Other Nearby Destinations | Big Bend Scenic Byway

Day One

Tallahassee ‘s modest but attractive Regional Airport features a Visitor Center, an Airport Gallery on the main floor with Big Bend artists and subject count and an Aviation Museum on the second floor. All are in populace areas accessible without passing though security gates. Continue on Capital Circle SW past Blountstown Highway ( SR 20 ) to the following major intersection, which is Tennessee Street ( SR 90 ). Turn veracious ( west ). Mission San Luis de Apalache is located at the overlap with Ocala Road. This beautiful 60-acre archaeological park is the site of a seventeenth hundred spanish mission. San Luis contains archaeological testify of a spanish garrison, church, and residences, a good as an Apalachee indian council house and village. interpretative displays and programs bring these early settlers to life. regular tours are provided on weekdays at noon. The grounds include a reconstruct Apalachee Indian council house ( one of the largest historic native american structures in the southeast United States, accommodating 2,000-3,000 people ) arsenic well as other buildings, endowment shop, and bathrooms. Continuing west along the Byway on SR 20, you will notice that the roadway is bordered by Lake Talquin State Forest. Established in 1977, it consists of 16,326 acres of flatwoods, rolling uplands, swamps, sand hills, and hardwood forests. This forest has the differentiation of offering entree to two Outstanding Florida Waters, the Ochlockonee River and Lake Talquin.

The trail head and picnic pavilion for Fort Braden Trails is approximately 5 miles west from the turnoff to Silver Lake on SR 20 on the right side of the road. It features public toilet and picnic facilities, 9 miles of hiking trails, with 3-5 mile loops, and two equestrian trails. Each trail explores a range of different ecosystems, offering stunning views of Lake Talquin and opportunities to explore steep slopes and ravines which shelter many rare plants more feature of the southern appalachian region. Coe Landing is off SR 20 and offers a fantastic opinion of Lake Talquin. A county facility, the landing offers a wax serve RV center with radio receiver Internet, electricity, water, hot showers, and dump place, landing, public toilet, fishing pier, and picnic shelter. Continue 1.8 miles from Fort Braden Trails on SR 20 to Jack Vause Landing Road, then turn right and take after signs into Lake Talquin State Park’s River Bluff Picnic Site. In 1927 the Jackson Bluff Dam was constructed on the Ochlockonee River to produce hydroelectric power. construction of the dam created Lake Talquin, which is 12,000 acres in size and encompasses 14.5 analogue miles of the Ochlockonee River floodplain, offering outstanding amateur opportunities. Visitors can catch Large-Mouth Bass, Bream, Shellcracker, and Speckled Perch or enjoy nature walks, picnicking, boat, and canoeing. nature lovers will find roll hills and deep ravines with forests of pines and hardwoods where they may sight Turkeys, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and Deer. Seepage pour emerge from ravine heads and feed into the lake. These little streams are broadly clear up and are instrumental in shaping ravine ecosystems over meter. On occasion the park may be closed to the public to accommodate private parties. This 554-acre park besides has an interpretative trail, fishing pier, boat establish, and restrooms. Continue on SR 20 for .8 miles to the historic Fort Braden School, which now serves as a Community Center. A plaque describes the history of the fortify, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The first recreational facility along the river is Pine Creek Landing, approximately 12 miles from the intersection with SR 20. It lies just 1.3 miles to the correct ( west ) from the turnoff on CR 375 and offers a capital position of the Ochlockonee River. There are field day facilities, primitive camp, and a gravy boat launching. Five miles south of Pine Creek land is the community of Smith Creek. An honest-to-god one-room school sign of the zodiac is located future to the Volunteer Fire Department. Follow signs to Jack Langston’s Fish Camp and Boat Ramp, just to the justly off the Byway, to see some original fish camp cabins by the river. Porter Lake Recreation Area is located in the affection of the National Forest on the banks of the Ochlockonee River. The outback web site provides visitors with primitive campsites, fresh artesian well water ( hand heart ), boating opportunities, field day tables, colliery toilets, hiking trails, and immediate access to fishing waters. In addition, Porter Lake Recreation Area provides parking and trail access to the Florida National Scenic Trail, which leads hikers through Florida ‘s natural wonders as it meanders 1,300 miles across the submit. In 1983 the U.S. Congress designated the Florida Trail as partially of the National Trails System, making it one of merely eight National Scenic Trails. The