Riverbanks Adventure Forum

Paddle the Waccasassa River for Lush Spring time blooms!

// April 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Adventures, Canoeing, Kayaking

Tricolored Heron along the banks of the Waccassa River

I paddled the Waccasassa River this past Easter Sunday. I was ready to relax and immerse myself in nature and was delighted to find that the Waccasassa River far exceeded my expectations! Due to the unusually rainy winter the river is robust, running high and lined with wildflowers. Golden Aster seemingly glow amongst the cypress knees and rivergrasses along the shady riverbanks. Large purple iris blooms add dashes of color amongst the bogs while Red Buckeye flowers are sprinkled amongst the tree tops.  The vibrant green leaves contrast the yellow flowers of the Golden Club and red blooms of wild pine overhang the river.  An occasional Giant Cypress tree hundreds of years old tell stories of how the Hammock once looked and how it was spared during the logging days of the early 1900′s.  Always awe inspiring to come close to one of these gentle giants.

Abandoned Boat House Along the Waccasassa River

Purple Flag Iris

As part of the protected Gulf and Devils Hammock Wildlife Management areas, the river has its share of wildlife.  Slider and Red bellied turtles were sunning themselves on fallen trees, while the ancient gar fish can be seen hiding just below the waters surface.  I was fortunate to see a pair of Tri-colored Heron resting in a Red Buckeye along the shore.  As I paddled upstream, I watched as an Anhinga fished for food while a little blue heron stayed safely perched high in the tree tops above us.  The muddy boggs of the riverbank are full of fiddler crabs scrambling as you approach.  And, par for course on the Florida Rivers, I spotted a small alligator sunning himself along the shoreline.

Although the river is tanic in nature it is primarily fed by Levy County’s Blue Spring near Bronson.  This is a swimming/picnic  recreational park that is run by the Levy County.

View more photos of the Waccasassa River on flickr.

Buck Island Pond – Beautiful Pine Ridge – Trailwalker Week 4

// December 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Trail through Pine Scrub 2 by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

My fourth week of the Trailwalker program and my 8^th hike was a 2.0 mile interpretive loop around Buck Island Pond in the Goethe State Forest.  This fairly new trail is not very long but captures your interest at it leads you through a diversity of habits such at wet prairie, cypress dome, oak hammock, up a pine ridge, down a pine scrub then eventually to a boggy piney lowland as you make your way around the pond.

I spent my first week as a Trailwalker in the Goethe State Forest. On the brochure a boardwalk to the “Goethe Giant”, a +900 year old giant cypress tree, caught my eye and I have wanted to return to Goethe to find it.   As I reached the forest, I realized I left the brochure behind, so I pulled into the first trailhead I passed to grab another one.  As I drove up onto Buck Island Pond, I grabbed the brochure, spotted some butterflies and then started taking their photos.  “Well this trail is only two miles,” I ponder,  ”it won’t take too long to hike.   I will still have time to find the Goethe Giant.” 

The trail starts out at a boardwalk attached to a viewing area overlooking the wet prairie of Buck Island Pond.  A very pretty spot indeed and a great viewing area for birders.  As I leave the boardwalk into a shady Oak Hammock, I welcome the cool shade on this 95 deg summer day.  The trail begins to lead me around the pond.  From the Oak Hammock the trail winds into a small cypress dome.  I carefully navigate the knees in the trail to a scenic viewing area of a wetland on the edge of the wet prairie.   I notice pickerel weed and swamp potato plants among other swamp plants indicative of the boggy conditions here. 

I turn back out on the trail as it leads me upward into an Oak Hammock. The trail is almost whimsical as it playfully takes me up and down several small hills before releasing me in to a beautiful pine ridge. The young slender trees tower into the blue sky and the forest floor was a carpet of pine needles.  “Oh I could live here!” I spurt out as I breathe in the fresh pine smell.  I envision a small clearing on the hill with a log cabin.  “Yes, someday I will have that!”  I walk slowly through this section of the trail savoring every moment.

Eventually the trail starts heading down. The pine forest gives way to a pine scrub with the understory covered with saw palmetto.  Still very pretty indeed.  Sparse bushes of wild sumac appear here and there with maroon colored berries taking form.   On the right there is a boardwalk out into a piney wetland.  The interpretive brochure mentions carnivorous pitcher plants!  I walk out there….to my disappointment I did not see them.  However, I find out later that another fellow trailwalker member did!  I must go back.

The trail end shortly after the boardwalk as it leads you back up into a sand hill and then back to the parking lot.   What a pretty day!  Now on to the Goethe Giant…that I would not have even known about had I not started the trailwalker program……the journey continues….

View more photos of Buck Island Pond 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)

My Journey to become a Trailwalker – Hiking Goethe State Forest – Week 1

// November 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Tall Pines – Goethe State Forest by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

I have always been a lover of the outdoors enjoying kayaking and off-road bike riding for years. This past May I had decided I was going to relax and explore the leisurely sport of hiking in Florida.   After all there are places I cannot see without hiking.   I “stumbled upon” hiking guru Sandra Friend on twitter and she recommended I join My Florida Hikes and Florida Hikes to help get me started. How hard could this be?…after all, it is just walking.  After reading discussions of thru hiking; strange terms like swamp walking, hydric hammocks, piney flatlands, and cypress domes, I felt really green to this leisurely sport.  I desperately needed to get some experience under my belt!

One day I came upon the Trailwalker Program while on the Florida State Forests website.  This program encourages people to get outside to hike and then rewards them with a badge after they have completed the requirements. Simply complete 10 hikes in 5 differenct state forests.  Perfect!  Just enough structure and purpose to get me started and keep me going!   Just like scouts.

I began to strategize, plotting locations, and length of trails.  To my surprise, I have lived in Florida for over 20 years and have never heard of some of these forests. It will involve some travel but that will only add to the adventure. I am game!  I was excited to get started! 

For my first week, I set out to hike two trails in Goethe State Forest. I had passed the sign many times and was always curious as to what this forest had to offer.  My very first trek was 3 miles on the Black Prong Trail and was my most miserable hike of the ten. There was an isolated rain shower over this particular piece of the forest. Having experienced Florida weather, I was prepared to wait out the rain shower while reading sitting dry in my truck. Sure enough the rain shower did pass after 20 minutes and I set out on the trail. The Black Prong Trail is a forest road through Oak Hammock that is also a multiuse trail for hikers, horses, and bicyclists. The trail was wide and the sand was soft. Had it not been for the rain somewhat hardening the sand, this certainly would have been a hikers challenge. Two miles into the hike the skies opened up again. I was drenched and disappointed. This also had me wondering if all of the trails of the Florida State Forests were going to be passive like this.

Well the rain stopped once again,  my boots full of water, but I had plenty of daylight.  Being a spirited trooper, I decided to try the Tidewater Trail on the South end of Goethe. After all I drove all this way, I might as well put get another hike under my belt.  Much to my surprise the trail led me through a beautiful pine forest! The sun was out and the rain cleansed sky was now blue. The hike was on a forest road but grass had grown in to give a hiker good footing. I finished the two mile loop in almost no time at all. The stroll amongst the towering pines was breath taking.  White tale deer and several butterflies crossed my path along the way. Tidewater Trail gave me a change of heart. I think I am going to enjoy this Trailwalker journey after all.

On the brochure at the trailhead, there was a trail to an ancient giant cypress tree. I will have to come back to find that botanical wonder another time. With five miles and two trails under my belt, I felt satisfied but with a yearning for more. I was hooked!  I decided to call it a day……

Stay tuned for week 2….the journey only gets better!

 See more photos of Goethe on Flickr