Big Shoals

Ahoy Mates!  It's that time of year! Holiday Season!  That's Right feasts are all abound! Thanksgiving,  Christmas, New Years! Turkey, Ham, and all the goodies that go along with it! I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season. As many of you know,  I am in a Pirate Crew that participates in some festivals in the South East. My Crew recently went to Calloway Gardens. Not a festival, but more of a getaway. Kind of our wrapping up the season before we go to spend time with our families.
   It is a newer post so you can read about that on our web page. Since our web page only allows one post without going through a lot of red tape, I am excited to announce the we also have a new blog page where any old post will be added once we  post to our page again. This year our season isn't quite over yet as we have two more events in short order. the first is The Cedar Key Pirate Invasion and the second one is our invasion of Hogansville.  I wrote a trip report on the Cedar Key Festival a couple of years back. you can read about that here.
  My last adventure was a recent trip to Big Shoals of the Suwannee River. It is the only class III Rapids in the State of Florida.  It drops  some 9-11 feet over a short distance. Located  approximately 5 miles from White Springs, Florida, it's about a one mile hike from the parking area to the shoals.  At the the beginning of the trail head, there is a kayak launch, and the peaceful still waters of the river, shows no indication of the  swift and dangerous shoals just a mile down. The Suwannee is a blackwater river getting a lot of it's color from the Okefenokee Swamp from where it starts. After leaving the parking area  you travel along the canopy trail adjacent to the river, There are a lot of oaks and palmettos  and other various trees and bushes. Soon, in the distance you begin to hear the faint sounds of the rapids flowing over the rocks. As you approach the sounds get much louder until finally the shoals are right before your eyes. A breathtaking view, as the water turns from a dark  color to a foamy white  from the turbulence of flowing over the rocks. There are a couple of viewing spots about 20 yards apart from each other with the last giving the best view. I would recommend  this park for anyone looking for an exciting outing in nature. Pack your backpack and get ready for the short hike of adventure and amazement on the historic Suwannee River. You will be glad you did!

photos of the shoals trip