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Apalachicola River Trips 2009

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 Apalachicola River Trips 2009

 

The Apalachicola River is part of the a River System located in the Southeastern United States. It begins its journey to the Gulf of Mexico as the Chattahoochee River, springing from the foothills of North Georgia along the Apalachian Trail near Chattachoohee Gap. Its journey to the Gulf is joined by the Flint River (which originates south of the Atlanta airport) at the Georgia/Florida state line. The two rivers flow into the Apalachicola River to continue another 108 miles to Apalachicola Bay and  into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Enjoy the river one stroke at a time.  Sign up for one of four 7-day canoe and kayak trip from Lake Seminole to Apalachicola.  Scheduled for the autumn months, these trips are an excellent way to see the Apalachicola River and learn about the flora and fauna unique to the basin from educational presentations along the way.

We offer these trips based on the notion that it you put someone one the river then they will appreciate it and from that develop an understanding of the natural systems and stewardship.  The first trip on the Apalachicola took place in 2007 in conjunction with the Apalachicola Riverkeeper, Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, US Forestry Service, City of Chattahoochee, and many other groups and individuals with knowledge of the river and river systems.  

 

We explored the floodplains, streams, tributaries and some of the communities along the river.  We looked at historical sites and the culture of river life.  We learned about hydrology, the broad diversity of flora and fauna supported by the flood plain and that many of the species depend on the back waters of the flood plain as part of their life cycle.  We learned how the impact of reduced water flows and channelization has harmed the nutrient flow into the Gulf and the resulting impact on productivity in the seafood harvest.  We learned of adaptive management as applied in forestry and floodplain practices.  We learned to know the river one paddle stoke at a time.  For eight days we camped on the sand bars and developed friendships and knowledge that will last a lifetime.

 

Video Documentaries from Previous Trips

 

These video clips are informative and entertaining.  A great way to get a feel for what to expect or to just watch an savour as if you were there.  The videos are offered in three different formats to fit your computer system and internet configurations. 

 

 2007 River Trip Video Documentary
Select one of the links below for a 30 minute video from the 2007 Trip

Places009.jpg

Places065.jpg

Places004.jpg

High Definition
Requires a high speed connection

Streaming Media
For slower speed connections

Pod Cast
For your Mac or IPOD running Quicktime

 

 

 2008 River Trip Video Documentaries
We split the documentary into two parts for the 2008 Trip. 

Part I – Chattahoochee Landing to Estiffanulga
Days one through four 

High Definition

Streaming Media

Pod Cast

Part II – Estiffanulga to Apalachicola
Days one through four 

 

 

2009 Trip Overview

 

We are offering on the week of the full moon from March through November.   We provide all food for the meals, shuttle vans and trailers and even a kayak or canoe if you do not have one.  Core to the logistical support is the Starfish Enterprise, a 40’ power catamaran from which all of the meals will be prepared and which provides hot showers and wash up facilities, 120VAC electricity, ice maker, 300 gallons of fresh water and a marine toilet with holding tank.  .  A LCD projector is utilized for some of the educational presentations and for movies about river life and times along the way.  New and expanded educational sessions are provided with a broadened range of subject matter covering river ecology and hydrology, maritime heritage and river culture.  We utilize satellite telephone communications for emergencies.  Shuttles for day trippers will be handled via power boat back to the put in as we will be eliminating the van and trailer shuttles from earlier years.  We provide camping chairs and rain tarps for foul weather.

 

The Journey begins near the Lake Seminole dam in the town of Chattahoochee at our 140 acre site hosting the museum and outfitting site and ends at the Apalachicola Maritime Museum.  Included with the trip is a cruise on the “Heritage,” our 58 foot wooden ketch which will take you out into the blue water of the Gulf.  Overnight accommodations consists of camping on the sand bars, or designated campgrounds along the river.  We utilize one to two center console power boats for river based shuttles and logistical support.

 

The trips require a minimum of 20 participants and we will allow up to a maximum of forty.  If we do not have the minimum number of participants signed up for a scheduled trip, we will allow the enrollee to switch to an alternative scheduled date or to receive a refund.  Of the total maximum of forty, up to 20 can be day trip participants for those that cannot make the entire trip.  Day trip participants for a single day will begin with an early morning pick up in time to join the group at the start of the day’s trip and be returned via power boat at the end of the day’s trip to the pickup spot after dinner on the river.  Day trip participants must either go back to the starting point at the end of the day or continue downstream to the conclusion in Apalachicola.  We will provide a shuttle from Apalachicola back to Chattahoochee Landing at the conclusion of the trip. 

