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The Ochlockonee River State Park is located on Hwy 319 about 4 miles west of Sopchoppy or about halfway between Tallahassee and Apalachicola. From the highway you follow a long and winding road through the pines to the entrance gate. Once you have paid the $3.00 admission fee, you will continue on past the boat ramp and camping area (30 full hookup sites with showers and restrooms). At the end of the road you will come to a picnic area; this is a good place to park and begin exploring.
For more info on the Ochlocknee River State Park go to http://www.floridastateparks.org/ochlockonee/default.cfm |
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The park is situated on a point were the Dead
River intersects the Ochlocknee River. Like so many of the odd
sounding names in the panhandle, Ochlocknee has Native origins
possibly meaning “yellow waters”. The water in the rivers is colored
from decayed organic material called tannin. I started my hike along
the River Trail going upstream along the Ochlocknee. It is a very
pretty trail with
several access points down to the river bank. I followed the trail
all the way to the boat ramp. There are restrooms and rental canoes
located there. This portion of the river is part of the designated
Florida Canoe Trail. I then back tracked to the Pine Flatwoods
Trail. After crossing the main road, there were more deer tracks on
the trail than human. The trail forks shortly after crossing the
road. If you follow the right fork, it will take you back to the
picnic area where you parked. If you go left it leads out to the
scenic drive near the reflection pond.
Pine
flatwoods get their name from the flat monotonous topography. Fire
plays an important role in this ecosystem. Nature used to take care
of this with fires started by lightning, but now it is done with
controlled burns. There are signs explaining the importance of
controlled, low heat fires along the trail. These pine flatwoods are
home to many interesting creatures including the white squirrel and
the red-cockaded woodpecker.
White squirrels are not albinos but genetic mutations of the grey
squirrel. The red-cockaded woodpecker nests in cavities of living
mature longleaf pines. It is endangered from loss of habitat. I did
not see any white squirrels on my hike (only grey), but I did see a
red-cockaded woodpecker darting around in the canopy. One of my
favorite things in these pine dominated ecosystems is the sound of
the wind whispering through the trees. If you have never heard this,
it alone is worth the trip.
By luck, I picked a weekend when there was a
special event called the Stone Age and Primitive Arts Festival going
on at the park. This festival featured many different activities;
but the main draw was
something called flint knapping- the art of chipping stones into
tools. The demonstrations and displays were interesting and the
people friendly. It was an unexpected bonus to another wonderful day
exploring the great outdoors in the Florida panhandle.