following ANF adeptness you will come to on CR 375 is Mack Landing. It is a tip area, with camp, boat launch, picnic tables, restrooms, and fishing. As you continue southerly, the National Forest gives way to gently rolling fields and farms. Myron B. Hodge City Park is a 35-acre park located on the banks of the pristine Sopchoppy River. The park serves as the location for Sopchoppy ‘s annual July 4th celebration with alive music, food, and fireworks. The facility includes camp, restrooms, hot showers, nature trails, boat ramp, fishing dock, boardwalk, gazebo, children ‘s resort area, and field day pavilions. The ballpark grounds besides theater the historic Ed Whaley log home and Curtis Mill School. Favorite activities include boating, kayak, liquid, bird, wildlife screening, and fish. Take scandalmongering Jacket Street from the center of town to reach the Historic Sopchoppy High School and Gymnasium. A plaque describes the history and computer architecture of this web site, constructed in 1939 in native limestone by Works Progress Administration ( WPA ) british labour party. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The auditorium is besides the site of the Sopchoppy Opry, which presents monthly concerts of state, religious doctrine, and blue-grass music in the Grand Ole Opry custom. Follow signs on Curtis Mill Road to Wood Lake, a facility of the Apalachicola National Forest, which has a boat launch and fishing. From Ochlockonee River State Park, continue south on US 319 over the Ochlockonee River, leaving Wakulla County and entering St. James Island in Franklin County. At low tide, if you look cautiously to your justly, you can still see the remains of the Old McIntyre Ferry lying in state partially submerged against the southwest trust of the river. McIntyre was a turn-of-the-century logging town and mid-way end for the GF & A railway line from Tallahassee to Carrabelle. You can still see the old trestle at the St. Joe Boat Ramp by turning right ( west ) on McIntyre Road ( a dirt road ). At the first intersection with Rio Vista Road ( CR 370 ), turn left and take a brief side trip, parallel to the river, to the Cow Creek Boat Ramp. If you have a kayak or little boat, you can spend an concern 45 minutes to a few hours exploring Cow Creek, a beautiful pour that meanders past huge Cypress trees and banks lined with Wild Rice. besides drive lento to see White Squirrels in yards and trees. White Squirrels were brought to Breakaway Lodge, now a secret home on Rio Vista, by its original owner, Fenton Jones, in the 1950s from a little population protected by a farmer in Gadsen County, Florida. They are not albino but leucistic and the trait is dominant because 8 out of 10 squirrels at Breakaway are flannel. Since then they have spread up and down the Ochlockonee River including the Ochlockonee River State Park. The White Squirrels at the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science are besides from this “ family. ” The Breakaway Lodge was a hunt and fish lodge built in 1938. many celebrated personalities stayed there, including Ted Williams, Cab Calloway, and Richard Boone. From the overlap of Coastal Highway ( US 98 ) and Sopchoppy Highway ( US 319 ), continue west. Down the road 3 miles you will come to the St. James Bay Golf Course on your right. This 18-hole championship run, designated as an Audubon International Sanctuary, is both challenging and beautiful. Facilities include a restaurant and pro patronize. The beginning creek heading north on SR 65 is Cash Creek with a boat launch, picnic pavilion, and pier on the east side of the road. Get out your cameras. The brilliant views from here and the bridge are well worth the entire drive. The future brook heading north are Whiskey George ( which has a handicapped-accessible landing ), Doyle Creek and Landing, then Graham Creek & Landing. The coach trestle and tracks along the roadway belong to the Apalachicola Northern Railroad. 16.6 miles from the starting point on Highway 65, the Byway enters the Apalachicola National Forest. In four miles you will come to a sign on the west side of the road ( FR 129 ) marking the capture to the Fort Gadsden Historic Site. FR 129 is a grade dirt road that passes through moisture savannah about one mile from the turnoff at SR 65. In spring, these savannahs are in bloom. You can find pitcher Plants, Orchids, and Sundews with great opportunities for close-up photography. But expect to get your feet wet ! Follow FR 129 for 3 miles west to the Historic Site. Called the “ Hill of Good Vistas ” by the spanish and “ Achackweithle ” by native Americans, this site on the eastern bank of the Apalachicola River—so calm in appearance today—was the stress of a series of international conflicts that literally determined the destiny of nations. At respective times Prospect Bluff hosted a spanish settlement, a british Fort, a Negro Fort, and the U.S. Fort Scott and Fort Gadsden. Conflicts involved escape Negro slaves ; Creek, Choctaw, and Seminole Indians ; british and american english forces ; and Confederate and Union troops. This locate is a National Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are two other classifiable Apalachicola National Forest facilities that you may wish to visit along this path. After returning to the Byway ( SR 65 ), travel 2.5 miles far north to FR 101, a grade crap road. Both facilities may be accessed from this road. 101-B leads to Hickory Landing with camp, picnic tables, restrooms, drinking urine, boat bring, and fish and hike trails. 