F.D. Roosevelt State Park: Mountain Creek Trail (Blog Hike #930)

Trail: Mountain Creek Trail
Hike Location: F.D. Roosevelt State Park
Geographic Location: Pine Mountain, GA (32.84395, -84.82881)
Length: 3.1 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2023
Overview: A loop hike through all of Pine Mountain's major habitats.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/FDRoosevelt
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=929889
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In western Georgia, take I-185 to SR 18 (exit 34).  Exit and go east on SR 18.  Where SR 18 angles left, continue straight on SR 354.  Drive SR 354 east 2.5 miles to the park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road 0.5 miles to the campground's Trading Post.  Park in the lot in front of the Trading Post.

The hike: Weighing in at 9049 acres, F.D. Roosevelt State Park is the largest state park in Georgia.  The park was established in 1935 to protect a large part of the Pine Mountain Range, a low east-west ridge that accounts for this park's long and skinny east-west shape.  Geologically speaking the Pine Mountain Range is part of the Piedmont Plateau, not part of the Appalachian Mountains to the north.  The park is named for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose famous Little White House is located in the town of Warm Springs near the east end of the Pine Mountain Range and this park.

            Roosevelt's depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp near the SR 354 park entrance you drove in to reach this trailhead, and they built several of the park's lakes and cabins.  The park also has a 115-site developed campground, primitive camping, 2 picnic shelters, 28 miles of bridle trails, and 43 miles of hiking trails including the 23 mile Pine Mountain Trail, which is probably Georgia's best backpacking trail south of the Appalachian Mountains.  The Mountain Creek Trail described here is one of the park's better dayhiking options, and it provides a nice sample of the Pine Mountain Range's habitats, both creekside and ridgetop, without pegging the difficulty meter.

Trailhead behind Trading Post

            The Mountain Creek Trail forms a true loop, so the trail exits the campground in two directions.  The easiest place to find the trail is behind the campground's Trading Post, where a brown park sign and red carsonite post mark the start of the Mountain Creek Trail.  Starting here will take you on a counterclockwise journey around the loop.

            Marked with red rectangular paint blazes, the Mountain Creek Trail descends to cross a tributary of Mountain Creek and reach a trail intersection.  The trail going right leads to a secondary campground, so you want to turn left to continue on the Mountain Creek Trail.  The forest is the usual Piedmont mix of pine and broadleaf trees as you go more down than up over gentle undulations.

Hiking through Piedmont forest

            The trail curves left to reach another trail intersection at 0.7 miles.  The trail continuing straight on the left (east) side of the creek leads to some picnic shelters and the dam of Delano Lake, so you want to turn right, cross the creek, and begin heading back downstream.  Watch for the plentiful red blazes at each of these intersections to stay on the right trail.

Hiking along Mountain Creek

            For the next 0.5 miles the trail stays close to Mountain Creek, which at times flows through a steep channel.  A light rain began falling as I hiked here, and I thought about how much I preferred hiking this trail in 60 degrees with a light rain versus 90 degrees with full sun.  At 1.2 miles, the trail curves left to begin a long and gradual climb away from Mountain Creek.  The difference between minimum and maximum elevations on this hike is less than 200 vertical feet, so all climbs are either very gradual or do not last long.

Hiking away from Mountain Creek

            1.9 miles into the hike, you reach a pair of abandoned fish hatcheries.  Constructed by the CCC, the excellent stonework at the fish hatchery dams looks out of place in the middle of the woods today.  A couple of benches invite you to sit, rest, and enjoy a trail snack near the midpoint of this hike.

Abandoned CCC Reservoir

            Just past the fish hatcheries, you reach a major trail intersection.  The option going right leads to the aforementioned Pine Mountain Trail, and the option going left leads to the park's cabin area.  Continue straight to remain on the Mountain Creek Trail.  Now the ravine narrows and the grade steepens as you begin the hardest climb of this hike.  Given the elevation information mentioned above, this climb barely works up a sweat.

Rocky area near ridgetop

            Near 2.4 miles, you cross first Lake Delanor Road, an extension of the road you drove in on, and then a power line corridor as you pass the highest elevation on this hike.  The rocky areas on top of this ridge contrast with the creekside areas you hiked through earlier.  Next comes the steepest descent as the trail plunges back into a creekside area.  This ravine is clogged with large amounts of mountain laurel.

Mountain laurel thicket

            Just shy of 2.9 miles, you cross the Cabin Trail and the Delano Trail as you enter the campground.  Avoid walking into occupied campsites, and soon the trail comes out at the campground road.  Walk along the campground road, cross the main park road, and reach your car in the parking lot in front of the campground's Trading Post to complete the hike.  While you are here, you can check out scenic Lake Delano or take a short drive to one of several scenic views from the Pine Mountain Range along nearby SR 190.

