Ochlockonee River State Park
The Gem of Sopchoppy, Florida
Sunrise over the Ochlockonee River in Ochlockonee State Park, Sopchoppy, FL
So friends, it happened.
This past week I experienced my first episode of writer's block since starting this blog earlier this year. Worry not: It wasn’t due to a lack of things to write about, that’s for sure. It was just the opposite, actually. We have had so many incredible experiences over the past year and a half since we started our journey of visiting all 175 state parks in Florida, that it's almost overwhelming to categorize them. We’ve been just about all over the state, from the east coast to the west, from the panhandle to Jacksonville, to south Florida. It’s been a wild ride… so we have PLENTY to write about. But choosing what to write about next... That somehow got me frozen, wondering what YOU may want to read about most, what order to write our experiences down in, is there a system or a method I should be following, and so on. Anyone else freeze when they get overwhelmed? No? Just me? Cool.
The good news is that I took a few days to do other things.. Enjoy the 4th with my family. Reorganize the living room.. And BOOM. I was back at it. So… in honor of being lost and then found again, we’re going to start a series on...
Florida’s Forgotten Coast
For the next few weeks I’m going to write about some AMAZING state parks and other unique places on the northwest portion of what we so lovingly call, “the Armpit (of Florida).” Admittedly, it's not the loveliest of nicknames, but I bet you can imagine where we’re talking about, even without the map! And unlike other references to armpits in an unpleasant sense, Florida's armpit is anything but unpleasant... It is one of the most remote, serene, glorious parts of Florida we have seen yet. Full to the brim with it's own beautiful flora, fauna, history, culture, tradition, and wait for it... seafood... ahhhh the seafood is second to none.
I want to do this now, because you STILL HAVE TIME to book some late summer and fall camping trips to this area with your family, and you’ll catch some of the coolest wildlife, neatest festivals, and prettiest wildflower blooms you can imagine if you do so. Also, I’m writing about these in a series because you, too, just like us, can check off several AMAZING, little-known state parks all on one fall break trip.
Ochlockonee River boat launch, and swimming area.
Ochlockonee River State Park
So this week, we’re talking about Ochlockonee (Oh-Clock-Knee) River State Park, in Panacea, FL. Trust me on the pronunciation. I was corrected by the park ranger. This park is a sleeper MVP of the ‘pit. We went there for three nights in September of last year, while hubby was working remotely and both kids were homeschooling due to the pandemic. It was about a 5 hour drive for us, so 3 nights is the definite minimum to make it all worthwhile. It turned out to be perfect, but with every trip we take into the Florida outdoors, we could have stayed longer.
The drive to Ochlockonee is a GORGEOUS one. Lots of backroad eye-candy, rolling hills, wildflowers, and farm country to enjoy. If you're coming from central Florida, don't make the mistake of taking I-75 to I-10. It's both shorter, and more lovely, by far, to take 98 the whole way. Trust us. Plus, you'll pass a number of state parks you'll want to stop at on the way, several of which we'll talk about in this Forgotten Coast series.
Ochlockonee River State Park is located on a broad stretch of upland habitat at the confluence of the Dead and Ochlockonee Rivers. It's claim-to-fame is the meticulously preserved longleaf pine forests, as well as the endemic flora and fauna, including several endangered species, it protects. These forests once covered much of Florida, and were nearly logged into extinction during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It's incredible 1.) the damage we humans can cause by overtaxing an ecosystem for its resources, and 2.) how resilient mother nature is when we allow her time and space and protection to recover.
The Campground
The campground is in a beautiful scrub oak habitat, nestled between a stretch of pine flatwoods and the Ochlockonee River. It's peaceful and quiet, and the campsites have plenty of room. Come to think of it... I don't know if I've ever introduced you to our popup, Puddles. Here she is in all her glory. And in the background you can see that deeeeep blue foreboding sky, right? That's why we call her Puddles. For our whole first year together, rain seemed to follow her everywhere we popped up, at least for some portion of our trip. But, alas, we ARE in Florida after all. It's par for the course around here, right? She's a good girl and she keeps us dry in the rain, cool in the hot, and warm in the cold. What more can we ask for?
The littles playing in the bunk end while hubby and I furiously rush to get dinner on the table before the storm.
Every morning during our stay, we were greeted by the most beautiful birds singing! You birders out there would have a heyday here. Finally identified the birds as Eastern Towhees. They devoured nearly a whole Yaupon Holly tree's berries while we were there!
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) Photo by: Davey Walters
Eastern White Squirrels
This park is a fantastic place to view all kinds of wildlife. Trails from the campground beckon visitors to explore the beauty of the point of land between the rivers. There's a group bonfire area, built by local boy scout troops, overlooking the river, along with a group sitting area, perfect for Sunday services, impromptu dance parties, etc, and benches spaced out along the trail to view the river. It was here that we spotted the park's famous WHITE SQUIRRELS! If you pay close attention and spend some time quietly sitting around the group campfire area, you may be lucky enough to catch sight of one of them coming in and out of their burrows in an old oak tree.
