Suwannee River
Trip Overview
The Suwannee River is 207 miles in length in Florida; 280 miles long when including Big Alligator Creek in Georgia, which is a headwater tributary to the Suwannee. The river proper begins in the Okefenokee Swamp, a vast wetland wilderness in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida, and enters the Gulf of Mexico north of the fishing village of Cedar Key. The white sugar sand riverbanks, with their sun-bleached fossilized coral bluffs, is in sharp contrast to the dark tannic water. The miles of unbridled beauty make this river so enjoyable to paddle.
We spend each day surrounded by an abundance of wildlife. River otter, deer, wild boar, turtles, raptors, and of course alligators, all make their home on the Suwannee.
We will camp among the cypress and tupelo on white sand beaches. Nights will be spent hiking on the Florida Trail, exploring the swamps, and swapping stories around the campfire.
Itinerary
DAY 1 Meet at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park near Live Oak, Florida at 9:00 a.m., pack our gear in the shuttle vans, and make our way to the Okefenokee Swamp. Folks needing transportation from the Jacksonville Airport to the campground should call to make arrangements.
DAY 2 Today we explore the swamp as we make our way southwest to the headwaters of the Suwannee River. Blooming Tupelos, twisted cypress, peeling river birch, and stoic Live oaks draped with Spanish moss shade our path as we twist and turn our way downstream.
DAY 3 Enjoying our return to Florida, we will start to encounter limestone outcrops and higher defined riverbanks. White sand beaches are found at almost every large bend in the river. Early mornings are spent watching huge woodpeckers; swallow tailed kites, and soaring buzzards.
DAY 4 Nice wilderness stretch of river in the morning. Frequent coyote sightings in this area. Just prior to lunch the group will get to experience some faster water at a small set of shoals. Higher banks begin to form, remnants of the ancient coral reef that once stood here. Fossilized sea fans, brain coral, and sea biscuits are evident near every cliff.
DAY 5 Long paddle today and if history repeats itself, expect a strong head wind. The pay-off is Florida’s only stretch of whitewater, The Big Shoals. Nice big bouncy Class 3 rapids. We will of course portage around them. Since camp is at the shoals everyone will get a chance to swim and possibly shoot the rapids.
DAY 6 After the portage, we will get a few small shoals to shoot as we make our way into the Historic town of White Springs. Lunch will be Riverside at the Teleford Hotel. With stuffed guts everyone will drift a mile down to the Stephen Foster Cultural Center to get a chance to walk it off. This is one of Florida’s finest state parks. It also has the best gift shop filled with locally made folk art and food.
DAY 7 Nice easy day with lots of drifting, swimming, day hikes, and a good rope swing or two. Lots of chances to stop and go exploring on the Florida Trail, birding in the high scrub, or look for swamp creatures in the sloughs. We will return to Spirit of the Suwannee and our cars before 5:00 p.m.
The Suwannee River is 207 miles in length in Florida; 280 miles long when including Big Alligator Creek in Georgia, which is a headwater tributary to the Suwannee. The river proper begins in the Okefenokee Swamp, a vast wetland wilderness in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida, and enters the Gulf of Mexico north of the fishing village of Cedar Key. The white sugar sand riverbanks, with their sun-bleached fossilized coral bluffs, is in sharp contrast to the dark tannic water. The miles of unbridled beauty make this river so enjoyable to paddle.
We spend each day surrounded by an abundance of wildlife. River otter, deer, wild boar, turtles, raptors, and of course alligators, all make their home on the Suwannee.
We will camp among the cypress and tupelo on white sand beaches. Nights will be spent hiking on the Florida Trail, exploring the swamps, and swapping stories around the campfire.
Itinerary
DAY 1 Meet at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park near Live Oak, Florida at 9:00 a.m., pack our gear in the shuttle vans, and make our way to the Okefenokee Swamp. Folks needing transportation from the Jacksonville Airport to the campground should call to make arrangements.
DAY 2 Today we explore the swamp as we make our way southwest to the headwaters of the Suwannee River. Blooming Tupelos, twisted cypress, peeling river birch, and stoic Live oaks draped with Spanish moss shade our path as we twist and turn our way downstream.
DAY 3 Enjoying our return to Florida, we will start to encounter limestone outcrops and higher defined riverbanks. White sand beaches are found at almost every large bend in the river. Early mornings are spent watching huge woodpeckers; swallow tailed kites, and soaring buzzards.
DAY 4 Nice wilderness stretch of river in the morning. Frequent coyote sightings in this area. Just prior to lunch the group will get to experience some faster water at a small set of shoals. Higher banks begin to form, remnants of the ancient coral reef that once stood here. Fossilized sea fans, brain coral, and sea biscuits are evident near every cliff.
DAY 5 Long paddle today and if history repeats itself, expect a strong head wind. The pay-off is Florida’s only stretch of whitewater, The Big Shoals. Nice big bouncy Class 3 rapids. We will of course portage around them. Since camp is at the shoals everyone will get a chance to swim and possibly shoot the rapids.
DAY 6 After the portage, we will get a few small shoals to shoot as we make our way into the Historic town of White Springs. Lunch will be Riverside at the Teleford Hotel. With stuffed guts everyone will drift a mile down to the Stephen Foster Cultural Center to get a chance to walk it off. This is one of Florida’s finest state parks. It also has the best gift shop filled with locally made folk art and food.
DAY 7 Nice easy day with lots of drifting, swimming, day hikes, and a good rope swing or two. Lots of chances to stop and go exploring on the Florida Trail, birding in the high scrub, or look for swamp creatures in the sloughs. We will return to Spirit of the Suwannee and our cars before 5:00 p.m.