101-A leads to Wright Lake with camp, cinch tables, trailer space and plunge station, restrooms, showers, fishing, liquid, hike, and nature trails. Wright Lake is handicapped-accessible and both facilities have entrance fees. The Byway ends 2.5 miles to the north at the erstwhile town of Sumatra. If you have time, take this side trip to explore more of the Apalachicola National Forest and the Apalachee Savannahs Scenic Byway. In spring and fall the roadway is celebrated for its brilliant wildflowers. The savanna are sub-tropical grasslands scattered with Longleaf Pine trees and covered with drought-resistant underbrush. They form an open landscape where Wiregrass covers the forest floor. much of the territory is arenaceous and frequently wet. Wildflowers such as Orchids, Pitcher Plants, and Sundews flourish, making the savannah some of the most botanically rich areas in the nation. In Apalachicola, continue through town on Market Street to the goal of the road and the terminus of the Coastal Trail of the Big Bend Scenic Byway. Along this route you can visit the Chapman Botanical Garden named for Alvin W. Chapman, an internationally known botanist and supporter in the early 1800s of Dr. Gorrie, a well as these other facilities : The Orman House State Park is diametric the Garden, behind the War Memorial. The house was built in 1838 by Thomas Orman. The wood for this two-story home was cut to measure near Syracuse, New York, and shipped to Apalachicola by sailing vessel around the Florida Keys, then assembled on the bluff overlooking the broad estuary and bay of the Apalachicola River. The Chestnut Street Cemetery, established in 1831, is one of the most significant on the Byway. Stop by the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center at 122 Commerce Street for brochures and walking maps. Home of “ The Official Big Bend Scenic Byway Sandwich, ” Apalachicola has the only live professional field on the Byway ( the historic Dixie Theatre ), a kind of lodgings and B & Bs, restaurants, accelerator stations, grocery stores, post office, marina and marine supplies, public docks, parks, outfitters and guides, and fast food chains. Another noteworthy period is the John Gorrie State Park, celebrating the local repair who pioneered the exploitation of artificial ice-making, refrigeration, and air condition. The St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is Iocated in the Harbor Master Building, 479 Market Street. It offers interpretative displays and information on St. Vincent, a remote control 12,300-acre barrier island at the west end of Apalachicola Bay. The wildlife refuge contains an 86-acre unit in Franklin County vitamin a well as 45-acre Pig Island in St. Joe Bay, Gulf County. St. Vincent is dissected by dune ridges, which are geological records of ancient beaches and fluctuating sea levels over the last 5,000 years. many of the backbone roads follow these ridges extending from east to west the length of the island. The interdune areas vary from fresh water lakes and sloughs to dry upland ache forests. Four miles wide and nine miles long, St. Vincent is larger and wider than most of the northern Gulf Coast barrier islands. former owners introduced a kind of exotic wildlife to the island. A population of Sambar Deer, an Elk native to Southeast Asia, still roams the island. In 1990 St. Vincent was selected as one of respective southeastern coastal islands for the reproduction of endangered Red Wolves. An island shuttle overhaul provides transportation system to St. Vincent. Located at the opposite end of the gravy boat harbor from the St. Vincent ‘s Visitor Center is the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Nature Center, containing extensive displays and information on the estuary that includes the river delta bay. Three tanks include autochthonal life sentence from the river, alcove, and gulf. A brusque interpretative nature base on balls winds through a picturesque wetland. Apalachicola Maritime Museum, located at 103 Water Street, celebrates the nautical history of Apalachicola with displays, an active sailing program, boat building and restoration, and educational programs. jointly, the activities of the AMM provide a sight into the rich history of the Gulf coastal region and river systems that come together to form the Apalachicola, the largest river in Florida. The museum ‘s centerpiece is the inheritance of Apalachicola, a 58 ‘ wooden ketch designed by L. Francis Herreschoff .