 

Participants will be responsible for setting up, taking down camp, and helping out with all of the tasks of the trip. 

The Starfish enterprise is the rally point throughout the trip.  The group is kept together through a point person at the front of the group known as Lead and another person at the end of the group known as Sweep.  These two keep in touch with the Starfish through VHF radio communications to ensure the group stays together and to help ensure that if any paddler needs assistance it can be readily available.  In addition the center console power boats stay in contact with the VHF radios.  The satellite phone is maintained on the Starfish in the event of an emergency that requires immediate contact with outside rescue resources.

 

With all of these precautions, we believe we have done everything possible to make the trip safe and fun, but all participants should be aware that this trip does involve risks associated with extended outdoor adventures in a place where the wilderness that contains beauty and relaxation also contains hazards associated with poisonous snakes, alligators, biting and stinging insects and water hazards.

 

 

2009 River Trip Schedule

Description

Start Date

End Date

Trip #1

Friday, March 6, 2009

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Trip #2

Friday, April 3, 2009

Saturday, April 10, 2009

Trip #3

Friday, May 8, 2009

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Trip #4

Friday, May 29, 2009

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Trip #5

Friday, July 3, 2009

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Trip #6

Friday, July 31, 2009

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Trip #7

Friday, August 29, 2009

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Trip #8

Friday, September 25, 2009

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Trip #9

Friday, October 30, 2009

Saturday, November 7, 2009

 

 

Shuttle Busses and Shuttle Boats

 

We are providing shuttle vans from Atlanta (the Buford Dam Store location) all the way along the I-85 corridor and US Highway 27 leading to Chattahoochee, FL where the trip begins.  We pickup paddlers needing a shuttle along the way.  We will also be offering a shuttle to and from Apalachicola (for those wishing to leave gear at Chattahoochee while leaving the car in Apalachicola at the take out and for a return trip from Apalachicola to Chattahoochee after the trip (and then on back up to Atlanta). 

 

Shuttles for the day trip participants will be handled by power boat that will run the participant back up to the put in point where they joined that day.  Day trip participants must either return at the end of the day or continue the paddle all the way to the finish in Apalachicola.  There will be no shuttle vans supporting day trip participants since they will be returned by boat. 

 

Costs

 

The Cost for is $395 per person for the entire eight day adventure.  The cost for Day Trip participants is $75 per day. 

 

If the trip must be canceled due adverse weather or river conditions, a full refund will be applied.  We reserve the option to move participants to alternative dates to balance the load on the trips.  We will coordinate with the participant and if the participant is unable to change arrangements, then a full refund will be applied.

 

How to sign up

 

Sign up for the paddle trip can be done via the web at the RiverEcoLogic.com web store or by sending a check to the Apalachicola Maritime Museum at 103 Water Street, Apalachicola, FL, 32328.   You will find that the web store has been set up with the shuttle van routes and kayaks organized by the route and available at no charge.  Please sign up for shuttle and kayaks if you need them since we will be planning resources according to the sign ups from the web store. 

 

Please take time now to review and complete the following documents.  All forms must be completed prior to departure.

 

Apalachicola River Trip Registration Form

Participant Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Agreement  

Photographic / Video / Audio Rights Waiver

Suggested Gear List  

 

For more information please contact one the following trip coordinators

 

·       Josh Anderson, RiverEcoLogic Manager, at 770-945-4000 or via e-mail Josh.Anderson@RiverEcoLogic.com

·       Larry Covell, Apalachicola Maritime Museum, at 850-653-2500 or via e-mail Larry.Covell@AMMFL.org

 

Trip Schedule and Charts

 

Following is the schedule for the eight day trip.  Each day is described with a brief narrative of the logistics of where we will go and what we will do with some of the highlights of what you will see along the way.  Following this narrative is a chart that identifies key landmarks and stops along the way and the mileage to be traversed.  There are mile markers along the entire river course that are maintained by the US Coast Guard that will help you keep track of where you are. 

