Madison Blue Spring State Park by B A Bowen Photography

Many times I have passed Madison Blue Springs on my way to my north Florida property but never took the time to visit. This past weekend, I finally had time to explore inside this spring based park as we were launching our canoes for a day’s paddle along the Withlacoochee River North. There are many springs named ‘Blue Spring’ in Florida and rightly so as the topaz blue waters sparkle like a gemstone in the bright Florida sunlight. Madison Blue Spring has certainly earned its name as its pool of blue waters sit in a pristine setting surrounded by the temperate hardwood forest commonly found in northern Florida. Take in the view from all angles as you follow the path around the rim of the spring. Follow the stairs down to the observation deck to gain a more intimate experience of the spring. The best view is along the southern rim looking down the corridor of cypress and hardwoods that line the spring run as it empties into the Withlacoochee River North

Located approximately 10 miles east of Madison off SR 6 in northern Florida, Madison Blue spring is one of the tributaries for the Withlacoochee River North. This first magnitude spring is one of Florida’s newest State parks. Its clean cool waters make it a popular swimming hole in the summertime. The park also has picnic pavilions, grills, volleyball court, restroom facilities, and fishing areas. The park holds another smaller spring emerging from a funnel of limestone that is popular with experienced divers. This smaller spring is connected to the main spring by a series of caverns that is confined but navigable.
Madison Blue Spring is certainly a worthy visit when in Northern Florida.

Address:
8300 N.E. State Road 6
Lee, Florida 32059
(850) 971-5003

One of my favorite rivers to paddle along Florida’s Nature Coast is the spring fed Waccasassa River in Levy County.  Engulfed by protected lands, this river less traveled offers true serenity and solitude. The Waccasassa River Park offers a boat ramp with bathroom facilities and picnic tables for riverside fisherman. It has true rustic charm with nary an outfitter or civilized city for miles. If fact, it is best to prepared with bare necessities such as food, drink, and gas prior to making the journey to Gulf Hammock. The closest places for amenities are over 10 miles to Bronson, Chiefland, or Inglis. Yes, the parking lot can fill up with trucks pulling boats on trailers, but these fisherman all veer out to the Gulf leaving, for the most part a paddler to the river all by him/herself.

This past Memorial Day weekend, I paddled three miles up the Waccasassa before the thick dark canopy and fallen logs made the portaging frequent and un-fun. However, I had the pleasure of seeing several Swallow-tailed kites soaring through the skies, snatching grubs from tree tops and eating them all in mid-flight. The level of this river is also heavily influenced by the tide as the water levels can change 2-3 feet with the incoming water as well as the direction of river flow. The mudflats prove to be an interesting place as large populations of giant white clawed fiddler crabs crawl sideways along the banks into the jungle of cypress knees for refuge. When the crabs are out, the Yellow-crowned night herons lurk along the banks and up in the Cypress trees stalking these small but satisfying crustaceans. As I retreated back down the Waccasassa River, I headed southeast at the fork up the Wekiva River (not to be confused with the Wekiwa River in Seminole County).

(Click here to view the Blue Flag Iris on Fine Art America)
The Wekiva River is most scenic as the banks are dappled with an occasional Giant Cypress Tree and the canopy is wide open. In the Springtime, the banks are bright with color as Purple Iris’s and golden Asters bloom in abundance in the muddy flats. Turtles and jumping mullet are a common sight as the water becomes clearer while paddling further upstream. Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, and Tri-colored Heron can also be see foraging in the bogs amongst thick patches Golden Club and Swamp Potato semi-aquatic plants.
This two minute video will allow you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the Waccasassa River and its tributaries.

Located in a secluded area known as Gulf Hammock, the river originates at Blue Springin Bronson and winds 29 miles increasing in volume as other tributaries join the river on its journey to the Waccasassa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Major feeds include Magee Branch, Mule Creek, Wekiva River, and Cow Creek.
The Rivers name is derived from the Seminole words “wacca,” meaning “cows,” and “sassa” meaning “there are”, translating to “Where there are cows.” Much of the River is surrounded by state owned lands including: Devils Hammock to the Northeast, Gulf Hammock Wild Management Area, and Waccasassa Bay Preserve protects 31,000 acres of estuary land around the mouth of the river and nearby coastal areas.

Directions:  From US 19 in Levy County, turn west on SR 376. Follow SR 376 until it ends.  The Waccasassa River Park is at the end of the road (approx. three miles).

It was mid-week before I was certain I could make the trip to the panhandle for Wild Azalea Hike along the winding Sopchoppy River. I called the Leader of this electronically organized Meet-up event to see if I could join the Apalachee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association on this coveted hike. George was pleasant, accommodating, and quick to give me direction. I expressed that I was surprised this trip was not full….”Oh it is.” He quickly corrected my thinking “I just do not like to turn anyone away.” I thanked him and hung up the phone excited and eternally grateful that I was able to get the opportunity to see the Pink Wild Azalea’s in bloom. Flowers have always been a passion of mine and seeing a rare species is always a treat. And I was also grateful for our Section Leader, George, for taking on extra hikers and leading us under his expertise down this wondrous piece of the Florida Trail.

We convened promptly at 10:00 AM in the Publix Parking lot in the little town of Crawfordville. Introductions were made, waivers signed, and carpools were organized. In no time at all we formed a caravan and headed down the bumpy unpredictable forest roads of the Apalachicola National Forest. Despite a feisty fuel pump on one of the vans, our journey to the Monkey Creek Trail-head car went fairly smooth. Here we gathered as our leader gave a brief overview complete with photos of native plants and flowers characteristic to this trail. The few volunteers that agreed to participate in the car shuttle then left our group to position their cars at the other end of the Day’s hike. The rest of this 33 man group passed the time through light chatter, storytelling, and sharing of hiking adventures.