Day Two

St. George Island Lighthouse was originally constructed on Cape St. George by Edward Bowden in 1848. It was a conic column constructed of brick and cast-iron, 74 feet high. It was lighted in 1850 and deactivated in mid-1994. The original lens by Winslow Lewis was fifteen fixed Lewis lamps with sixteen-inch reflectors, which were replaced by a third-order fix Fresnel lens by Henry Le Paute with a focal plane of 72 feet. The loom collapsed following Hurricane Dennis in 2005, moved to its current localization of St. George Island, and painstakingly reconstructed brick-by-brick for public watch by the beacon association. Marion Millender Site is a lovely shaded field day area on St. George Sound. It is located in Eastpoint on George Patton Road ( SR 30 ) on the water past several seafood houses. From here it is merely a abruptly distance to the St. George Island Bridge Fishing Pier, which is a end of the erstwhile bridge that was completed in 1965. Left standing on both sides of the Sound, these piers nowadays are popular fishing spots. Tate’s Hell State Forest is located west of the Crooked River Lighthouse on US 98. Pull into the park set for High Bluff Coastal Hiking Trail to access this one-mile closed circuit, which features coastal cancel habitat unique to this coastline. The road crosses old backbone dunes covered by plants, Scrub Oaks, and isolated groups of Sand Pines, and lower elevations with dense Palmettos, Slash and Longleaf Pine. A field day table is located at the halfway point and a park bench at the end of the spur chase. Located on US 98 1.9 miles west of Carrabelle Beach is the Crooked River Lighthouse. Erected in 1895 to replace the Dog Island beacon, it is a steel skeletal tugboat constructed of cementum and iron, 103 feet high, with 138 steps. The lens was built in 1894 by Henri La Paute in Paris. ownership of the tower was transferred to the City of Carrabelle, and subsequently leased to the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association, which has restored the structure and opened the adjacent kingdom, where two lightkeepers ‘ houses once stood, as a public park.

Featured on “ real People, ” “ Ripley ‘s Believe It or not, ” and the “ Today Show, ” the World’s Smallest Police Station is located in Carrabelle on the north side of US 98 as you drive west. In the early 1960s the police telephone was bolted to a build at the corner of US 98 and Tallahassee Street. To avoid problems with tourists making unauthorized long distance calls and protect officers from the elements, the telephone was late placed in a booth at its stream localization. however, the illegal calls continued and finally the dial was removed from the earphone. Vandals late ripped phones from the booth, inject holes through its glass, and knocked it over. A tourist once asked a gasoline place attendant to help him load it into his vehicle so he could take it back to Tennessee. The original booth is on display in the Carrabelle Chamber of Commerce office. Carrabelle’s Riverwalk along Marine Street offers waterfront pavilions, fishing, state-of-the-art fish clean stations, boat launch and dock facilities, arsenic well as restaurants. The Camp Gordon Johnston Museum is located across the street. Dedicated to the heritage of soldiers of World War II, this museum focuses in detail on those who trained here for the D-Day amphibious landings. It includes extensive history of these units equally well as a photographic display of the area and life sentence as it existed at the camp. Artifacts are displayed in six rooms : Barracks, Equipment, War, Home Front, Camp Gordon Johnston, and Franklin County Veterans. Located in St. Teresa on US 98, FSU Marine and Coastal Laboratory was constructed in 1968 to facilitate cogitation of the coastal environment. Facilities include laboratories, classrooms, a modest library, house, a fleet of little boats, a 47-foot multi-purpose research vessel, diving engineering, and other equipment for education and research in the marine environment. The testing ground is open year-round. Its facilities are available for habit by Florida State University faculty, staff, and students angstrom well as ( by prior arrangement ) investigators and educational groups from outside the university. Plans are under way to incorporate a stop on the Byway for the traveling public. Bald Point State Park borders the south english of Ochlockonee Bay in Franklin County. It is 2.9 miles from the turnoff on US 98 to CR 370. Some of the most picturesque areas along the North Florida Gulf Coast can be found at this park, one of the newest additions to the award-winning Florida Park System. Located on Alligator Point where