Florida Caverns State Park: Beech Magnolia and Bluff Trails (Blog Hike #929)

Trails: Beech Magnolia and Bluff Trails
Hike Location: Florida Caverns State Park
Geographic Location: north of Marianna, FL (30.81171, -85.22643)
Length: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2023
Overview: A loop hike along a rocky bluff overlooking a wetland.
Park Information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/florida-caverns-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=929714
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Marianna in the Florida panhandle, take SR 166 north 2.7 miles to the signed entrance for Florida Caverns State Park on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and then turn right on the second road that exits right.  This road quickly ends at the large blacktop parking lot for the Visitor Center; park here.

The hike: When you drive I-10 across the western part of Florida's panhandle, the gently rolling sandy dirt hills look like anything but cave country.  Yet the area's large number of springs and sinkholes provide above-ground testimony to a vast network of underground caverns.  One of the few places those caverns meet the air is at Florida Caverns north of Marianna.

            Opening in 1942, Florida Caverns State Park protects 1300 acres atop its namesake caverns, which are among the few air-filled (as opposed to water-filled) underground caverns in Florida.  The park and the adjacent golf course were built by the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the CCC also enlarged the caverns' passageways by hand to allow visitors to walk through them while standing up.  The park offers guided cave tours for a moderate fee, and the tours feature fantastic underground stalagmite and stalactite scenery.

            In addition to the cave, the park offers a 38-site developed campground, paddling and fishing on the Chipola River, an interesting museum that features both natural and human history, and 5 hiking trails totaling over 8 miles.  The park's river area and cave area both offer compelling hiking options, but the short loop described here explores the land that forms the roof of the cave.  Because this hike starts and ends at the Visitor Center, it makes a nice way to exhaust 45 minutes while you are waiting for your cave tour to begin or a nice add-on after you tour the cave.

Trailhead behind Visitor Center

            From the back of the Visitor Center, head uphill on the concrete path that leads to the cave tour's exit, then bear right to begin the gravel Beech Magnolia Trail.  A brown park sign marks the start of the Beech Magnolia Trail.  True to its name, the Beech Magnolia Trail makes a short loop through a forest dominated by beech and magnolia trees with a dense understory of palmetto.  A couple of small cave entrances exist in this area, but you will have to look hard to find them.

Rocky area near cave exit

            After a pair of left curves, the terrain gets more rocky, perhaps surprisingly so.  The rocks are uneven, so take care where you step.  At 0.5 miles, you reach the end of the Beech Magnolia Trail where it intersects the other end of the concrete path you started on.  The cave tour exit sits just to the left, and the oblong hole in the hillside makes a nice photo opportunity even if you do not take a cave tour.  To continue this hike, angle right on the concrete path, then angle right again to begin the dirt Bluff Trail.  Another brown sign marks the start of the Bluff Trail.

Cave tour exit

Wetland near Chipola River

           The Bluff Trail is another appropriately named trail: it traces the top of the rocky bluff that overlooks the wetland formed by the Chipola River.  The trail undulates with the bluff, and again you need to watch your footing in the rocky areas.  Ignore the Shortcut Trail, which exits left at 0.8 miles; it provides a shortcut back to the parking lot.

Tunnel Cave

            Just past 1 mile, you reach Tunnel Cave.  Tunnel Cave is only about 100 feet long with openings on either end, but some crawling will be required if you wish to pass through Tunnel Cave.  Past Tunnel Cave, a few hundred feet of level walking returns you to the parking lot to complete this hike.

Crooked River State Park: Nature Center to Sempervirens Trail (Blog Hike #928)

Trails: Bay Boardwalk, Palmetto, Connector, and Sempervirens Trails
Hike Location: Crooked River State Park
Geographic Location: north of St. Marys, GA (30.84148, -81.55717)
Length: 3.4 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2023
Overview: A lollipop loop featuring longleaf pines, large live oaks, and a marsh view.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/CrookedRiver
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=929627
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In southeast Georgia, take I-95 to SR 40 (exit 3).  Exit and go east on SR 40.  Drive SR 40 east 2 miles to Kings Bay Road and turn left on Kings Bay Rd.  Drive Kings Bay Rd. east 3 miles to SR 40 Spur and turn left on SR 40 Spur.  Drive SR 40 Spur north 3.5 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, then turn right at the first two intersections, following signs for the Nature Center.  Park in the gravel lot beside the Nature Center.