Now, I know what you're thinking... they're albinos! But that's actually not what's happening here. These white squirrels the park is known for are white because of a genetic mutation that persists through their bloodline, but they're actually the same species as the the common grey squirrels you see elsewhere in Florida: the Eastern Gray Squirrel. You may see some that are pure white, and some that have some grey spotting on and around their faces. We saw some of both! Regardless of how these squirrels came to be white, the coolness factor of seeing them remains the same. Catching a glimpse of these rare cuties was a HUGE bonus for our trip!
Lots of lovely amenities
The trail continues all the way to the tip of the peninsula where we found the group camping area, complete with screened in dining pavilion, additional bathrooms, swimming area and playground! We saw families of white-tailed deer each morning and evening while we were there.
My giant man-child showing off for my actual boy-child.
Wildlife Galore
The Ochlockonee and Dead Rivers, and the Ochlockonee Bay they flow into, like many estuarine habitats, are absolutely teeming with life. We found fiddler crabs, square back marsh crabs, and little blue crabs! While we didn't do any fishing on this trip, I'm sure this area would be a fabulous place to fish. There's a great boat launch at the front of the park for larger boats. And there are two large floating docks around the perimeter of the park to pull up and tie off to.
Wildflowers to Cherish
Be sure to be on the lookout for wildflowers throughout the park in the summer and early fall. If you know me already, you know I'm crazy about wildflowers, and more specifically, about Florida's native wildflowers. "La Florida," as we were named by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, literally means land "abounding in flowers". They used to blanket this state! And luckily, there are pockets where even rarest of beauties are still protected.
We were there in September, and were SO FORTUNATE to see the imperiled Godfrey's Blazingstar (Liatris provincialis) in bloom everywhere! This wildflower used to be more widespread but was almost lost right along with the long leaf pines, due to habitat loss, development, and logging. They are endemic to just two counties in all of Florida and grow in the coastal long leaf pine forests and dunes near brackish water. That means they grown here, in Franklin and Wakulla counties, and NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. They bloom from August to October... so if you're a wildflower crazy person like me... plan your visit to see them in bloom. It's just awesome.
Godfrey's Blazing Star (Liatris provincialis) along the banks of the Ochlockonee River
A stop you should make while you're in the area...
When you head to the Forgotten Coast... to Ochlockonee, or the other beautiful state parks we'll be talking about in this series, do us a favor, will ya? Stop in and see our buddy George Griffin at his incredible pottery studio. Looks like we go way back, right?
Nope. We didn't know George at all prior to turning down his quarter mile one-lane driveway after seeing the small sign for his local, handmade pottery shop posted on Hwy 319 in Sopchoppy... And for a brief moment, we were sliiiiiightly nervous about getting lost down a green tunnel with no way out and not knowing who was down there... But I promise you this: It was one of our favorite stops. He's a guy you want to stop and get to know.
You may know by now from our other posts that we take side trips... often. There is something exciting about immersing ourselves deeply into what each place we visit has to offer. As my mother-in-law says... "We like to stop for shiny trinkets." George, and his dog Molly, greeted us so warmly and encouraged us to stay a while... to look at his art, his treasures, and to have some great conversation. What fun we had talking and exploring! And the bowl and mug we purchased from him are two of my favorite handmade items displayed in home. I look at them daily and think of the value added to our lives by making that stop. We learned with this year's Christmas card (yes, we exchange Christmas cards now) that, sadly, sweet Molly is no longer with him, but that otherwise he was getting along ok.
If you decide to book a memorable trip of your own to the Forgotten Coast, do yourselves a favor and take some time to see one of the area's most talented artists. He'd be so happy to see you.
The men, deep in conversation. You can see the workroom through the passthrough.
The kids playing with George's handmade wooden toys.
All in all, this state park and the adventures that went along with it went down in the record books as one of our favorite places we never knew existed. We highly recommend you get your family to the Forgotten Coast of Florida... it's surely a place you'll all remember forever.
Have you been to the Forgotten Coast? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! As always, thank you so much for following along with our Wild Florida Family adventures.
Just the Details:
429 State Park Road
Sopchoppy FL 32358
850-962-2771
Fees
$4 vehicle up to eight people ($2 for each additional person).
$2 pedestrian or bicycle.
$4 boat launch fee.
Camping
30 sites available at $18 per night plus tax. BOOK HERE
50% Discounts available for Senior Citizens (FL Resident) Disabled Citizens (FL Resident) and Foster Families
Save the date!
Seafood lovers, eat your heart out from November 5th through the 7th, 2021 at the 57th Annual Florida Seafood Festival in Apalachicola, FL! Book your campsites and be ready to chow down!
Stay tuned for these other great spots we'll talk about in this series!
Make sure you keep your eye out for our next posts in the Forgotten Coast series. Here are a few topics you can look forward to:
Bald Point State Park
The Gulf Specimen Aquarium
Amazing Seafood in Panacea, FL
Alligator Pointe
The Carrabelle Bottle House
State Parks of Apalachicola
State Parks of Wakulla County
