un jour / 205 miles / 6 heures 50 minutes
Let the worries of the world give way to the peace and beauty of horizons of towering pines and blue-green Gulf waters. Travel along hundreds of acres of wet prairie, wet flatwoods, strand swamp, and bottomland forest. The unparalleled beauty of the Bend includes vast seagrass beds, marshes, winding rivers, sugar-sand beaches, deep forests, and crystal-clear springs.
Jour 1
9:00 - 40.1 miles / une heure 20 minutes - 10:20
Three Rivers Bridge & Porter Lake
Walk the length of these bridges for a beautiful view of the Ochlockonee River and the adjacent floodplain swamp dominated by Tupelo Gum trees and Bald Cypress. The Ochlockonee River Bridge also serves as the route for the Florida Scenic Trail, with a trailhead at Porter Lake, the ANF facility on the western end of the bridge. The bridge is also an excellent area for birdwatching since you are at eye level with the treetops.
10:35 - 26.9 miles / 53 minutes - 11:29
A perfect introduction to the natural beauty and rich history of the Big Bend. This museum combines a natural habitat zoo with an interpreted walk through restored farmsteads, buildings, and exhibits of the time when cotton, cattle, and timber were king. Among the collection is Bellevue, the 1840s “cottage” style plantation house and home of the great-grandniece of George Washington. The museum celebrates its Big Bend heritage with a Pioneer Breakfast in March and Big Bend Days in November.
12:29 - 28.7 miles / 57 minutes - 13:26
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park & Lodge
One of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs is the attraction of the 2,860-acre Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. An average of 2,900 gallons of water flow every second from a vent 140 feet deep, and over 16 caves extend outward, some with caverns 45 feet high, 120 feet wide, and 1,800 feet long. A National Natural Landmark, it preserves habitat for over a dozen rare and endangered species and is host to an abundance of wildlife.
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs also has a visitors center, a lodge with full dining services, and an old fashioned soda fountain available for your enjoyment.14:36 - 27.9 miles / 55 minutes - 15:32
1,962 acres in area and 9 miles long, this park offers environments from beaches to pine woods and scrub oak hammocks. Rated a “Top 10 Beach” in the country, it offers excellent opportunities for Gulf Coast shelling, fishing and hiking. It is a Florida Birding Trail site, and is home to Snowy Plover, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, American Oystercatcher, and Willet. Sea turtles nest along the park beaches, with loggerhead turtles being the most common.
16:32 - 81.7 miles / 2 heures 43 minutes - 19:15