Coastals

Paddle the Florida Panhandle November 10-19

This is to post some info on paddling and other outdoor recreation in the extraordinary part of the world known as the Florida Panhandle or northwest Florida. It has a couple of things in common with southwest Virginia; it was settled by the Scots-Irish and today has large amounts of public land. It does suffer a serious shortage of whitewater – I have only seen two class 1 rapids. The rivers and creeks are unique in being fed by many large limestone springs. The state of Florida is welcoming to paddlers. Holmes Creek, the nontidal stream closest to Panama City Beach (PCB) has at least 9 public launch spots. Going east to west, the streams flowing south to the Gulf of Mexico include the Suwannee, Aucilla, Wacissa, St. Marks, Wakulla, Ochlockonee, Sopchoppy, Apalachicola, Chipola, Econfina, Holmes, Choctawhatchee, Yellow, Blackwater, Coldwater, Escambia, and Perdido. The high ground in between has farms but along the streams you only see a grown up second growth forest with a few five foot diameter giants left by the loggers. There are some river houses but mostly it looks like wilderness. There is a huge national forest, state forests, many state parks, and riparian lands bought and managed by the Northwest Florida Water Management District for water quality, wildlife, and recreation.

St. Andrew State Park is where I would stay on a camping visit. Choice beach and close to city amenities. Other cool parks with camping include Florida Caverns, Falling Waters (with a 73’ waterfall,) and Grayton Beach. St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is too far for paddling rivers but it has a nice beach and then 7 ½ miles of wilderness beyond the campground.

https://floridastateparks.org/

Getting a motel room or beach condo in PCB at off-season rates might work for you.

Many Florida roads have good bike lanes. Pine Log State Forest and Conservation Park near and in PCB have good mountain bike trails. There is a paved trail following the 20 miles from Tallahassee to its old port, St. Marks.

The Florida Trail runs the length of the state and has some choice sections nearby. For the Florida Trail Association, hiking season kicks off the beginning of October.

Seasons to visit: There are pros and cons any time of year. November is good for paddling since you see fall colors and enjoy temps around 70. Winter is great for hiking and is fine for paddling, but half the trees lose their leaves and planning a long trip to Florida to paddle in the 52 degrees you might get would disappoint. Spring, summer, and early fall are great for paddling. The streams are always cool, some more than others. The Gulf of Mexico is warm enough to swim mid-May to October. The Emerald Coast beaches, running in a hundred mile arc on the northern edge of the Gulf, are the world’s best. Even if you don’t want to swim, walks and hanging out can make a fine winter day. The beach is most crowded in spring and early summer, especially in July. I go to the mountains then.

If you come south November 10-19 I will make sure you have some great river running or other outdoor experiences.

Econfina Creek runs south to Panama City, FL and supplies the area with drinking water. It comes out of the sand hills, ancient dunes dotted with natural lakes. The land alongside is forested and undeveloped for the most part and much of it is owned by the Northwest Florida Water Management District. They encourage paddling.

http://www.nwfwater.com/Lands/Recreation

There are three sections. Section 3 runs from Florida Route 20 to Florida Route 388 - 6 miles. There are many bluffs and cliffs and also some swamp and some riverhouses. Trees include palms, magnolias, live oaks, southern red oaks, big pines, and maples. Ferns often cover the cliffs. Mountain laurel is on one cliff. Near Route 20 there are three clear limestone springs - Williford Springs, Pitt Spring, and Sylvan Spring. Section 3 is by far the most popular of the Econfina sections. An outfitter does a rocking business on summer weekends. It is a little pricey ($35) and you can use a free putin river left just upstream from Route 20. The outfitter does keep the wood cut out though.

http://canoeeconfinacreek.net/

Section 2 runs from Walsingham Bridge to Route 20 - 8 miles. NWFWMD has a nice putin, picnic area and campsites near the bridge. They do not cut the wood out. I ran it once at 1000 cfs. Twice it was necessary to carry around logs and there were many more that needed good maneuvering. The banks are mostly steep cliffs so portaging is not easy. It was June and whenever I wanted to grab a tree to climb the bank there were giant spiders. It was a grand adventure.

Section 1 runs from Scott Road to Walsingham Bridge - maybe 10 miles. I have not run this section but I have hiked from the Florida Trail trailhead near Scott Road to Fender (foot) Bridge and back. The FT continues on to Walsingham and this is one of the FT's most spectacular sections as it is creekside most of the way. There are cliffs on both sides of the Econfina. They range from 20 to 40 feet high. There are a few sandbars and places you could scramble out but mostly a river trip here is a commitment. Before my hike I read the Choctawhatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association was canoeing down and cutting wood out. On my hike I saw that such wood cutting had taken place and I observed no obstructions. Still I would not run this section at 1000 cfs or close to it as the water is swift with few eddies as it swooshes along the Grand Canyon of Florida.