Georgia to the Gulf, 225 river miles, 10 paddle days
A River of Time
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As I set up the tent at the State Park in Fanning Springs last evening my thoughts were with the possibility of being idle on this date due to passing weather, luckily it came in at 6am and was gone by 730 (I slept through worse on the Mississippi). I packed a damp tent and tarp and rolled traveller down to the ramp. While returning the dilapidated cart to its rightful place I headed for some breakfast across the street.
The rangers at the office informed me that all the power had been knocked out by the storm, but they were about to make-a-run to a fast-food restaurant down the road and fetch themselves a biscuit – “figure me in, I’ll take two please.”
It was good of them to offer – but it was at least 40 minutes before they returned (as I sat and listened to a ‘chatty’ ranger wound up on coffee). Then they returned with some ‘insta-biscuits from a store freezer, how could I complain? Nope, thanks – ‘preciate it and on my way at 10:30!… munchin a biscuit and drinking a coke. Anyone that knows me knows that I hate ‘hanging around (hence the ‘bacshortly’) but I continued to remind myself that I could be sitting in the tent listening to the wind and lightning have its way with my little speck of ground – life is indeed good, and so were the folks as they offered to grab me a bite – thankyou.
It was good to be once-again working the shoreline, I did think about the Outward bound group of girls that had departed so late the evening before and wondered how they might have completed their night – you have to respect what those young leaders do.
A short time after Fanning Springs is Old Town, after the RR Trestle is an historical shipwreck (underwater) marked by buoys – The City Of Hawkinsville.
With the late start and the Gulf still 34 river miles away I prepared for a night of riverside camping – my dread was that the weather front that had just passed also meant a chilly night ahead, 40′s forecast – least if I had to sleep near a gator I might see his breath first.
The Suwannee’s now flat and wide, the shoreline is only sporadically showing mans presence – fewer residences and more hunting and fishing type of camps, structures nestled between the cypress stumps, trees, and protected habitat.
– plus more lily-pads, reflecting the warmer nature of the area.
Manatee Spring entrance from the Suwannee River, 25 miles from the Gulf.
Paddling into the clear water of the Manatee Spring (allowed April to Nov) I paddled past a single Manatee, huge with a rounded fin, a seemingly gentle and harmless giant – these animals were commonly referred to as ‘sea-cows’ when I was growing up in Ft. Myers. They have done alot to protect the Manatees, after you have seen one with propeller wounds across their back, you appreciate the State’s efforts.
Paddled up to the boil point where further paddling is prohibited.
Mullet were active and schooling in the clear and comfortably warm waters.
- and then back out into the Suwannee. Camping is possible here, but the camp sites are just too far from the river and kayak – it was just after noon and I was surprised with covering the nine mile distance from Fanning Springs so quickly. I figure three mph at a ‘leisure’ paddle, maybe the current is helping more. Yesterday was a tough day against the wind, today with the weather front through and the cool night ahead, the wind was from the north, behind – helping support me in its own quiet way towards the Gulf – sometimes things just work out.
The homes that I did encounter were in groups or clusters – many bearing the sign of our times – “For Sale.” There were several along the way that I really liked, especially with Gulf access – the best of both worlds – since Branford I had noticed a large number of Suwannee homes for sale.
This was the only law-enforcement I saw in my complete paddle.
- a little later the Yellow Jacket campground @ 230 pm (23 rm) came out of ‘nowhere.’
Nothing but a wet towel on my bow, a breeze at my back, mullet, sturgeon, and the gators.
The land is mostly protected with one side bearing the signs of a Federal Wildlife Reserve, the opposite side only rarely shows the signs of private use – forgotten camps and picnic tables with vegetation growing from the accumulated leaves rotting the tops from them.
It is a ‘wetlands’ wilderness type of setting – I saw few places to pitch a tent.
There were ‘gator-holes’ that ran back into the woods, I regretted not taking time to explore these but was trying to compensate for my late start to the day, paddle on.
It was three thirty when I came upon the boat ramp at Fowler’s Bluff (17 rm), hoping for a land-sandwich and noticing a small group of folks at what appeared to be a diner – I paddled in.
They were kind folks in the process of getting the diner open for the ‘season,’ stating also that a couple paddling the river had camped at their picnic tables the week before. It was 330, and in hindsight maybe I should’ve just stayed right there for the night. One fisherman explained that it took him about thirty minutes to make the town of Suwannee (when he ran ‘wide-open’ in his boat) my inclination was to move-on (he also mentioned that there were few if any places to camp – Fowlers Bluff was essentially ‘it’).