 

Some elements of the schedule may change as the trip nears so you should plan to access this web page just before departing for the most up to date information.  You can click on the chart thumbnail at start of the narrative for any day to get an enlarged chart.  Note that this is a 12 MB file which may take some time to load.  We will provide a laminated chart set and schedule to each participant.

 

Map1web.jpgArrival and Orientation Day – Plan to arrive early on this day to check in for the trip and get situated at the camp site.  If you are going to take the shuttle bus, be sure to arrive on time.  The departure point for the shuttle from Apalachicola is the Maritime Museum at 103 Water Street.  Alternatively, you can leave your car at the Chattahoochee Landing departure site and plant to take the shuttle back from Apalachicola after the trip.  If you are taking the shuttle from Atlanta, the departure site is The Dam Store at 1250 Buford Dam Road.  …….

 

Both sites are secure and have no charge.  This first day includes a tour of the Dam at Lake Seminole, a gear and safety check, a presentation by the City Leadership of Chattahoochee and a cook out at the magnificent 140 acre Chattahoochee Landing Site recently acquired for expansion of the Apalachicola Maritime Museum.  This location has a magnificent view of the river and dam and overlooks the limestone banks where multiple clear freshwater springs come forth to create the spawning habitat of the endangered sturgeon.  This was a major steam boat junction in the 1800s and the frames of several of the steam boats can still be seen at the rivers edge. 

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Friday

 

0

10:00 AM

 

Apalachicola

Maritime Museum

 

Optional Shuttle for participants/kayaks/gear to Lake Seminole Lodge.  The departure point for the shuttle will be the Apalachicola Maritime Museum at 103 Water Street in Apalachicola.

 

 

 

12:30 PM

 

Chattahoochee Landing

Camp Site and parking

 

Meet at the Chattahoochee Landing site for shuttle to Jim Woodruff Dam, Nature and Historic Tours; depart by 12:40 p.m. OR meet at Jim Woodruff Dam visitor center

 

 

 

1:00 PM

 

Jim Woodruff Dam

Dam Tour

 

Park in top level parking lot     

 

 

 

3-5:00 PM

 

City of Chattahoochee

Nature Walk and History Tour

 

Local historian will lead historic tour of Chattahoochee; Hiking tour of nature park

 

 

 

4:00 PM

 

Chattahoochee Landing

Gear Check and Safety Orientation

 

Kayak safety and paddling gear check.  Meet the trip organizers and leaders.  Learn about the trip support vessels and radio communications protocol.

 

 

 

5:30 PM

 

Chattahoochee Landing

Dinner

 

Cook out at the grounds

 

 

 

6:30 PM

 

Chattahoochee RV Clubhouse

Public Forum

 

Chattahoochee as a "Gateway Community"    

 

 

 

7:30 PM

 

Chattahoochee Landing

Fireside story telling and songs

 

This is your chance to get better acquainted with fellow trip participants

 

 

Map2web.jpgDay #1 : Lake Seminole to Blue Spring Run (10 Miles) – This first day is a relatively short paddle trip to allow everyone to get introduced to the river and to get settled in for the trip.  The departure point is on Lake Seminole where we will paddle a short distance and then enter the lock to make passage down through to the river level.  This is the start of the Apalachicola River which is formed by the confuluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers.  The dam and lock were part of the 1950s era project that established the shipping channel which extends all the way to Columbus, Georgia.  After exiting the lock we will paddle to the Chattahoochee Landing Park for lunch and an education session.  We will paddle to Means Creek where the creek along with the adjacent watersheds along the bluffs of the upper Apalachicola River, has the steepest topographical relief in Florida.  In addition, The Nature Conservancy has listed is area as one of six hot spots of American biodiversity with the upper Apalachicola River having the highest biodiversity of reptile and amphibian species in the United States.  Of the rare plant species to be found here, 16 occur nowhere else.  After a hike through the area, we will continue down the river to the Blue Spring Run with a hike to the spring head before setting up camp.

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Saturday

10.0

1

7:00 AM

 

Chattahoochee Landing

Breakfast

 

Breakfast at the camp site

 

 

 

8:00 AM

108.0

Chattahoochee Landing

Orientation & Safety Review

 

Preperations for departure.

