Ochlockonee River State Park

Ochlockonee River State Park – Second Location

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Friday, March 8

We packed and got everything ready to move to our next location, Ochlockonee River State Park, (pronounced Oak-lock-nee). We drove an easy 2.5 hours along highway 98 through rural, coastal Florida. We stopped at a Walmart in Perry to purchase food and gas.

We arrived at the park around 2pm. We found our campsite and were able to squeeze the trailer into a site that was not really an easy parking angle. We setup the site and it ended up being a very nice, private location. Our site backed up to the river, with a short path back to the river trail. The park is very nice; with a small campground, boat ramp, floating dock and kayak launch on the Ochlockonee River. We walked around most of the river front with the dogs to get our bearings. There were very nice trails for hiking or biking. The park is right at the confluence of the Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy Rivers. There are “white squirrels” resident in the park. They are not albinos, but a mutation of some early semi-white squirrels that were brought here by Spanish explorers. I took some nice pictures of some, they seemed very tame as they are protected and people are always taking pictures of them.

We met some camping neighbors, a group of kayakers that were there to do three days of kayak trails. They had planned the weekend outing with several people. They were able to give us some information on kayaking options around the area. We also met another couple in an Airstream trailer that had just left Manatee Springs and arrived just before us. They are Syd and Virginia from Boone, N. Carolina. It was nice chatting with them about our favorite places in the Smoky Mountains.

As we were beginning Happy Hour, we quickly discovered the presence of “no-see-ums”. They were relentless and we had to change to fully covered clothing and the use of powerful bug spray. After dinner, we sat around another great campfire. We spent another chilly night in the RV, with the space heaters running to keep us warm.

Saturday, March 9

After breakfast, we discussed our kayaking options. We decided to do a paddle right out of the park on the Ochlockonee River, through the salt marshes and around to the Sopchoppy River.  This was a loop paddle; where we paddled with the incoming tide, then back around against the wind (we usually paddle the hardest direction… haha). It was a good exercise paddle, but was not the exceptional river scenery we are used to. At least we got our kayaks in the water and got outside in the sunny weather.

After the paddle, we decided to hike around the park for awhile. We took the boys and we all had a great time. Kurt grilled out chicken thighs for dinner, and we also made a salad.  After dinner, Kurt made a great campfire and we enjoyed the warmth.

Sunday, March 10

We had already decided to kayak the Wakulla River today. There is a four mile run from a boat ramp put-in at a highway bridge, upstream to another take-out. Above this take out is the final part of the spring run. At the spring head is Wakulla Springs State Park, which was blocked for further paddling into the spring. The original owner had developed a resort lodge there for tourists.  He put a fence across the river below the spring head to keep out anyone who was not a guest of the lodge. He was able to win a lawsuit by citizens to retain the fence across the river. It just seems that this infringes upon the rights of the people of Florida to use navigable waters. Now, under the ownership of the State, no one can swim or paddle in the spring or spring run. Too bad, it would have been wonderful to paddle all the way up to the spring. Regardless, the river is beautiful and an easy paddle upstream and then a float downstream. It was a sunny day and with light winds. We really enjoyed this lovely river. There were loads of turtles and birds, osprey and herons on the river.

After returning to the RV, Kurt took Kody on a short paddle on a creek in the park. I took Kirby on a hike around some trails. We enjoyed the late afternoon and then prepared dinner. After an active day, we relaxed watching some TV and then went to bed exhausted.

Monday, March11

With the weather forecast for afternoon rains and evening thunderstorms, we decided to take a road trip with the boys. We drove down to the Gulf coast to another state park, Bald Point. This is a peninsula where the Ochlockonee River and Bay enters the Gulf. The park is a typical collection of Coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and oak thickets. There are several bald eagle pairs in the park, but we never saw any of them. The beaches here are also major turtle nesting areas. Most of the coastal portions are not part of the park, but have private residences. We drove around most of the park area and checked out the beaches. We walked out to the inlet area and spoke with a local guy who was fishing from the pier. The weather was a little overcast and breezy, but still a nice day.

On our way back to the campground, we stopped at a local seafood restaurant and had a wonderful lunch. It was now sunny and we sat outside on the deck and munched on a dozen fresh raw oysters and shared a plate of shrimp and cheesy grits.  Yum, it was all so good. We had not eaten raw oysters in years, but this area is known for the “Apalachicola oysters”, some of the best in the Gulf of Mexico.

We headed back to the campground and on our way home, we noticed a sign for a Sopchoppy City Park that has RV camping. We drove into the park, which was right on the Sopchoppy River. There were at least 20 RV sites, with water and electric hook-ups. The rates are $15 per night. Wow, if we ever come through here again, we might just stay at this campground. We will keep this on our list.

After returning to camp, Kurt decided to go on a short kayak paddle around the Ochlockonee River. He went out just as the weather began to get rainy and chilly. He still enjoyed a short paddle on the river. We began getting some things put away for our departure tomorrow and the expected rain this evening. I took care of some housekeeping and organizing stuff in the RV. We then holed up inside the RV for the evening as the rain began. After dinner, we relaxed inside and watched some TV. We slept well with the sounds of rain drops hitting the roof.