The hike: Located on a deadend road beside the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, cozy Crooked River State Park protects 500 acres on the south bank of its namesake river.  The Crooked River is a tidal river, meaning its direction of flow depends mostly on the tide.  Thus, the park is a top-tier kayaking destination, and several kayak trails allow paddlers to ride the tide for ease or paddle against it for added difficulty.

            For visitors wishing to keep their feet on dry land, the park offers a nice 52-site developed campground, 11 cottages, 4 picnic shelters, and 5 hiking trails totaling over 4 miles.  By most accounts the park's best trail is the Sempervirens Trail, which explores the mature forest along the bank of Crooked River's marsh.  But the Sempervirens Trail is only 0.5 miles long, and the only direct access to that trail is from the park's cottage area.  This hike takes a cross-park route to get to the Sempervirens Trail by starting at the park's Nature Center, which increases both the length and the variety of scenery experienced on this hike.

Nature Center trailhead

            From the front of the Nature Center, look to the left (as you look at the front of the Nature Center) to find the signed start of the Bay Boardwalk Trail.  Marked with green plastic diamonds, the wide dirt trail heads south under large longleaf pine trees with a dense understory of palmetto.  At 0.3 miles, you reach a major trail intersection with the Palmetto Trail.  Turn right and then left to begin hiking east on the Palmetto Trail.  Note that a double right turn here would send you around the Bay Boardwalk Trail's loop, which is 1.25 miles long.

Major trail intersection

            Marked with yellow plastic diamonds, the Palmetto Trail heads east through more beautiful longleaf pine forest.  There is no noticeable elevation change anywhere on this hike.  I heard and saw a large number of birds here including some woodpeckers and an indigo bunting.  Ignore trails that lead to the primitive campground, which is visible through the forest to the right.

            0.7 miles into the hike, the Palmetto Trail splits.  The option going left leads to the park's cottage area, so you want to angle right to head for the Sempervirens Trail.  The park map calls this trail the Palmetto-Sempervirens Connector Trail; it is marked with both yellow and blue plastic diamonds.

Hiking the Palmetto Trail

            Hiking through more longleaf pine forest brings you to a T-intersection with the Sempervirens Trail at 1.2 miles.  Turn right to begin the Sempervirens Trail, then turn left to reach a bench that overlooks the Crooked River's marsh.  No signs of development can be seen across this wide marsh and river, and while the bird watching should be good here, I saw minimal signs of wildlife when I came here early on a Sunday afternoon.  The bench invites you to sit, rest, and observe the marsh near the midpoint of this hike.

Crooked River marsh

            Past the marsh view, I angled left where the Sempervirens Trail splits to form its loop, thus hiking the loop clockwise.  Sempervirens is Latin for "ever living," and while "ever" is an exaggeration, the massive live oak trees here have been living for hundreds of years.  The trail crosses some short old wooden boardwalks that seemed unnecessary when I came here, but maybe this area gets muddy after a good rain.  

Hiking the Sempervirens Trail

            At 2.1 miles, you close the Sempervirens Trail's loop.  Turn left and retrace your steps back along the Palmetto and Bay Boardwalk Trails to return to the Nature Center and complete the hike.  If you want to add some variety and some length to your return route, you could take the western arm of the Bay Boardwalk Trail instead of the shorter eastern arm as described above.  Such a choice would add 0.6 miles to the distance and take you through some very wet areas if it has rained recently.

Laura S. Walker State Park: Big Creek and Lake Trails (Blog Hike #927)

Trails: Big Creek and Lake Trails
Hike Location: Laura S. Walker State Park
Geographic Location: southeast of Waycross, GA (31.14360, -82.21399)
Length: 3.2 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2023
Overview: A semiloop featuring 2 boardwalks, one along a creek and one over a lake.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/LauraSWalker
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=929591
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Waycross, take US 82 east 8.5 miles to SR 177 and turn right on SR 177.  Drive SR 177 south 2.1 miles to the park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the small parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Though nothing you see in this park today would indicate such, Georgia's Laura S. Walker State Park actually began its life as Laura S. Walker National Park.  The national park was created by a proclamation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and in 1937 distressed farmland was purchased to form the park.  The depression-era Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the park's roads, trails, and buildings, and in 1941 it was deeded to the State of Georgia as Georgia's 13th state park.  The park is named for Laura Singleton Walker, a local writer and naturalist.

            Today the park presents itself as a beautiful mature park with fantastic amenities.  On point, the park offers a nice 42-site developed campground, a championship 18 hole golf course, 6 cottages, 7 picnic shelters, a small but scenic lake, and 4 miles of hiking trails.  The hike described here links the park's two most scenic areas, Big Creek and Laura S. Walker Lake, while passing through some classic longleaf pine forest.  Thus, this hike explores the best scenery this park has to offer.

