Our Experience Visiting Blackwater River State Park
Round 1, May 2016
Having a turbulent ride simply keeps things interesting. Nobody writes stories about the trip that went according to plan.
Based on this theory, when our tire blew out on I20 in Texas, 15 minutes into our trip. I stayed positive; As Colton changed the tire (and I attempted to help) I kept my cool by telling myself that it’s really much better that this happen on the way down there, rather than the way back when we were tired and ready to be home.
With spring-time allergies, a constant pain from my wisdom teeth and a pain-killer induced sleep, Colton drove the whole 12 hours. I fell asleep in Alabama and woke up in Florida with only an hour left in our drive. How I slept through Colton’s Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold remains a mystery. We arrived at Black Water River State Park at about 3 a.m. and needless to say, our neighbors were long asleep. We unloaded our Ranger, set up the bed, and promptly fell asleep.
Waking up in a new location, having arrived at night, is like waking up in a wonderland when your temporary home is a lush green jungle in the Florida panhandle. Not the typical Florida beach, this landscape was a mix of wetland and forest, very tropical. Even walking to the State Park provided bathrooms was an adventure since the path was suspended above the ground and nestled in the trees. Akin to State Park manta, they effect the local environment as little as possible.
Blackwater River State Park has two hiking trails. Hiking at Blackwater River State Park is great for adventure seekers and families alike.
We ate breakfast, picked the closest trail, and set off. Starting off in the forest, winding your way through the trees, across sand and water, you shortly come to the river. Breathtaking. The river is cold and, appropriately named, black with a sand-silt bottom. The trail is empty. It feels like we have the place to ourselves that is with the exception of a small garter snake who paid no mind to us. We ventured down the trail, meandering along the river.
Continuing along the trail brings us to a swampy looking pond. Jokingly, Colton kicks off his flip flops and wades out into the pond, making a comment about “’gators” and “hope they don’t get me”. Lo and behold, up around the next corner we find a large, very innocent log-looking, alligator! Of course we are in a Florida State Park, it’s a resident and used to human activity, nothing to worry about. That is, until the alligator snuck into our vehicle and ate Colton!
Just kidding.
Our second and last day at the Blackwater River State Park we tackled the other trail. Moving slowly, behind a couple and their son, we head down the trailhead. Not but 5 minutes into the trail we come upon an unexpected adversity. A good section of the trail was submerged with water from recent heavy rains. The group ahead of us deemed it impassable and turned back the way they came. They hadn’t moved but 10 steps before our two adventurous souls kicked off our shoes began to cross. Alligators be damned. We were going on this trail.
The trail meandered through swamp, too a forest with one of the world’s most magnificent magnolia, to a pine forest recently burnt for conversation purposes (it adds required nutrients back to the soil and manages underbrush). We stopped to enjoy many of the trail’s perfect toe dipping spots (I mean its Florida in May, it’s hot) and enjoyed the sandy bottom and endless maze of dark, mysterious, river. And to think…this trail took place right across from the first trail. We stared at this stretch of trees all day the day before and had no inkling of what was waiting to be discovered.
Time went by as it does and the time to leave Blackwater River State Park was upon us. We had packed up camp before tackling the trail so we hopped in the Ranger and headed onto the road.
See ya later, Blackwater River State Park, here we come St. Andrew’s State Park!
2019 Update!
We visited again in April of 2019 and things are still as awesome as they were in 2016.
Instead of camping in the Blackwater River State Park, we camped in the Blackwater State Forest right next to the park! We did still visit and walk through the state park and enjoyed the trails again.
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