Riverbanks Adventure Forum

Breathtaking Scenery in the untouched Salt Marshes of the Lower Suwannee River Basin!

// May 12th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Adventure Vacations, Adventures, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Florida, Florida Canoe Trail, Great Florida Birding Trail, Hiking, Nature Photography

I had a great day hiking and exploring the 53,000 acre Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge this past weekend. This refuge was established in 1979 to protect one of the largest undeveloped and most scenic river-delta estuarine systems in the United States. The numerous off-shore islands, salt marshes and tidal creeks create an excellent wildlife habitat.

As I set out to hike the Dennis Creek trail, I am amused at how the Fiddler crabs run abundant as they quickly scatter from my seemingly giant footsteps.  I veer from the main trail to explore the trail created by Fisherman along Dennis Creek.  To my surprise I see several oyster bars and two great white egrets feeding across the creek and a few fishing traps. The marshes explode with color as the lime green of the perennial glasswort and the brown cord grasses contrast with the blue water and sky. I cross one of several boardwalks over a salt flat to an island inundated by pine trees.  This offers a welcome shady relief from the hot sun while day hiking this scenic trail. I notice one tree has a CatFace….a scar cut over 70 years ago to drain the tree of its sap.  I spot a Pileated Woodpecker and pause to watch as he flys from tree to tree in search of insects.  The trail leads me back over the salt marshes of Dennis Creek. Again the view is breathtaking today with the white fluffy clouds hovering over the treeline in the distance.  This side of the trail is lined with hardwoods.  The Red Cedars really stand out from the oaks as they are filled with baby-blue berries.   This trail leads me back to my truck.  A short hike but breathtaking scenery in these untouched lands!  One can only hope these lands are spared from the tragic Gulf oil spill that is haunting the Gulf Coasts……

 This refuge was established in 1979 to protect one of the largest undeveloped and most scenic river-delta estuarine systems in the United States. The numerous off-shore islands, salt marshes and tidal creeks create an excellent wildlife habitat.  The refuge is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and also the FWC Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail.  The FWC Paddling trail has maps and GPS coordinates for designated campsites.   For day paddling, there are several Canoe put ins through out the Refuge to allow for paddling shallow salt marshes and along the designated Canoe Trails.

Click here to view more photos of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge on Flickr.

Guide Books: Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State, Author Sandra Friend

Seminole State Forest – My First Black Bear Sighting! – Trailwalker Week 6

// January 29th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Adventures, Backpacking, Camping, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Florida trail near dusk by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

I needed one more hike and one more forest to earn my Trailwalker Badge.  I decided to travel to Lake County and hike the 10 mile Wekiva Loop in the Seminole State Forest.  I knew nothing about this hike except that it was partially along the Wekiva River and having paddled the Wekiva a few years ago, I was hoping it was just as scenic. The hike starts at the Bear Pond Trailhead which is the South entrance into this forest. The trail follows the scenic Florida Trail the trail through a young pine scrub that was exploding with purple blooms of deer tongue and other late summer wildflowers. As the trail then leads you into the Wekiva River floodplain, the cooler air from the spring run along with the new flora was a refreshing change.  I slowed my pace taking in the flora to allow more time to hide in the shade.  The trail then leads you back out into the Sand Pine Scrub and into the Sun.  Eventually I came upon a small section of Oak Scrub and that was where I saw the Florida Black Bear!  I was awestruck as I watched him for several moments while he gathered food from the Oak Tree in which he was sitting. He spotted me as I was taking his photo. He gingerly climbed down and disappeared into the thicket of Saw Palmetto.  I was elated as I could not help to think “How special of a day to see my first Black Bear on my final hike to earn my Trailwalker badge!”  I pick up my pace with my renewed energy.

Florida Black Bear gathering food

From here the trail takes you back into the Blackwater Creek floodplain. It follows a forest road that looks more like an Old Tram trail for logging.  I pause for a moment to imagine the giant cypress forest before our ancestors logged them away for profit. In the middle of this Tram Road is where I spotted the rare Celestial Lily’s in their afternoon open bloom. I am intrigued by this delicate flower that is scattered about and only has a single flower per stem.  Again I am reminded that this hike and this day are indeed special.

Rare Celestial Lily

I continue along over a  foot bridge into a forest full of tall pines and Cabbage Palms that are stretching to grow just as tall. Some sightings of resurrection fern, wild pine, and other epiphytes can be spotted. Once you leave the Blackwater Creek area, the trail is back out into the Sand Pine Scrub that is also a shared use trail for horses. After a mile and a half of this scenic scrub, the Trail joins the Florida Trail that you can take south to loop back to the Trailhead. If you have had enough adventure for the day, you can also follow the forest road south and save yourself some steps.

I chose to take the Florida Trail route back south to finish the loop.  This shorter fall days caught me by surprise as I had started to run out of daylight with 1.5 miles to finish.  I finished the last mile by moonlight. Had I not experienced the Moonlight hike at Goldhead State Park four weeks prior, I would not have remained near as calm as I made my way back to Bear Pond trailhead. But watching the sun set from the Florida Trail was a truly satisfying way to end a long day hike.

Longtailed Skipper hovering over Deer Tongue Wildflower

My two hour drive home just flew by as I reminisced about the hike I had today and my of the other nine Trailwalker Hikes  before.  For a moment, I smiled and proudly thought “I am officially a Trailwalker and what a wonderful journey it was!”

For more photos see Seminole State Forest on Flickr

Other related Trailwalker posts: Goethe (Week 1), Lake McKethan (week 2), Holly Hammock (week 2), Johnsons Pond (week 3), Oxbow Nature Trail (week 3), Etoniah State Forest (wk 3),  Buck Island Pond (wk 4)

Withlacoochee River Park – A cultural and natural gem in the heart of the Green Swamp

// November 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Florida, Florida Canoe Trail, Hiking, Kayaking

Hollowed Tree by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

Withlacoochee River Park is a great place for family gatherings or just a nice place to unwind and spend the day!
The Withlacoochee River Park is part of the Green Swamp and sits on the banks of the Withlacoochee River South. There is a canoe launch for paddling and fishing, several picnic areas, primitive campsites through the park, group campsites, a 2.5 mile nature trail that connects with a 5.5 mile Florida Trail hiking spur just outside of the park. The park also provides cultural learning opportunities with an original native American ceremonial hut in a small replica Indian Village complete with archery range. There is also a small replica Florida Cracker village near to group campsite for scouts to play. Be alert for the displays of chainsaw art carved in tree stumps in the forms of statues and chairs that add whimsy to this vast forest.
The park is also handicapped friendly as it provides a paved path throughout the park the parallels the nature trail in several spots. Families also frequent this trail on bicycles for a nice ride through the forest.

Saturday I met my friend Sandra Friend to hike the Withlacoochee River Park for her new edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida. We began our journey along the West bank of the River where the Florida Trail Association maintains a 5.5 mile spur trail just outside of the park. Although it is not part of the main National Scenic Florida Trail, it is a nice jaunt that leads you along the west flood plain of the river laden with Cypress knees. It drifts slightly west into the sand-hills with resurrection fern covered live oaks and an occasional greenfly orchid. Plants that only thrive in the most humid of conditions! The trail leads you to a primitive campsite and loops back with the option to either enter the park or retrace your steps back along the river. Saturday we felt adventurous and veered into the park to follow 2.2 mile nature trail. This trail was a pleasant trek as it leads you through a diversity of natural Florida habitats. We trekked through an oak hammock boasting mature live oaks with winding twisting arms blanketed underneath with contrasting lime green saw palmettos. The trail then leads you on a boardwalk over a wet prairie currently covered with mustard yellow button flowers and amber colored fall grasses back into a sand-hill habitat with spots of  purple blazing star and puffs of grey deer moss. A sturdy viewing tower sits at the north end of the loop and worth the five storey climb for breathtaking views of the Green Swamp. You can see Cypress domes line the Withlacoochee River shores in the distance. As we continued through the sand-hills the trail crosses the vast wet prairie again over another boardwalk. We came upon a replica Florida cracker village next to a large group campsite with families and young scouting boys full of energy and delight as they played in these historic landmarks. We continued through the village and back on the trail to come upon a native American ceremonial hut with a practice archery range behind it. We revelled in the Indian Village a few moments imagining the lifestyles our predecessors had lived on these lands before us. From here we followed the nature trail back to the picnic area in which we parked our cars.
Withlacoochee River Park is truly an enjoyable place to hike!