Big Creek Trail trailhead

            From the Visitor Center, walk back out the park entrance road to SR 177; the Big Creek Trail enters the woods across the state road.  The traffic on the state highway moves fast, so be alert and cross briskly.  Almost immediately you reach a wooden information kiosk with trails going three directions.  Continue straight to begin following the red plastic diamond markers for the Big Creek Trail.

            Ignore side trails marked in blue and yellow, and stay right where the red-blazed trail forks.  This part of the hike passes through beautiful longleaf pines, and I saw numerous birds including goldfinches in this area.  Occasional interpretive signs help you identify common plants in the forest, the most numerous of which are saw palmettos.

Hiking under longleaf pines

            At 0.4 miles, the trail curves right to descend slightly and reach the area beside Big Creek.  A nice boardwalk keeps your feet dry while hiking through this wet and muddy area.  Big Creek is the main outlet for the dam that forms Laura S. Walker Lake, and in places the flowing black water seems to flow through a constructed channel.  A bench at the end of the boardwalk overlooks the creek and provides a nice place to rest and observe the area.

Big Creek boardwalk

            After the boardwalk ends, the trail undulates before passing through a small depression.  Next you pass a primitive campsite and a dirt parking area as you begin paralleling SR 177, which can be heard through the trees to the left.  At 1.2 miles, you return to the information kiosk near the trailhead.  If you are getting tired or running out of daylight, you can turn left and retrace your steps to the Visitor Center now.  To see more of the park, turn right to begin heading the same way you did before, but this time take the left fork when the red-blazed trail forks.

Big fork in Big Creek Trail

            The trail follows an old forest road to reach the northern park boundary and another trail intersection at 1.4 miles.  Confoundingly, all 3 trails that converge at this intersection are marked with red plastic diamonds.  If the park used a wider variety of markers to designate trails, navigating this trail system would be easier.  To continue this hike, turn left to begin hiking west along the north park boundary.

            The arrow-straight trail passes through more longleaf pine forest to reach another trail intersection at 1.65 miles.  The red diamonds head left to return to the information kiosk yet again, but you want to continue straight to begin following the green plastic diamonds that mark the Lake Trail.  The Lake Trail crosses SR 177 before splitting at a metal gate with chain-link fencing.  Angle right to head for Laura S. Walker Lake.

Lake Trail splits at chain-link gate

            The Lake Trail meanders as it descends gradually.  A few wet areas will need to be negotiated if it has rained recently, and I was glad I had worn my waterproof boots for this segment of the hike.  At 2.2 miles, you reach the highlight of this hike: the long wooden boardwalk over Laura S. Walker Lake.  The sandy soil filters the lake's water to make it exceptionally clear, and some Spanish moss-draped cypress trees along the shore add to the scenery.  Several benches invite you to rest and observe the lake.

Laura S. Walker Lake

            The Lake Trail continues through the park's cottage area along the south shore of the lake, but it does not form a loop.  Thus, you need to turn around, retrace your steps to the metal gate with chain-link fencing, and then turn right to begin the last leg of the Lake Trail.  After tracing around a park maintenance area, you come out at the park's group camp area.  Turn left twice to walk the park road back to the Visitor Center and complete the hike.

Cumberland Island National Seashore: Sea Camp/Dungeness/Beach Loop (Blog Hike #926; Georgia Hike #100)

Trails: River, Dungeness, Marsh Boardwalk, Dunes Boardwalk, and Sea Camp Trails
Hike Location: Cumberland Island National Seashore
Geographic Location: off the coast of St. Marys, GA (30.76419, -81.47101)
Length: 4.4 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2023
Overview: A loop hike featuring the Dungeness ruins and a long beach walk.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=929478
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Cumberland Island is accessible only by boat.  A ferry shuttles visitors from St. Marys to the island; reservations and prepayment are recommended.  This hike begins at the Sea Camp dock, which is the ferry's second and final stop on the island.

The hike: I bought my first published guide to Georgia hiking in 2005 shortly after I moved from Ohio to Georgia.  That guide detailed the fantastic hiking available on Cumberland Island, the largest island off the coast of southeast Georgia, and I immediately added the island to my list of intended Georgia hiking destinations.  Cumberland Island is accessible only by boat, and years went by before the ferry's schedule lined up with my travel schedule at a time of the year conducive to hiking.  Finally, on a Thursday morning in early February 2023, I boarded the ferry to take the boat ride I had been awaiting for more than 17 years.

