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Three Rivers State Park is located just
north of the small town of Sneads, Florida. While not technically on
the Apalachicola River, it is the state park closest to the
headwaters and would make a good starting point if you wanted to
camp at a full facility campground before heading
downstream. The park is named for the confluence of the Flint,
Chattahoochee and Apalachicola rivers and sits on the west or
Florida side of Lake Seminole. Lake Seminole was created when the
Corps of Engineers built the Jim Woodruff dam at the head of the
Apalachicola River. There is a lock at the dam so you can launch a
boat in the lake, lock through and head down the Apalachicola. If
you don’t want to go through the lock, you can launch directly into
the Apalachicola just downstream of the lock at Chattahoochee, Fl.
Either way, if you have the time, I would recommend visiting Three
Rivers. It is one of those small, hidden gems in the state park
system.I visited the park on one of those perfect Florida winter days. The temperature was in the sixties with a clear blue sky. I brought my twelve year old daughter along so that she could practice with  her
new camera. When we arrived at the gate, the guardhouse was
unattended, so we put our two dollars in the honor box and drove to
the campsite. As we were driving, we spotted a young buck and a doe
in the forest. When we got to the campground it was almost empty.
The only campers there where some park volunteers who, along with
the ranger who came down to meet us later, were very friendly and
helpful. The ranger told us that they do fill up sometimes, so it is
best to call ahead and reserve a site. We were only there for the
day, but we will probably return for some overnight camping in the
future. The 30 campsites and one cabin are shaded by large trees and
all overlook the lake. Each site has full hookups. Among the
amenities are restrooms with showers, a small store, a dock with
fish cleaning station, canoe rentals, boat launch and three
hiking/nature trails. We walked the Lakeside trail which is closest
to the campsites. The other two are called the Dry Creek and Eagle
trail. We did not spot any eagles, but the ranger said they are seen
regularly in the winter.The Lakeside trail was a very easy and enjoyable walk. The trail was carpeted in fallen leaves from a variety of trees including oak, maple, pine and magnolia. There were two blinds overlooking the 
lake for viewing waterfowl. We saw a large number of coots along
with a log full of basking turtles. We also spotted a red shoulder
hawk and a pileated woodpecker flying through the canopy. The ranger
gave us a list of species that inhabit the park. It included a very
wide diversity of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Two
species of special interest are the fox squirrel and the gopher
tortoise. We both took quite a few pictures and really enjoyed the
hike. Before heading home, we drove to the south side of the park
that featured another boat ramp and a large picnic pavilion.As you can see, this small park has a lot to offer. For more information on Three Rivers State Park visit their website at www.floridastateparks.org/threerivers or call 850-482-9006. |
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