Ochlockonee Bay meets Apalachee Bay, Bald Point offers a multitude of land and water activities. coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and oak thickets foster a diversity of biological communities that make the park a democratic destination for bird and wildlife view. Every fall, Bald Eagles, other migrating raptors, and Monarch Butterflies are normally sighted here as they head south for the winter. A surprising web site, you might see Black Bears, Sea Turtles, and Alligators sharing the same stretch of beach…watch for tracks ! South of Panacea on Coastal Highway ( US 98 ) is Ochlockonee Bay. The wetland views along this part of the Byway are stunning. Watch for Bald Eagles, Osprey, and Herons along the wayside ponds. This placid bayside community offers fishing supplies, delicatessen food, coastal home rentals at real property offices, RV camp, natural gas stations, waterfront restaurants, and the Wakulla County Regional Airport with a supergrass runway for little planes. During the summer airplane rides and skydiving are offered here. At the blinking traffic light before the Ochlockonee Bay Bridge turn right ( west ) onto Surf Road, which leads some 3.6 miles by private coastal homes to the entrance of another part of the Panacea Unit of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. alternatively, turn left at the bally dealings light onto Mashes Sands Road to visit the beach, boat launch, and fishing pier at Mashes Sands County Recreational Area. This is a courteous position to view Apalachee Bay, determine Dolphins, cast for Mullet and, at depleted tide, walk the sandbars to see a great variety of shorebirds, including Black Skimmers. Panacea ‘s working waterfront is just down Rock Landing Road. Located on beautiful Dickerson Bay, Rock Landing has docks for commercial and charter fish, a waterfront restaurant, boat supply shop, gravy boat storage, and launching facilities. Funds have been received to renovate the adeptness, so some of the services may not be presently available. Located within the Panacea Unit of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Panacea, the Otter Lake Recreation Area offers picnic tables and shelters, restrooms, a launch steer for small boats with a motor size limit of 10 horse exponent or less, and cover girl views of the lake backed by Cypress trees and moss-draped Oaks. Another dainty stop is Woolley Park, which has a children ‘s resort area, walking trail, parking, and fishing pier. Each May the parking lot is the site of the annual Blue Crab and Mighty Mullet Maritime Festivals. Turn left on Mound Street at the south end of the Shops by the Bay center to access the parking lot at Woolley Park. The Big Bend Maritime Center is being developed in the two buildings adjacent to the park and will be exposed in 2010, with on-water activities, lectures, interpretative displays, and much more. meanwhile, there is a little but informative “ mini-museum ” in the Shops by the Bay center. You can walk immediately across the road to visit the Panacea Mineral Springs, which are being restored to their original aura ; a replica of the early 1900s hotel at the site is on the drawing control panel. Founded in 1895, Panacea was named for the mend properties of its many mineral springs. Visitors arrived from far away by balmy and plank road trams drawn by mules to bathe in the springs ‘ curing waters. As you enter Panacea from Medart, the Wakulla County Welcome Center will be on your leave. Perched on pilings overlooking Dickerson Bay, the Center offers sweep views of the surrounding marsh and coastline. Stop in to look at old photograph, artifacts, artwork, and educational displays ; pick up information about area attractions ; and talk with the knowing and friendly volunteer staff. As you drive union from Panacea the first turn on your right is Bottoms Road, leading 2.5 miles through the Refuge along Dickerson Bay and offering fantastic marsh views. This is an excellent bird spot, where you may find large congregations of White Pelicans in winter, Marsh Hawks in the fall, Marsh Wrens, Clapper Rails, and a wide variety of shore birds in spring. In summer you might even spot a Roseate Spoonbill. Birding or not, the view alone is worth the drive. A boat ramp at the end of the road offers fishermen send access to the Bay. You can besides park there and walk along the beach or road. At night Bottoms Road is a bang-up set for star-gazing. Located on your right as you drive north between Panacea and Medart on US 98 is Skipper Bay Road, a graded crap road entering the Panacea Unit of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. approximately 1 mile down this road, you will see a number