            Established in 1972, Cumberland Island National Seashore protects most of its namesake island except for a few inholdings of privately owned land.  The boat-only access limits the number of visitors, so this park does not suffer from overcrowding like many National Park Service sites.  Yet the natural scenery and human history preserved by this park are second to none in the southeast.

            Human habitation of Cumberland Island dates back nearly 4000 years, and evidence shows that the ancient Timucuan people lived here.  Spanish missionaries arrived in the 1600's.  The English arrived in 1733 and named the island for Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II.  Plantation life dominated the island in the 1700's and 1800's, and in 1884 Thomas Carnegie built a mansion called Dungeness as a winter retreat.  Dungeness burned in 1959, but the Carnegie's family cemetery still sits near the mansion's ruins on the island.

            In addition to the human history, Cumberland Island National Seashore offers primitive camping, one of the longest undeveloped beaches on the east coast, and an almost endless system of hiking and biking trails.  Due to the boat dock's location, the south end of the island is the easiest area to explore on a day trip.  The route described here is one recommended by the National Park Service, and it provides a nice loop on fairly easy trails.  This hike visits the Dungeness ruins, the marsh, and some other historic buildings, and it offers a long hike on the undeveloped beach, thus sampling everything the island has to offer.

Start of River Trail

            After stepping off the ferry at the Sea Camp dock, look to the right for the start of the River Trail; it is marked by a simple wooden sign and a red carsonite stake.  The dirt River Trail heads south through dense forest dominated by live oaks with a thick draping of Spanish moss.  A dense covering of palmettos populates the understory.  Cumberland Sound, which you floated in on, sits just to the right although it stays out of sight most of the time.

Hiking the River Trail

            At 0.7 miles, you reach the Ice House Museum and the Dungeness dock, which was the ferry's first stop on the island.  The Ice House and its cluster of buildings date to the 1890-1900 period, and today some of the buildings are used as park administrative buildings.  Restrooms and drinking water are also available here.

Ice House Museum

            To continue, pick up the two-track dirt road that heads away from the dock, and then turn right at the next road intersection to reach the Dungeness ruins.  Two mansions named Dungeness stood here, one built in 1803 by Catharine Greene, widow of Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene, and another built by Thomas Carnegie in 1884.  The ruins of the 1884 mansion are the ones you see here today.  Notice all of the nearby support buildings and the elaborate south entrance to the mansion, and imagine how grand this place would have been in the early 1900's.

Entrance gate at Dungeness

Dungeness ruins

            After admiring the mansion ruins, turn left to head east on a two-track dirt road that passes some of the support buildings.  An elaborate building called The Grange, the foundation of a water tower, and the foundation of the dairy barn are among the buildings and ruins passed.  After exiting the mansion area, turn right at a signed trail for the marsh.  Quickly you arrive at the wooden boardwalk that overlooks the Beach Creek salt marsh.  I saw many birds here including an egret, and I also saw some of Cumberland Island's famous wild horses.

Wild horses at marsh

Beach Creek salt marsh

            After crossing the marsh boardwalk, you walk through an area of soft white sand to return to the two-track dirt road.  Turn right on the dirt road, then turn right again to begin the Interdune Boardwalk.  True to its name, the Interdune Boardwalk takes you among the towering white sand dunes that line this island's eastern side.  Walking on the boardwalk is much easier than walking in the soft sand.

Dunes beside Interdune Boardwalk

            At 2.4 miles, you reach this hike's most shining moment, the moment you exit the dunes and walk onto the beach.  This beach is truly spectacular: the sand is sugar-white, and no development can be seen in either direction.  Before you get lost in the sandy and oceany wonder, note the black and white striped pole where the trail intersects the beach: you will have to find a similar pole at the other end of this beach hike.

Walking out onto the beach

Looking north up the beach

            Turn left to begin walking north along the beach.  Sea gulls and dead jellyfish were the most common organic things on this beach.  Due to the island's boat-only access and the fact that all of the docks are on the island's west side, I only saw 5 or 6 other people on the beach the entire time I was here.  Take your time and enjoy this spectacular area.

Exiting the beach

            At 3.7 miles, you reach the trail that leads back to Sea Camp dock; look for the black and white striped pole.  After a brief period of hiking through sand, you reach a wooden boardwalk that again mercifully carries you over the majority of the soft sand.  3.9 miles into the hike, you reach Sea Camp, a very nice primitive campground.  Walk through the campground and pick up the sandy dirt road, which returns you to the dock at 4.4 miles.  Enjoy the ferry ride back to St. Marys having experienced one of the best historical and natural sites in Georgia.