| Florida Trail, Bradwell Bay |
|
|
| Written by Sandra Friend | ||||
|
South of Tallahassee, the Bradwell Bay Wilderness is one of the most majestic and wild places in north Florida, a roadless area encompassing more than 24,000 acres of hardwood swamp in a “bay,” a term used to Florida to describe a shallow basin where water collects in a forest much like a large pond. The Apalachicola National Forest has many such bays, but Bradwell Bay is its crown jewel. Loggers couldn’t slog through the water to get to some of its grandest inhabitants, including 12 acres of virgin slash pines and untouched cypress trees. The Florida Trail dives right into this wilderness to lead you through the Scenic Area, but to get there means sloshing through dark tannic water for more than 7 miles. Depending on your height and the effects of recent rains, you’ll deal with knee to waist-deep water, where probing ahead for footing is a must due to submerged logs and deep mud holes. There is one seasonally dry spot, Bradwell Island, suitable for primitive camping.
The 7-mile stretch between the Monkey Creek trailhead and FR 314 is the heart of the swamp. The pine woods get wetter and wetter as you approach Monkey Creek, which you must ford. Beware a deep hole to the right of the ford, and use your hiking stick for balance. If the water is running swiftly or is high, turn back. On the other side, the trail becomes squishy and watery, leading through a bog with pitcher plants and sundew. At 9.8 miles, Bradwell Island is the high point along this segment, a good place for a rest break and the only place (if dry) to camp. West of Bradwell Island, the trail enters the depths of this colorful swamp forest. Black gum, tupelo, and red maple provide shade. In the Scenic Area, a 300-acre preserve untouched by logging, virgin slash pine of national champion girth and height tower overhead, as do giant cypresses. Scout every footstep and watch for blazes, as they are easy to lose. Deep sloughs like The Pond can catch you unawares if you stray off the blazed route. As the trail rises out of the bay, it ascends and follows an old logging tramway to exit the wilderness area, emerging at FR 314 after 12.4 miles.
Apalachicola National Forest Bradwell Bay Wilderness Florida Trail Apalachicola region Florida Trail Apalachicola East section Florida Trail Apalachicola Map (maps 9/10) |
||||
Florida Trail, Bradwell Bay Wilderness Area 
PODCAST: Florida Trail, Bradwell Bay
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|