sunshine. It is so relaxing and quiet here. As you cross through this area the trail lead you out to a paved road. This is the park road you drove in on, notice the entry gate here as well. By this time the temperature had climbed up to around 70 degrees and the weather was absolutely perfect.
Rock Bluffs
After taking a small break we continued on the main orange trail which dipped back into the forest, heading southwest. Upon exiting the upland pine forest area, we were immediately confronted with tall rocky ledges. We took some time to explore the amazing structures and peer down from the high bluffs. The area reminded us of the US Southwest which includes desert and canyons. When I stood at the bottom of the bluff I couldn't help but think that it resembled a mini-canyon. We continued along the trail and eventually came upon the Rock Bluffs primitive camping area. Along this part of the trail it's very rigorous as you climb stairwells ascending into high rock bluffs. I was really taken back by this geography, it isn't very common in Florida. I remember feeling like I was hiking in a mountain wilderness. We encountered high cliffs and rock ledges overlooking rim swamps which is nothing I've encountered along other parts of the Florida Trail. Along the rim swamps we continued and peered down into a meadow of green grasses and cypress trees. It was breathtaking!
Along the high bluffs you begin to see the Apalachicola River, get ready for some truly amazing views! From this area you'll hike down from the surrounding bluffs toward the shoreline of the Apalachicola River. The trail will lead you along the river banks and I noticed the calm and beautiful water. The Apalachicola River starts high above Atlanta, GA in the Appalachian Mountains and flows all the way down and exits into the Gulf of Mexico.
Apalachicola River
As you hike down along the shore of the river, look up on the other side of the trail. You'll notice the high ridges that you just came down from. Look at the very top of the cliff and you will spot the Gregory House. The Gregory House, which originally sat across the river at Ocheesee Landing, was built around 1849 by planter Jason Gregory. After the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, the plantation fell into decline. The house was donated to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935. One of the many projects that the CCC tackled at Torreya Park was moving and rebuilding the Gregory House. We continued along the shore and began the strenuous hike back up, we couldn't wait to see this beautiful house up close. You'll see a blue blazed trail off of the Orange trail, but don't worry there is a sign and this will lead you to the house.
Gun Pit Area
As we hiked along the blue blazed trail, we came across some old Confederate gun pits. You won't find any weapons or guns here but simply markers indicating where they once were positioned. Some literature explains that this area provides high open views of the river, so during the Civil War this was a critical defense point. When Florida seceded from the Union in 1861, the Apalachicola River was a vital transportation artery. The river provided access to vital Southern industrial centers and one of the most prosperous plantation belts in the Confederacy. Part of the Union strategy was to blockade the Southern coastline, choking off commerce and slowly strangling the Confederacy to death. Rivers like Apalachicola could then be used to access the interior of Florida. The Confederates responded by fortifying streams and placing heavy cannons along their banks. Following their evacuation of the City of Apalachicola in 1862, Southern troops built a series of batteries for heavy artillery along the river. One of these was built in 1863, at Battery or Neal's Bluff in what is now Torreya State Park.
The Gregory House
After you pass this area you will come out to a trailhead and you see the the marvelous Gregory House. In 1935 the CCC moved the house to it's current location and restored it, thinking it could be used as a small hotel. It is no longer a hotel, but they do offer tours. The day we arrived they were renovating it, but we were able to peer into the windows and admire it's beauty. Be sure to take a break and enjoy the benches on the lawn, they overlook the river below. I remember sitting here and reflecting upon this place and taking in the spectacular view. I could imagine amazing sunsets here!
Amazing View Behind Gregory House
We walked back over to the blue trailhead and started our descent. We went back down into the ravines and onto the main orange trail once again. We hiked through a portion of the trail that is bottom-land swamp that consisted of vast shades of green foliage and had a tropical feel. We stumbled upon a blue blazed trail that leads to Rock Creek Primitive Camp and encountered a fellow hiker. We followed the trail back around to complete the main orange loop trail. At this point we knew we had limited daylight since it was Autumn and the sun sets around 5:30pm, but I really wanted to keep exploring! The park closes at sunset but another amazing fact is that the park borders the central and eastern time zones. As we were are hiking the trails, we had a chance to "go back in time". It was quite a unique experience, and fortunately my iPhone was able to keep updated by using it's GPS to sync the time.