My thinking had to do with the cold-front moving in and while paddling away from Fowler’s bluff I felt a little more ‘pushed’ to cover the remaining 17 miles, not the way I wanted to paddle this river. Using the favorable winds I paddled a bit more steady reasoning that if it became necessary I could opt by setting up my tent on one of the two remaining boat ramps between here and Suwannee (the town).
gator ahead
I found that there really wasn’t a good place to camp between Fowlers Bluff and Suwannee, neither of the boat ramps were apparent – and I looked hard for them as I paddled.
Nearing 6 pm and without noticing any boat ramps, it was a good feeling to finally see some roof tops on the horizon, could it be Suwannee? – no matter, my tent was going up somewhere among them, soon.
Alongside was this Osprey nest, if you enlarge the pict you might notice the Osprey swooping down towards me.
The village of Suwannee, Fl ahead.
There are no markings for the Anderson River Camp from the Suwannee River, fortunately at the first canal a fisherman directed me into the canal and to my left – where eventually a small sign appeared.
‘Bill’s Fish Camp’ is where you sign-in to use the river camp, they also have rooms – 65 bucks a night (cash or check only). I considered a room with the cold front coming through but with thirty-two bucks cash it would be the screened porch, this worked out just fine at five bucks a night, awesome – “give me two nights, the shuttle is coming to pick me up Thursday and I’ll just take the ‘day-off’ tomorrow (the best choice).
Anderson River Camp was once part of Bills fish camp, not sure how the river folks worked this out – but its another awesome invitation for paddlers to explore the Suwannee River’s natural quality. They also have a primitive camping area plus allow use of this screened ‘porch’ when there are fewer campers (I was the only) – with a damp-packed tent from Fanning Springs it was a great room to set-up and allow it to dry, a luxury – now for the cool night ahead.
The shower available is one of the ‘least nice’ rooms of the older fifties motel with no furniture inside. It’s almost ‘nasty’ after all of the newer showers in the other river camps upriver, in actuality its a very ‘dated’ room, again – for five bucks a night its a luxury – and I know it was attended to by ‘Wallace’ and not overlooked. It was 41 degrees this night.
view from the screened porch.
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Facebook Post; “Tues – day 9; 31 miles with the wind at my back, 4-miles from Gulf in little town of Suwannee till Thursday, feet up. Now I know to where the Suwannee flows….”
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Last day, the Place called Suwannee;
- Day 10 - Suwannee, Fl (03rm, Gulf)
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note: even though mentioned and shown on available maps – there are NO physical river mile-markers along the river, – it would be positive to see a marker every couple of miles or on existing landmarks, benchmarks – for safety reference purposes.
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Suwannee River Mile References
shown on day 1,2 and final post only
221.0 Hwy 41 Fargo, Ga ramp
206 Georgia/Fla line
(camp day 1)
202.0 – Roline Ramp
197.7 – Turner Bridge ramp
195.7 Highway-6
186.5 – Cone Bridge ramp
(camp Day 2)
177.1 Big Shoals State Park – PORTAGE N 30 21.19, W 82 41.24
171 Highway-41 White Springs
168.3 Hwy 135 Stephen Foster State Park White Springs (Hub)
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities. River Camps are located a day’s paddle between hubs. Accessible only from the river, the camps provide covered camping platforms, primitive camping and restrooms with hot showers
163.2 – Interstate 75 – Blue Sink Launch/ramp
(camp day 3 – Woods Ferry)
159.3 Woods Ferry River Camp reservations – (800) 868 – 9914
158.0 – Woods Ferry Launch
150.0 – Suwannee Springs launch
148.5 Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park ramp (Hub)
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities. River Camps are located a day’s paddle between hubs. Accessible only from the river, the camps provide covered camping platforms, primitive camping and restrooms with hot showers
147.3 – Deese-Howard ramp
140.9 Holton Creek River Camp reservations – (800) 868 – 9914
N 30 25.81, W 83 2.17
(camp day 4 – Kelley Run)
135.4 ALAPIA RIVER Gibson Park ramp
130.4 – Road 141 ramp
127.7 Suwannee River State Park Boat Ramp (Hub) – hot showers, all types of camping
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities. River Camps are located a day’s paddle between hubs. Accessible only from the river, the camps provide covered camping platforms, primitive camping and restrooms with hot showers
127.8 WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER
115.6 – Boundary Bend ramp
113.4 Advent Christian Village (Hub) N 40 14.88, W 83 14.54
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities.
(camp day 5 – Dowling River Camp)
113.0 Dowling Park River Camp N 30 14.81, W 83 14.87
110.2 – Christian Tract Launch
106.5 – