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Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail
Segment Four
Forgotten Coast
Emergency contact information:
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911
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Gulf County Sheriff’s Department: 850-227-1115
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Franklin County Sheriff’s Department: 850-670-8500
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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission 24-hour wildlife emergency/boating under the influence
hotline: 1-888-404-3922
Begin: St. Joseph
Peninsula State Park primitive camping area
End: Gap Point
Campsite, Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
Distance: 57 miles
Duration: 5
days
Special Considerations:
Be wary of strong winds in open water sections (which is most of the
route). Currents moving through all three passes can be strong,
depending upon tidal fluctuations. After Stump’s Hole, you’ll need to
paddle along the Gulf for several miles, where the surf can pose a
challenge.
A portable portage carrier
is advised for the Stump’s Hole land crossing.
Introduction
Vast segments of unspoiled
public lands and islands are featured in this segment, from the high
dunes of St. Joseph Peninsula State Park to the wild palm-lined shores
of St. Vincent Island to the old-growth coastal slash pine forests of
Cape St. George State Reserve. Paddlers will also enjoy the St. Joseph
and Apalachicola bays, among the most productive waters in the state in
terms of marine life. In addition, Apalachicola Bay provides the
majority of the state’s oyster harvest, and paddlers will likely see
flotillas of characteristically shaped oyster boats with their small
cabins. Oystermen pull up the rock-hard oysters by hand using long
tongs, a practice that has changed little in more than a century.
These two bays are
encompassed by the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve,
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/stjoseph/ and the
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve,
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/apalachicola/info.htm
, respectively. The Apalachicola reserve is one of only 25 sites
designated as a research reserve by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, designed to coordinate efforts to manage and protect the
nation’s most productive waters.
State lands include St.
Joseph Peninsula and Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island state parks (
www.floridastateparks.org
), Cape St. George State Reserve and St. Joseph Bay State
Buffer Preserve (
http://www.floridadep.com/coastal/sites/apalachicola/stjoseph_buffer.htm
). These undeveloped lands help to protect either St. Joe or
Apalachicola Bay while providing valuable wildlife habitat and outdoor
recreation opportunities.
In addition, the trail
traverses the massive 12,495-acre St. Vincent Island National Wildlife
Refuge (
http://www.fws.gov/saintvincent/ ). Named St. Vincent by
Franciscan friars in the 1600s, the island is one of the few sites where
endangered red wolves are propagated and trained to live in the wild.
Most of these wolves are eventually captured and released at either the
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina or the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. Also, given the island’s history as a
private hunting retreat stocked with exotic animals, large sambar deer,
native to southeast Asia, still roam the island and can occasionally be
spotted. They may weigh several hundred pounds each.
Many of the primitive
campsites in this segment are part of the Apalachicola Bay Aquatic and
Buffer Preserve Kayak and Canoe Trail, developed by staff with the
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve in coordination with
other government entities. These sites are “pack-it-in, pack-it-out”
only, with campers following Leave No Trace principles
www.lnt.org
All sites are on a first-come, first-serve policy with
the exception of sites within state parks, whereupon reservations must
be made through the individual parks.
1.
St. Joseph Park primitive camping area to Tower primitive campsite, 12.5
miles
The St. Joseph State
Park’s wilderness preserve, one of only six in the state park system,
encompasses the northern 7.5 miles of the peninsula (over 1,750 acres).
This is an unspoiled landscape of large dunes and coastal scrub and
grasslands. The preserve is accessible by foot or by boat, and
circumnavigational paddlers can primitive camp in the preserve with
advance reservations. Call 850-227-1327 to reserve or pay by credit card
($4.00 per person per night). Camping is allowed along the bay side but
not at the tip of the peninsula past the northernmost trees. No
campfires are allowed and you must practice “Leave No Trace” principles
where possible. You need to arrive at least an hour before sunset and
check out with park personnel.
From the wilderness
preserve, paddle through the clear waters of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
Preserve. The shallow bay waters are homes and nurseries for numerous
fish and sea animals such as sea urchins, scallops and snails. Seagrass
beds are lush and abundant. Fishing and summer scalloping are popular
recreational activities.
Nearing the halfway
point, water and restrooms are available at the southern end of the
state park at the picnic area and boat ramp (see map). Outdoor cold
showers are at the beach restrooms, across the road from the park’s boat
ramp along the bay. The park also offers canoe and kayak rentals. A
small grocery store can be found just outside the park boundary along
30E.
The Tower primitive
campsite is located near a dock and abandoned fire tower. The campsite
is a bare patch of sand near the tower fence. Mud may inhibit landing at
low tide.
2. Tower primitive campsite to Indian Pass
Campground, 11 miles
From the campsite, paddle a short distance to the Stump Hole canoe and
kayak launch. Here, you’ll have a challenging portage to the Gulf side.