Searching for the Geocache
We couldn't resist so we followed the main orange trail back to the blue connector that links to "Torreya Challenge". As an avid geo-cacher I wanted to locate the Torreya State Park geocache. There are 9 State Parks that have a hidden cache and if found, allows you to locate clues for a puzzle. I've located a majority of them and am looking forward to when I can complete the mission and earn my CCC Geo-coin. It took some time and patience but we were able to locate it and sign into it's log, another reminder that we were once here. We packed up and prepared for the drive out, but I couldn't help but feel like I had missed something and that I wasn't ready to leave. That tells me this was an excellent hiking experience because it leaves you with the feeling of wanting more. This park will keep you coming back because there is so much to see and explore. I am thankful for the opportunity to experience what this wonderful park has to offer . I would love to come back and camp at one of the sites. I am glad to have shared this experience and I hope it inspires you to go out and enjoy this park!
I couldn't resist! I just had to go back to hike and explore more of The Lake Eaton Trails in the Ocala National Forest. I recorded this episode of The Florida Trailblazer Podcast to reflect upon and share a little bit of my experiences there while hiking. I hope you enjoy and get inspired to go out and explore this place or a place nearby you!
Recently I had an opportunity to go spend a little time in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia and had the chance to go hiking and exploring in this vast mountain wilderness. A Very different experience than hiking in the Florida wilderness that is for sure! The first thing you need to get used to is the elevation and terrain changes. On the mountain trails it seems like you are either traveling up or down and not really much consistent level hiking. The miles feel longer on the mountain trails. For example, you may hike 5 miles up a mountain but that would feel like a 10 mile hike in Florida simply because the elevation difference in my opinion.
When you hike in the mountain wilderness here you begin to feel an overwhelming appreciation for the vast wilderness. For instance, some of the trails I hiked you could stand and look off a ledge from 4,000 feet up and see the valleys and mountains below. You really feel small and insignificant up there! It just is another perspective that I never get to really experience while hiking in Florida. Think of it as you being able to go down from space onto Earth, it is sort of the same feeling for me when I got to look out over this amazing mountain wilderness.
The next experience I enjoyed was the spectacular geology of the trails.
I mentioned the elevation changes on the trails that was nice yet challenging. I also noticed a lot of rock formations and big boulders along the trails. It truly demonstrates the power of nature and it had to take hundreds of thousands of years if not millions for some of these rock fomorations to form. Another observation I would like to point out is the distances of these trails, simply astounding how far they go through the mountains. Some trails I hiked on were 300 miles or longer! Of course I only got to hike a small fraction of that. Also the area was nearby where some of the Applachian Trail goes thru so that was also quite the experience to be able to hike on some of that historical trail!
Many of the trails here have waterfalls and ravines you can explore. In fact a lot of our hikes were based around areas with waterfalls. Where there is a waterfall is usually a trail to hike by it. Just an added bonus to the hikes! Getting to some of the trailheads is another experience on its own as well! A lot of them are accessible only via unpaved mountain roads. It was quite the adventure driving to some of the trails for miles up old mountain roads, scary at times but part of the adventure for sure!
I hope to have more opportunities to go back here, there is just so much to explore! You get a sense of wanting more and that feeling of missing out on something great when your gone. A place of enchantment etched into my memory though it is a place you can't forget.
I'll be writing more soon about some adventures that I had here and I also posted links to some photos and videos from this trip below. Enjoy!