 

 

 

10:00 AM

108 W

Chattahoochee Landing

Paddle Trip Begins

Yes

Boats in the water leaving Lodge for Jim Woodruff Dam.  Note that day trippers will be returned to the Chattahoochee Landing site

 

 

 

11:00 AM

106.5

Jim Wodruff Dam Lock

Pass through Lock

 

Lock Number (850) 663-4692

 

 

 

12:00 PM

105.7 E

Chattahoochee Landing

Historic Steamboat Landing & City Park

 

Presentation regarding Endangered Species habitat (Sturgeon and Mussels)  and Historical-Cultural-Archeological Events

 

 

 

12:30 PM

105.7 E

Chattahoochee Landing

Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

2:00 PM

105.4 E

Limestone Shoals

Sturgeon Spawning area

 

Freshwater springs at river side

 

 

 

 

105.0 E

Mosquito Creek

Mussel Habitat

 

 

 

 

 

 

103.3 W

Jackson Co. Port Authority

Former industrial port

 

 

 

 

 

 

102.7 W

Gulf Power Coal-Fired Power Plant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

99.6 E

Flat Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

3:00 PM

99.0 E

Aspalaga Landing

Means Creek or Aspalaga Bluffs hike

 

 

 

 

 

5:30 PM

98.3 W

Blue Spring Run

Striped Bass Habitat Restoration

 

Optional Short Hike to spring

 

 

 

6:00 PM

98 E

Sand Bar

Camp

 

 

 

 

 

7:00 PM

98 E

Sand Bar

Dinner

 

 

 

 

Map3web.jpgDay #2 : Blue Spring Run to Alum Bluff (14 Miles) – This second day of the trip will lead into the bluff country where the eastern shore of the river is flanked by towering bluffs with a broad diversity of species and home to the endangered Toreya Pine Tree.  Rising more than 150 feet above the river, the bluffs have been shaped and divided by deep ravines that have been eroded by streams throughout the centuries. The park is named for a species of rare Torreya tree that occurs only on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River. This once plentiful tree was nearly destroyed by disease in the early 1960s and may be doomed to extinction. Other rare plants found in the park include the Florida yew tree and the U.S. Champion winged elm. The forests of the park include river swamps, hardwood hammocks and high pinelands. Each community contains a different set of trees, shrubs and wildflowers which offer variety during each season of the year. The bluffs and ravines are forested by many hardwood trees that commonly occur in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia. These hardwoods provide the finest display of fall color found in Florida. Over 100 species of unique and colorful birds may be seen throughout the area. An array of animals commonly found in the park include deer, beaver, bobcat, grey fox and the unusual Barbours map turtle.  Animals were not the only inhabitants known to exist in the area over the centuries. A number of Indian sites have been discovered here by archaeologists. During the first Seminole Indian War in 1818, General Andrew Jackson crossed the river here with his army. 

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Sunday

13.7

2

7:30 AM

98.0 W

Sand Bar

Breakfast

 

 

 

 

 

8:00 AM

99.0 E

Aspalaga Landing

 

Yes

Day tripper pick up

 

 

 

9:00 AM

98.0 W

Sand Bar

Break Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

93.8 W

Ocheesee Landing

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

93.5 E

Torreya State Park

Hike

 

Hike & Park History

 

 

 

12:00 PM

93.5 E

Torreya State Park

Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

4:00 PM

88.6 W

J.R.'s Landing

 

 

 

 

 

 

5:00 PM

84.3 E

Alum Bluffs

Hike

 

Hike at The Nature Conservancy Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve

 

 

 

6:30 PM

84.3 E

Alum Bluffs

Camp

 

 

 

 

 

7:00 PM

84.3 E

Alum Bluffs

Dinner

 

 

 

Map4web.jpgDay #3 : Alum Bluff to Estiffanulga (21 Miles) – This third day of the trip will pass through the limestone shoals where huge granite boulders are located in the middle of the river and clear cold springs feed into the river just below the bluffs.  From there the river flows through the historical Blountstown which was once a vital center of river commerce and the bricks of the old wharfs are still to be found by the river’s edge.  In this section of the river the bluffs of the Pelham Escarpment give way to the ever widening river flood plain.  We will take a site trip into one of the oxbow lakes created by the meandering river known as the Poloway Cutoff which is where one of the few places where the endangered species of muscles, Elliptoideus sloatianus, can be found.