of large Long-Leaf Pine trees with the classifiable turpentine “ cat-face. ” Some silent have the tin drains attached and are the best exist leftover along the Byway of the authoritative turpentine and naval stores diligence that once characterized the area. You can turn around where the road ends at the small bridge. The reason the “ Road Closed ” signal is posted at the capture is that the road nobelium longer continues all the way to Skipper Bay. To access the Harvey’s Historic Truck Display, turn north on US 319 in Medart toward Crawfordville. This unusual wayside display of respective generations of old rusting trucks in an open playing field is one of the most photograph features along the Byway. It is located 1.8 miles north of the Lake Ellen Church and Cemetery. Spring Creek, which is accessed off US 98 at the intersection with US 319 in Medart, is an historic fish village on the banks of Dickerson Bay. The diagnose comes from a first order of magnitude spring that upwells precisely off shore. No facilities except for the Spring Creek restaurant. Medart Recreation Park, on US 98 in Medart, has ball fields, basketball courts, a children ‘s playground, and ample park. There is no fee. This fortune of the Byway is planted with native wildflowers in bloom during spring and fall. Located on US 98 near Medart, the Wildwood Golf and Country Club features a restaurant, golf denounce, and driving compass. Its popular 18-hole course is open to the populace. The Wakulla River, which originates at Wakulla Springs, flows south for about ten miles, crossing US 98 before joining the St. Marks River near Fort San Marcos. The quartz glass clean waters make it a popular put for float, boating, and fishing. Whether you explore up stream or down, you will see lots of wildlife including West indian Manatees, Turtles, Alligators, and a wide variety of birds and plants. Canoe and kayak rentals are available at the southeast side of the US 98 bridge. Wakulla Beach is accessed by Wakulla Beach Road, located 1.3 miles west of the Wakulla River on US 98. This graded dirt road enters the Wakulla Unit of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The beach is 3.9 miles down the road, near ruins of an previous hotel. There are no public facilities but the solitude and views of Goose Creek Bay and huge seagrass beds are worth the drive. After the first mile, Wakulla Beach Road passes a trail head for the Florida National Scenic Trail, which leads hikers through Florida ‘s natural wonders as it meanders 1,300 miles across the state. There is a little parking bunch at the trail head. From there, hike the trail west for about 2 1/2 miles until you reach Shepard’s Spring ( allow approximately two hours for the round travel plus the time you wish to spend at the form ). This is a beautiful jump surrounded by lavish vegetation. The path to the spring is now a raised walk with benches at the goal. however adorable this web site is, you have n’t seen anything yet ! Opposite the path to Shepard ‘s spring is a trail leading into “ The Cathedral of the Palms. “ As you walk in, you will notice Cabbage Palms and early trees that are much larger than those you passed earlier. You will then find yourself in the in-between of an ancient, old-growth palm forest. There is truly nothing else like this on the Byway. Save some calm clock time to appreciate the scene and take lots of pictures. Florida ‘s first base designated state trail follows the abandon railbed of the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad. The 16-mile paved trail runs south from Florida ‘s capital city, Tallahassee, through the Apalachicola National Forest, and ends in the coastal community of St. Marks. Through the early 1900s, this historic railroad track corridor was used to transport cotton from the plantation belt to the coast for cargo to textile mills in England and New England. today it is frequented by bicyclists, walkers, and skaters, and provides access for horseback riding on the unpaved adjacent trail. San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park is located in the city of St. Marks. A well-marked trail with an enlightening booklet leads visitors on a travel through the historic fortification ruins. A visitor center containing exhibits and artifacts covering the area ‘s history is built on the foundation garment of an old marine hospital. Picnic areas and park are provided. open 9 ante meridiem until 5 post meridiem, Thursday through Monday. Located opposite CR 59 leading to the recourse, Wakulla County Newport Park offers camping, picnic facilities, bathrooms, a gravy boat launch, and a boardwalk on the St. Marks River. A marker at the park entrance