The other day I found myself trying to figure out why exactly it is I enjoy hiking and exploring trails so much. I couldn't just narrow it down to one particular reason. It's a combination of many things. Exploring trails to see where they go, observing the different kinds of ecological systems and looking for wildlife are just a few reasons I can think of. I get excited about not knowing what I might see on the next hike. I cherish the photos and videos because through those mediums I can capture the moments forever.
I mentioned about looking for wildlife and I feel that the more we explore, we are rewarded with wildlife sightings. I've seen many kinds of animals on my adventures thus far and on a recent hike we saw a couple animals I thought I'd never get to see in wild Florida. We encountered a bison and wild horses out on Paynes Prairie State Preserve. It was ironic as well, because the park ranger mentioned that day that it's rare to see them on this vast open prairie. That they could be really spread out and so with that noted we still decided to go see this expansive prairie.
Wild Horses
Wild Horses
Plains Bison
We headed to the north end of the prairie where you can hike out onto an boardwalk around the prairie and it eventually leads to an observation deck. On the way to an observation deck you'll hike onto a wide multi-use trail that parallels and old drainage canal. Make sure to look closely down in these areas as you'll see alligators and birds dwelling in and by the waters. Well it was on the way back from observation tower that a bison emerged from the canal on the side of us! He came out 50 feet in front of us and into a suprised crowd of people. The bison mostly just stayed still starring at everyone and we were able to get some great photographs and videos! After about 10 minutes he eventually began to walk away into the surrounding prairie.
As we started walking again and as we approached the boardwalk we saw just to our left about 30 feet away some wild horses grazing! They stood their ground and everyone kept there distance. After some more photos and videos we headed back up to the trailhead. I'll never forget these moments we experienced at Paynes Prairie State Preserve. I posted some information about the park below, along with a link to web site if you want to read more up on it. I also posted a couple videos and photos of the bison and wild horses. When you go to the park, be sure to check out all it has to offer and enjoy the history!
Paynes Prairie itself is the largest geographical aspect of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and consists of sixteen thousand acres of wet prairie, open water, and marsh. An additional area of six thousand acres of uplands including pine forests, fallow fields, ponds, and scrub that surround the Paynes Prairie basin boosts the total acreage to over twenty-two thousand in the preserve.
Paynes Prairie has a rich natural and cultural history that meanders back through time to eras long before humans appeared. The Paynes Prairie Basin was formed in pre-history by the washing away of limestone and the resulting resting of the land. The karst topography of the area has changed appearance little over the epochs, except for intervals of flooding. Paynes Prairie became home to many animals now extinct that included saber toothed cats, mammoths, mastodons, and one animal described as “a five-hundred pound beaver.” Humans followed the animals there at first around twelve thousand years ago, and then a steady stream of us followed including paleo and archaic Indians, the Cades People, the Seminole, and subsequently Europeans and Americans. The area played a bloody role in the settlement of Florida, as it was often the site of battles between the native peoples and others who wanted to make the grand, fruited region their home.
Take a walk in the woods with trailheads along and near major highways throughout Florida, the Florida Trail is within an hour's drive of most Florida residents and major tourist destinations.
In the early 1960s, Jim Kern, a Miami resident, visited the Appalachian Trail for a backpacking trip and came back to Florida with a burning desire to create a long-distance hiking trail in his own backyard. Founding the Florida Trail Association to pursue that goal, Kern rounded up like-minded Floridians and set to work. The Florida Trail’s first blaze was painted in the Ocala National Forest near Clearwater Lake in October 1966.
Today, Kern’s original dream of a 500-mile long distance hiking trail has grown to a federally designated National Scenic Trail more than 1,500 miles across the state of Florida, with volunteers from all over Florida seeing to its maintenance, expansion, protection, and promotion. Our goal is to establish a continuous wilderness corridor in which our footpath enables hikers to enjoy Florida’s natural habitats. After 40 years, more than 1,000 miles of “Florida’s Footpath Forever” lies within a protected corridor, connected by orange blazes along back roads where we have not yet been able to protect the corridor.