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Monday

21.0

3

7:30 AM

84.3 E

 

Breakfast

 

 

 

 

 

8:00 AM

80.5 E

Bristol Landing Park

 

Yes

Day tripper pick up

 

 

 

9:00 AM

84.3 E

 

Break Camp

 

 

 

 

 

10:00 AM

80.5 E

Bristol Landing Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

79.5

Hwy 20 Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

78.2 W

Sutton Lake & Bayou

Cypress Swamp

 

Optional side creek paddle

 

 

 

11:00 AM

77.4 W

Blountstown (Neal) Landing

Historic Steamboat Landing & City Park    

 

 

 

 

 

12:00 PM

77.4 W

Blountstown (Neal) Landing

Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

71.1 E

Poloway Cutoff

 

 

Site of the endangered muscle species

 

 

 

5:00 PM

63.9 E

Estiffanulga Boat Ramp

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:00 PM

62.7 E

Sand Bar

Camp

 

 

 

 

 

7:00 PM

62.7 E

Sand Bar

Dinner

 

 

 

 

Map5web.jpgDay #4 : Estiffanulga to Gaskin Park (21 Miles) – This fourth day of the trip departs “‘Stiff-’n’-Ugly’ Bluff, the highest bluff on the river between Apalachicola and Bristol and takes us through the ever broadening floodplain with many tributaries including Mary's Slough, Iamonia Lake, Hageman's Ditch and the Florida River eventually ending at the Chipola Cutoff.  During this portion of the trip you will see the impact of dredging of the river where entrenchment of the river bed has lowered the river level leaving many of these tributaries inaccessible because of waterfalls or very shallow water at their junction with the main river channel, except during periods of high flows.  About 4,000 acres of isolated aquatic habitat, mostly tupelo-cypress swamps, with standing water less than 3 feet deep, is present in the floodplain at very low flows.  Large tributary lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the river, such as Iamonia Lake and River Styx, support diverse fish communities.  In a recent study, 44 fish species were collected by the Florida Wildlife Commission in tributary lakes during low flows.  Eighty percent, or 73 of the 91 fish species known to inhabit the Apalachicola River have been collected in river floodplains of the eastern United States and are probably present in the Apalachicola River floodplain during medium-high and high flows.  The trip ends at the first confluence with the Chipola River where this major spring fed tannin stained water meets the brown silted waters of the Apalachicola. 

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Tuesday

20.9

4

7:30 AM

62.7 E

 

Breakfast

 

 

 

 

 

8:00 AM

62.7 E

Estiffanulga Boat Ramp

 

Yes

Day tripper pick up

 

 

 

9:00 AM

62.7 E

 

Break Camp

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

59.0 W

Mary's Slough/Iamonia Lake

 

 

Optional Side Trip for experienced paddlers

 

 

 

12:00 PM

55.8 E

Hageman's Ditch

Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

45.3 W

Iola Landing

Historic Railroad Landing

 

 

 

 

 

 

43.1 E

Florida River

NWFWMD Lands

 

 

 

 

 

6:00 PM

41.8 W

Sand Bar

Camp

 

 

 

 

 

7:00 PM

41.8 W

Sand Bar

Dinner

 

Catered by The Bayou Restaurant; Wewahitchka

 

 

Map6web.jpgDay #5 : Gaskin Park to Owl Creek/Hickory Landing (19.6 Miles) – This fifth day of the trip will continue through the pre tidal floodplain which at roughly 7 feet above sea level has many tributaries including Swift Slough, Virginia Cut, River Styx, the second and main confluence with the Chipola River, Kennedy Creek and Owl Creek which we will paddle up to our overnight camping spot at Hickory Landing.  You will see the results of the Battle Bend restoration project whose purpose is to re open low flow connectivity to the Battle Bend Slough which had been filled with spoil from channel dredging operations of years gone by.  The River Styx, with it’s clear blue green water flows, and named after the river in Hades, according to Greek mythology ,  across which Charon carried dead souls, is a hauntingly beautiful place of rarely seen flora.  The Apalachicola River continues to broaden through this stretch with enormous sand bars and canopied banks of cypress, oak, palm and tupelo trees.  The paddle trip up Owl Creek to Hickory Landing offers the tour of a unique cypress swamp. 

