Apalachicola may be hard to pronounce but it's easy to paddle. The list goes on...
Ochlockonee River: Longest of the bunch—a three-day trip.
Lost Creek: Sharp bends present a challenge.
Bradford Brook: Fascinating chain of cypress-ringed lakes.
Upper Sopchoppy River: Goes through Bradwell Bay Wilderness.
River Styx: A comfortable day trip (that is, you will come back).
Kennedy Creek: Beautiful scenery on a lazy trip.
Owl Creek: Exquisite river swamp habitat.
New River: For a firsthand look at the Mud Swamp/New River Wilderness.
Ochlockonee River
The Ochlockonee River is the longest river in the National Forests in Florida. As a canoeist, you usually have few problems with logs, and only during drought conditions will short portages be necessary on the upper part. Water, toilet, and camping facilities are available at Hitchcock Lake, Mack Landing, and Wood Lake Landing Recreation areas. These areas are on creeks running into the river, giving easy access to the river. However, locating them from the river may be difficult if the directional signs on the river have been vandalized. At least three days are needed to make this entire trip comfortably.
Lost Creek
This small stream presents some of the most challenging canoeing on the Apalachicola National Forest because of the many sharp bends. From June through September, Lost Creek is generally at its highest and can be floated with the least occurrence of obstructing logs. From October through January, the water is generally too low to float a canoe, except shortly after a hard rain. Usually, February through May, Lost Creek can be floated, but you will frequently have to lift your canoe over logs.
Check the stream gauge on the upstream side of the Forest Highway 13 Bridge. A reading less than 2.3 feet indicates the creek is impassable; less than 4.5 feet indicates numerous logs will be encountered, while over 4.5 feet means good canoeing. You can reach the put-in point by driving north along the powerline right-of-way from Forest Highway 13.
Bradford Brook
This fascinating chain of cypress-ringed lakes is on the outskirts of Tallahassee. The lack of current in all but the westernmost 1/4 mile of stream permits even inexperienced canoeists to paddle in either direction.
Because water levels fluctuate greatly in these lakes, check the white stream gauge about 100 feet east of the culvert under State Highway 263. A reading between 0 and 1.2 feet indicates short portages may be necessary between lakes. Dry conditions under the gauge indicate that travel from one lake to the next may be impractical, but pleasurable canoeing in a single lake may still be possible.
Upper Sopchoppy River
This stream has very swampy headwaters that are floatable, but may require some searching before the main channel is discovered.
Farther downstream the river becomes clearly defined by limestone banks and is very meandering, requiring you to maneuver carefully and skillfully.
The level of this river depends greatly on recent rainfall, so that although it is floatable as far up as the bridge over Forest Highway 13 nearly every month throughout the year, daily floating conditions vary constantly. The U.S. Geological Survey stream gauge at Oakpark bridge on Forest Road 346 should read between 10 and 14 feet before the Upper Sopchoppy can be considered canoeable; otherwise you will encounter considerable dragging around logs and over sand bars between pools.
Immediately downstream from the Forest Highway 13 bridge, the river flows 6 miles through the Bradwell Bay Wilderness and is pristine and remote. Picnicking and resting on sand bars is possible during moderate to low water. However, camping along the river is discouraged because of the extreme and sudden variability of water flows.
River Styx
This river offers a comfortable day trip most easily reached from White Oak Landing where parking and restroom facilities are available. From White Oak Landing, you can go either up or downstream. The Apalachicola River is a short, two- to three-mile trip downstream. Throughout the year, the slow-moving creek is fairly deep and is not affected much by fluctuations in the water level.
Kennedy Creek
Kennedy Creek is a short tributary off of the Apalachicola River. The creek offers beautiful scenery on a lazy, winding current. Camping, water, and restroom facilities are available at Cotton Landing. Paddlers can go either upstream or downstream for several miles. The Apalachicola River is about four miles downstream from Cotton Landing. While water levels do fluctuate, the deep channel allows passage year-round.
Owl Creek
Hickory Landing is an excellent put-in for a trip on Owl Creek. About two miles upstream from the Apalachicola River, Hickory Landing provides camping, restrooms, and water free of charge. Below Hickory Landing, Owl Creek is wide and deep and is lined by the beautiful river swamp habitat that extends from the banks of the Apalachicola River. You can work your way upstream for several miles until the creek becomes impassable.
New River
If Lost Creek is challenging because of its many sharp bends, New River is equally challenging because of the many downed trees and logs that require you to pull over or portage. The trip is definitely worth the effort because it offers a firsthand look at the Mud Swamp/New River Wilderness. You will pass through an area that is off limits to motorized boat travel, and encounter some of the prettiest and most remote canoeing in north Florida.
The water level in New River fluctuates considerably and, while stream gauge readings are not available, visual inspection should provide a reasonable clue of what to expect. Interested adventurers might also want to call the ranger district office in Bristol, Florida, before making the trip. Drought conditions in the region create almost impassible conditions on the New River. You can put in where New River crosses Forest Highway 13 or along Forest road 182. Few, if any, people have made it all the way through Mud Swamp because the main channel starts to break up into numerous branches before coming back together on the southeast corner of the wilderness.