notes that the old town of Magnolia was established about two miles from the parking lot. In the 1800s the St. Marks River provided the basis for a lucrative cotton tape drive business, which in turn supported the establishment of five towns along the river depository financial institution and, for a brief prison term during World War II, a facility on the river for the construction of PT boats. originally called Newport when it was founded to replace Port Leon following a black hurricane, it became an economic kernel with a many as 1,500 inhabitants and a twelve large stores, warehouses, wharves, and stills. Newport was designated the county seat in 1844. The town was badly damaged during the Civil War. Once Florida ‘s second largest city, Newport had fewer than 30 residents by 1872. At the intersection of Bloxham Cutoff ( SR 267 ) and Woodville Highway ( SR 363 ), take Woodville Highway union for 5.6 miles into Leon County. In the town of Woodville, turn correct ( east ) onto Natural Bridge Road ( CR 2192 ). Follow signs 6 miles to the Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site. Natural Bridge is the locate of the second largest Civil War battle in Florida, which took target where the St. Marks River drops into a sinkhole and flows underground for one-fourth of a mile before reemerging. During the final examination weeks of the Civil War a Union flotilla landed at Apalachee Bay, planning to capture Fort Ward ( now San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park ) and march north to the state capital, Tallahassee. With a timely admonitory, volunteers from the Tallahassee area—some Confederate soldiers joined by old men and youthful boys—intercepted the Union forces at Natural Bridge and successfully repelled three major attacks. The Union troops were forced to retreat to the coast and Tallahassee was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi not captured by the Union. The Wakulla State Forest parking pavilion is located off of Bloxham Cutoff Road ( SR 267 ), approximately 2 miles east of the entrance to Wakulla Springs State Park. This diversion sphere features the Nemours Hiking Trail closed circuit, a 1.75-mile trail which traverses a assorted pine/hardwood forest, pine plantation, early succession wildlife clear, and a hardwood/cypress slough ; and the 4.5-mile doubly Springs Multi-Use Trail cringle. Riders and hikers should expect an amazing drag that will include abject water crossings, inclines, and winding trails. For those hikers and riders who prefer exploring off the score trails, nineteen miles of serve roads transect the Wakulla Tract ampere well as a series of avail roads located on the Woodville Tract. Picnicking is available at the parking area pavilion located off of SR 267 and besides at the parking area on the Woodville Tract off of highway 363. If you have time, visit Cherokee Sink, a beautifully regenerate natural geological formation called a sinkhole lake. There are cinch tables and walkways down to the lake. Swimming, SCUBA dive ( cash register in boost at Ranger Station ), picnicking, and hiking are allowed. To reach Cherokee Sink, exit Wakulla Springs State Park, change by reversal left onto SR 267, and drive 0.1 miles. At the caution light at the intersection of SR 267, and SR 61, turn left ( south ) onto SR 61 and continue 1.2 miles. Turn correctly onto an unpaved park road at the humble Cherokee Sink bless and drive 1.2 miles. Turn right into the parking lot.

The Bethel Historic Site, consisting of an old church and cemetery, is located west of Wakulla Springs State Park at the intersection of SR 267and Spring Creek Highway ( SR 365 ). From the intersection of Bloxham Cutoff ( SR 267 ) and Crawfordville Highway ( US 319 ) on the Byway, take US 319 south 5 miles to the town of Crawfordville, to visit the historic Wakulla County Courthouse. The wooden vernacular-style courthouse was designed by G. W. Tully and constructed in 1892-93. It is said to be the oldest wood-frame courthouse placid in use in Florida. In 1948 it was relocated one forget aside from its original web site and immediately houses the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce and visitor center. The old Jail stands across the street. After renovation is completed, it will theater the museum and genealogic archives of the Wakulla County Historical Society. Azalea and Hudson Parks in the center of town have walking trails and field day facilities. Turn east on Taff Drive to visit the Apalachicola National Forest Headquarters, 57 Taff Drive ( 850/926-3561 ). The headquarters has data on the Apalachicola National Forest, including shuttlecock lists, activities, natural features, maps, etc .