A portable portage cart will make this much easier. The safest route is
to travel a couple of hundred yards west along the highway to where the
rock jetty ends and the Gulf is easily accessible. From here, you’ll
paddle along the shore to Indian Pass. A welcome rest stop is the
county-owned Salinas Park, where water, restrooms and picnic tables are
available (see map).
The Indian Pass
Campground is privately owned and has water, showers, restrooms, a
swimming pool, and a small store. Fortunately, the tent camping area is
easily accessible by water, enabling you to beach your kayak within easy
view of your campsite. Land at the Indian Pass boat ramp and walk a
short distance to the circular campground office to register before
landing at the campground. Reservations are recommended, especially on
weekends. Call 850-227-7203 or log onto www.indianpasscamp.com
The Indian Pass Trading
Post is a couple of miles up the road, where you can sample area oysters
(closed on Mondays).
3. Indian Pass Campground to Government
Dock Primitive Campsite, 15 miles
Paddling along St. Vincent Island on the bay side, you’ll have many
opportunities to land on a wild shoreline lined with cabbage palms, live
oaks and slash pine. Indian pottery and oyster shells litter the shore
as Native Americans utilized the island for thousands of years. Paddling
along or standing on the shore, it is easy to envision the lifestyles
and foods of these early inhabitants. Bear in mind that it is unlawful
to remove artifacts.
A highlight of the island
shoreline is the northwestern corner known as St.Vincent Point, a scenic
area where a thick grove of cabbage palm trees line the water. Evidence
of sea level rise and heavy erosion is evident as many trees are being
inundated. From here, you can make a beeline across open water to the
Government Dock primitive campsite on Cape St. George Island. The
campsite is located just inland from the second dock.
As an alternative, you
can paddle south along St. Vincent Island to the West Pass primitive
campsite on Cape St. George. Along this route, you can explore some of
St. Vincent’s large lakes accessible from the bay side, although some
lakes may be closed if bald eagles are actively nesting. If taking this
route, it is 13.5 miles from Indian Pass to the West Pass campsite. Or,
if you paddle the Gulf route along St. Vincent Island to West Pass, it
is a little over 9 miles, although this route is less interesting.
Alternate route: If you wish to explore more of the area’s
fishing culture, and to avoid unfavorable north winds, you can hug the
northern shore after leaving Indian Pass and paddle to Battery Park in
the town of Apalachicola, about 15.5 miles. From there, you can walk to
any number of motels, restaurants or gift shops. Apalachicola is an
historic fishing village where many residents still actively make their
living from the sea, especially with regards to harvesting shrimp and
oysters.
From Apalachicola, you can paddle across the bay six or seven miles
to a number of campsites on either Cape St. George or St. George Island.
If you remain on the north side of the bay, the primitive campsite near
Carrabelle is about 20 miles from Apalachicola (see segment 5). You can
take a rest break at Eastpoint and purchase smoked mullet near the
public boat ramp (see map).
4. Government Dock Primitive Campsite to
Boy Scout Camp, 8 miles
The first half of this day is very scenic with slash pines that stand
right up against the bay. Look for the angular cuts or “cat-faced” scars
on older trees made by early workers to collect sap for making
turpentine. The industry died out in the 1940s. Also, scan the skies and
treetops for bald eagles that frequent the area in cooler months and
sometimes nest along the bay in large pines. Give nesting trees a wide
berth.
Government Cut or Sike’s
Cut marks the halfway point. This is an artificial pass dredged between
the bay and Gulf in 1954 that separates Cape St. George from St. George
Island. As with any pass, be wary of strong currents. Just past the cut,
you will pass an exclusive subdivision where docking or landing is
prohibited. Proceed along the island to Nick’s Hole, a wild cove, where
a lone dock marks the Boy Scout camp. Land on the small beach just past
the dock. This campsite has full amenities—water, bathrooms, picnic
tables, sink, fire rings. Please be respectful and keep the site clean
so it remains open for trail users.
5. Boy Scout Camp to Gap Point Campsite,
10.5 miles A
welcome rest stop is a sand landing near the St. George Island bridge.
Here, you can easily access stores and restaurants. A small grocery
store is just east of the main road.
One option for camping is
the Unit 4 campsite just east of the bridge along the bay. Primitive
camping here is free and on a first-come, first-serve basis since it is
outside the state park.
This segment ends at the
scenic Gap Point primitive campsite across the small bay from the state
park’s first boat ramp (rental sit-on-top kayaks can be obtained here
after making arrangements at entrance station). The Gap Point campsite
also marks the terminus of the park’s two-mile nature trail that
traverses a striking rolling terrain of old-growth slash pine and large
bell-shaped rosemary plants. In hiking the trail, look for “cat faces”
on the trees from early turpentine operations. Historically, the island
was also used for cattle grazing. Also, like most barrier islands and
shorelines in the region, evidence of Native American occupation
predates European contact by thousands of years.
There is one more
primitive campsite along the bay in the park (see map). Call the park
headquarters at 850 927-2111 if you plan to utilize either of these two
campsites. A small fee is required.
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