In
Suwanee River State Park, the Withlacoochee
River flows into the Suwanee. The view from an
overlook includes the joining of the two rivers,
and when the water level is low, you'll see
springs emerging from the banks of both rivers.
The park is located 13 miles west of the town of
Live Oak, off U.S. 90.
While
the park now covers an area of 1,800 acres, it
began with the acquisition of 300 acres in 1936.
This is a lovely, quiet place, where Lime Sink
Run flows into the Suwanee, through outcrops of
limestone; a home for much wildlife including
beavers, with catfish and panfish ready for
anglers to catch.
In
previous days, the area was busier: when paddle
steamers chugged along the Suwanee and
Withlacoochee, carrying goods from plantations
and logging enterprises, and transporting people
up and down the rivers. South of the river
junction, a military fortification -- an
embankment -- was constructed by Confederates
during the Civil War to protect the nearby
railway bridge, a ferry landing, and a prominent
sawmill. Within the park, all that remains of
the old town of Columbia, built near the
fortification, is a cemetery said to be one of
the oldest in Florida.
Recreational
opportunities are varied in this unique park.
Activities center on camping, river canoeing and
boating, and hiking. A boat ramp provides access
to the Suwanee, and the Upper Suwanee River
Canoe Trail, with its start in Georgia, ends in
the park. The Lower Suwanee canoe route runs
from the park to the Gulf of Mexico. You'll find
a family campground, with picnic tables and
grills.
The
two walking trails are reserved for pedestrians
only. The Suwanee River Trail runs along the
banks of the river, providing fine views from
on-high, and then along Lime Sink Run. This is
an interpretive trail, with markers pointing out
the hammock and its varied plant and animal
life. The Sandhills Trail leads from the picnic
area to the Columbia Cemetery, through an open
pine forest -- quite a different experience from
walking across the hammock. Part of this latter
trail leads along an old stage route which ran
across the state from Pensacola to Jacksonville
during the early 1800s.
For
information, contact the park headquarters at
(904) 362-2746.