Soon George returned with his team of car poolers and we fell into an almost endless single line as we entered this narrow single track along the river bluff. I was excited about seeing the pink blossoms but was not expecting to see very many…only single scraggly bushes scattered about. Well it was not long before we encountered our first Wild Azalea bush….desperate for a photo of this rare beauty….I climbed through a thicket of saw palmetto to get a close up. As we persisted, I was able to relax as the Wild Azales bushes were becoming more prevalent, the flowers fuller, and closer to the trail.

(Click here to view this photo on Fine Art America)

As hard as we tried to keep up with our informative leader, the groups soon split up and I found myself back with the slow dawdlers…the hikers who enjoy taking their time to appreciate the subtleties that nature has to offer. Although this was a beautiful sandhill riverbluff habitat bordered by pine uplands, we earned our keep as we traversed up and down steep ravines formed by the side creeks that feed the Sopchoppy.

It was nice to regroup along the riverbank for a short rest and again at the Bridge over Monkey Creek for lunch. From here the trail soon left the river bluff and our legs enjoyed the flat terrain while our feet deeply appreciated the soft carpet of pine needles. Candyweed added splashes of color to the forest floor and the air was fragrant with the sweet smell of Ti-Ti blooms that seem to fence the pine forest off from the riverbluff. Ti-Ti bushes are a natural fire break as they can stop a controlled burn in its track and can be considered a nuisance if they encroach on our fire dependent pine forests. The trail then led us through a small stint of hardwood forest with a nice canopy of shade overhead and lush ferns at our feet. Soon we crossed through more TiTi bushes and found ourselves back out on hilly riverbluffs. The views of the river became more scenic as they were lined with the oddly shaped knees of the Cypress Trees protruding from the banks.

(Click here to view this photo on Fine Art America)

The group has spread apart again and I found myself alone for a stint but enjoying the solidarity. As I looked over the bank, I heard a local gal shouting out in delight as she reeled in a brightly colored fish from the shallow tanic waters. “Nice catch! Can I get a photo?” I called out to her. She held up her catch gleaming with pride and delight. She called it a “Sparkle Fish” and I could not question her expertise as I had never heard of nor seen a fish like this before.

I check my GPS for mileage and noticed that I was not too far from the hikes endpoint. I stepped up my pace and concentrated on following the orange blazes. Soon I emerged from the forest into a clearing to join the others as they had already dropped thier packs to relax and enjoy a cold drink. I could not help but to reflect on the sights I enjoyed today and thankful we have a National Scenic Trail to allow us to immerse ourselves into this unique place of Florida natural beauty.

Sopchoppy River Trail map by B A Bowen Photography

Ralph Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk, Tates Hell State Forest, Franklin County, Florida

GPS Coordinates of Boardwalk:
N 29 deg 50.156
W084 deg 47.580

After a long day spent photographing wildflowers along Scenic Byway SR 65 and hiking in the Apalachicola National Forest, I decided to top it off with a visit to the famous Ralph Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk that sits in the midst of Tate’s Hell State Forest. The view of this natural phenomenon was a perfect ending to an already stellar day! After a four mile drive along dusty forest roads, the less than one-half mile stroll takes you out into a majical land of dwarf cypress trees. The boardwalk is built such that it towers over the trees to allow the view overlooking a vast strand of these six foot wonders.
This unhabited land sits along the Gulf Coast between the Ochlockonee and Apalachicola Rivers and is best known for its large expanse of wetlands, thick underbrush, and ravenous insects. With 70% of the forest classified as either wet prairie or wet flatwoods, the swamp and its natural vegetation is an important filter for water draining into both the Apalachicola River and the East Bay. Tate’s Hell is also unique in that it hosts several strands of Dwarf Cypress Trees that are aged at over 150 years old but have not grown much past 6 feet in height. No one is certain why so many of the trees are dwarfed in this swamp but biologist believe the root growth could be impeded by the layer of clay that sits just below the surface. The roots grow down to reach the layer of clay then start to spread out. This pattern can be seen as the tree branches mimic this growth pattern and flatten out to take on the appearance of “hatracks” or natural “bonsai” trees.

Directions: From SR 65 enter the Forest on North Road and follow this road northward to Dry Bridge Road. Head east on Dry Bridge Road for approximately 3 miles. There will be a brown forest sign calling out the boardwalk and pointing in the direction of the parking area. GPS Coord. (N 29 deg 50.156
W084 deg 47.580)

Located just outside of the hustle and bustle of urban Tampa Bay, Brooker Creek Headwaters Preserve is a 1111 acre parcel amd the largest area of contiguous habitat remaining in Northwest Hillsborough County. These wild lands were set aside to preserve the headwaters of Brooker Creek and its watershed. This parcel is managed jointly by Southwest Florida Management and Hillsborough County and is an important recharge area for the Florida aquifer. Brooker Creek headwaters preserve is important to the health of Florida habitats as it flows westward and is the main water feed into Lake Tarpon and eventually into Upper Tampa Bay. Enjoy 5.5 miles of hiking trails marked by the Eagle Scouts that will lead you through Cypress Swamps, pine flatwoods, and oak hammocks. This wild little tract is bordered by housing on all four sides but offers a sanctuary for escape as it hosts threatened species such as the Hooded Pitcher Plant, pine lilies, ladies tresses orchids, and gopher tortoise. Trails can be seasonally wet. It is easy to access and definitely a nice place for exercise and exploration!

Brooker Creek Headwaters Hike google map by B A Bowen Photography

Brooker Creek Headwaters Preserve
18102 Ramblewood Road
Lutz, FL 33558