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Wednesday

19.6

5

7:30 AM

41.8 W

Sand Bar

Breakfast

 

Catered

 

 

 

8:00 AM

41.8 W

Gaskin Park Landing

 

Yes

Day tripper pick up

 

 

 

9:00 AM

41.8 W

Sand Bar

Break Camp

 

 

 

 

 

10:00 AM

41.8 W

Gaskin Park Landing/Wewahitchka

 

 

River Steward discussion on River Swamp Protection

 

 

 

11:00 AM

40.3 E

Swift Slough

 

 

Reference slough site

 

 

 

 

36.5 W

Sand Mountain

 

 

Dredged material disposal site  - River Engineering

 

 

 

12:30 PM

35.6 W

Virginia Cut

 

 

Civil War History

 

 

 

12:30 PM

35.6 W

Virginia Cut

Lunch

 

Catered by Maxine's in Wewahitchka

 

 

 

 

35.3 E

River Styx

 

 

Explore River Swamp up River Styx

 

 

 

3:00 PM

29 E

Battle Bend

River Backwater Restoration 

 

FWCC River Restoration Presentation

 

 

 

 

27.9 W

Confluence of Chipola River and Apalachicola River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26.0 E

Kennedy Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:00 PM

22.2 E

Owl Creek

Camp

 

 

 

 

 

7:00 PM

22.2 E

Hickory Landing

 

 

Endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker Discussion

 

 

 

7:00 PM

22.2 E

Hickory Landing

Dinner

 

 

 

 

Map7web.jpgDay #6 : Owl Creek/Hickory Landing to Bloody Bluff (13.7 Miles) – This sixth day of the trip will enter the tidal region of the Apalachicola River.  During this trip, we will come to old Fort Gadsden.  The site contains the ruins of two forts, and has been known by several other names at various times, including Prospect Bluff Fort, Nichol's Fort, British Post, Negro Fort, African Fort, and Fort Apalachicola. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Fort Gadsden Historic Site is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1972.  It was at Blount's Fort on Prospect Bluff, where in 1816 a single, red-hot cannonball landed in the powder magazine, causing an explosion heard 100 miles away in Pensacola and destroying the fort, killing nearly all inhabitants.  Anger at this attack in Spanish territory led to the first Seminole War a year later.  The earthen works of the fort are still visible and provide a look backward into the times when the Apalachicola River was the only means of accessing the inland regions of Florida, Alabama and Georgia; when control of this river meant control of commerce within the region; somewhat setting the stage for the current water wars.

 

Date

Distance

Day

Time   (EST)

River Mile

Location

Points of Interest

Day Trip Access

Notes

Thursday

8.5

6

7:30 AM

22.2 E

Owl Creek/Hickory Landing

Breakfast

 

Prepared on site

 

 

 

8:00 AM

22.2 E

Owl Creek/Hickory Landing

 

Yes

Day tripper pick up

 

 

 

9:00 AM

22.2 E

Owl Creek/Hickory Landing

Break Camp

 

Dead Head Logging Discussion and xplore Devon Creek

 

 

 

9:00 AM

22.2 E

Owl Creek/Wright Lake Nature Trail

Hike & talk on ecology of the area

 

 

 

 

 

10:00 AM

22.2 E

Owl Creek

History & Guided Paddle of Owl Creek

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

20.8 W

Brickyard Cutoff

History & Guided Paddle of Brickyard Cutoff

 

 

 

 

 

12:00 PM

19.8 E

Ft. Gadsden State Park

Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

12:00 PM

19.8 E

Ft. Gadsden State Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

3:00 PM

15 E

Bloody Bluff Boat ramp

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:00 PM

13.7 W

Sand Bar

Camp

 

 

 

 

 

7:00 PM

13.7 W

Sand Bar

Dinner

 

Prepared on site

 

Map8web.jpgDay #7 : Bloody Bluff to Apalachicola (13.7 Miles) – This seventh day of the trip will continue the passage through the tidal region to the river’s end at Apalachicola Bay.  The river delta region sprawls out into numerous sloughs and streams including Brothers River, Howards Creek, Brickyard cutoff, Owl Creek, East River and others which meander in an interconnecting fashion to spill out into the Apalachicola Bay.  During this stretch, the river banks have given way to cypress forests in the river swamp with palm lined banks that are primordial in appearance.  The sand bars on the main river of this region are largely the result of spoil banks from the channel dredging.  Our entrance into Apalachicola will be through these interconnecting waterways and will ultimately pass at the city docks and end at the Apalachicola Maritime Museum.  We will have a celebration of the river trip on the beach at St. George Island with a luau style cook out and bonfire o