Guide Books: 50 Hikes in Central Florida

View more photos of the Withlacoochee River Park

Dramatic Panoramic Overlook, Hiking Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah is Worth the Day Trip!

// July 15th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Adventure Vacations, Camping, Hiking, Moab, Utah

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

We were on our way to Moab, Utah from Grand Junction Colorado and arrived much earlier than anticipated.  I remember visiting Dead Horse Point State Park 13 years ago and felt it would be a nice little side trip to keep us busy until our Hotel check-in time!  We pulled out the atlas and headed out for some adventure.

The park has changed since my last visit but for the better I assure you.  The park fee is now $5 to get in but the experience is well worth the money.  They have this really nice visitor center that is stocked with toys, outdoors books and other keepsakes to remember your visit.  The center has an interpretive guide and the rangers are more than helpful with the site map and the rim hike.  I was extremely pleased with the quality of this State Park and its visitor center.  Very clean and well maintained. Coming from Florida’s Gold Medal winning State Parks, I would say the Utah is ready to give them a run for their money and then some! (more…)

ATV Riding/Camping at Croom, Withlacoochee State Forrest, FL

// June 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // ATV, Adventure Vacations, Camping, Motor sports

Honda TRX90 Muddin'

Croom Offroad Motorcycle Area is located off SR 50 and I-275 on the outskirts of  Brooksville, Florida.  It is 2600 acres of land dedicated for ATV and Motor-Cross Bikes and it is great place for family riding.  The park was established in 1973 with the efforts of an organization called the Florida Trail Riders, who are advocates of responsible trail riding and have worked together with the Florida Department of Agriculture to establish safe riding practices.   The terrain is hardwood hammock, tight scrubs, and some wetlands during the rainy season.

Motorcross Bike at Croom

Parts of it are abandoned mining areas pits that are now part of the  Withlacoochee State Forrest, and that makes for some interesting hill riding.  There is also a lake in the front that can be a huge mud pit during the dry season.   There is also a coral area that is fenced off for the little tikes that are learning how to ride.  Croom definitely has something for everyone. There are easy trails for beginners, wide trails full of whoops for the racer, tight winding trails that can challenge even the best rider, tight hill climbs in mine pit areas, and plenty of areas with water.

Honda Foreman 450 4x4, Croom

The camping area is near the back of the park and has amenities for RV hook ups.  During the winter months, this camping area fills up fast and they do not take reservations.  Although it is nice to wake up and start riding first thing in the morning without having to unload, the Silver Lake Campgroundoff Croom Rital Road is a nice second choice and is just minutes from the Motorcycle Area. For those of you who prefer not to camp, there is a Holiday Inn on SR 50 just outside the entrance of the park and are used to hosting riders.

Camping at Croom Motorcycle Area

Our Clan Camping at Croom

We happen to live only an hour from here so naturally that is the place we frequent the most for ATV riding.  There are plenty of trails mapped out by the Forrest rangers, however, there  are also many trails cutting through the woods. This makes for fun riding but can get the average person temporarily disorientated.  The 2600 acres are fenced in so it hard to get lost.   It is easy to get confused and is not a bad idea to carry a GPS until you are familiar with the park. 

Despite the $45 annual riding fee, this area continues to be one of the most popular riding areas in the state.  (see the link below for rules and regulations on riding) 

Rules and Fees