This past weekend we went to Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna Florida. We paddled on the Chipola on Friday and Saturday. The river had been flooded for the past few weeks but was dropping fast and at a good level (around 10 feet) for paddling although it was quite muddy. The park is great and has a lot to offer. The Chipola river flows thru the park and there is a cavern for touring on the property. They even have a golf course right outside the parks main gate.
Friday we put in at the boat ramp on Hwy 167 just outside the parks entrance.
We paddled downriver and found a small cave on the right bank. With no good flashlights and water still in the cave we only explored a short distance into the interior.
Further downstream we found a small creek feeding from a spring and paddled up to the mouth for a refreshing but cool swim.
We paddled down to the takeout on Hwy 280 and found this legless friend just before taking out at the boat ramp.
The park has a wonderful cavern that they offer tours down into. Although it had been flooded we were able to take a condensed tour and it was well worth the few dollars they charge.
Saturday found us back on the Chipola, this time we put in upstream from the park on Hwy 162.
Upstream was quite a bit tighter with lots of deadfalls to paddle around, thru and over. The river is canopied by trees a lot of the way and is very remote. This is the old Bellamy Bridge that crosses the river but is no longer used.
Picture of the canopy as you paddle downstream.
Another local resident but this one is nicer.
The trip to the takeout in the park is supposed to be 5 miles but we wandered around and explored some and did 7.5 miles in all. There are some springs just before the takeout but by that time we were tired and didn't paddle up to either of them.
Sunday my wife and I played 9 holes (actually 8, we missed one somewhere) but with our talent of swinging clubs it just made our scores look better. That afternoon two of us went to Merritts Mill Pond and paddled up to the spring for a relaxing afternoon swim. Access is a boat ramp on Hunter Fish Camp Road and the spring is 2 miles from the put in. This is a popular lake for boating but the traffic wasn't bad as it was a Sunday afternoon. It's very popular for cave diving and we talked with several divers at the Spring.
Lots of Spanish Moss draped Cypress trees in the lake.
The spring itself.
Lots of Vultures were around waiting for careless divers?
Calm water in the late afternoon.
We did 4 miles round trip up to the spring and back, a very pleasant afternoon. This is a great place to paddle and relax.
Friday we put in at the boat ramp on Hwy 167 just outside the parks entrance.
We paddled downriver and found a small cave on the right bank. With no good flashlights and water still in the cave we only explored a short distance into the interior.
Further downstream we found a small creek feeding from a spring and paddled up to the mouth for a refreshing but cool swim.
We paddled down to the takeout on Hwy 280 and found this legless friend just before taking out at the boat ramp.
The park has a wonderful cavern that they offer tours down into. Although it had been flooded we were able to take a condensed tour and it was well worth the few dollars they charge.
Saturday found us back on the Chipola, this time we put in upstream from the park on Hwy 162.
Upstream was quite a bit tighter with lots of deadfalls to paddle around, thru and over. The river is canopied by trees a lot of the way and is very remote. This is the old Bellamy Bridge that crosses the river but is no longer used.
Picture of the canopy as you paddle downstream.
Another local resident but this one is nicer.
The trip to the takeout in the park is supposed to be 5 miles but we wandered around and explored some and did 7.5 miles in all. There are some springs just before the takeout but by that time we were tired and didn't paddle up to either of them.
Sunday my wife and I played 9 holes (actually 8, we missed one somewhere) but with our talent of swinging clubs it just made our scores look better. That afternoon two of us went to Merritts Mill Pond and paddled up to the spring for a relaxing afternoon swim. Access is a boat ramp on Hunter Fish Camp Road and the spring is 2 miles from the put in. This is a popular lake for boating but the traffic wasn't bad as it was a Sunday afternoon. It's very popular for cave diving and we talked with several divers at the Spring.
Lots of Spanish Moss draped Cypress trees in the lake.
The spring itself.
Lots of Vultures were around waiting for careless divers?
Calm water in the late afternoon.
We did 4 miles round trip up to the spring and back, a very pleasant afternoon. This is a great place to paddle and relax.
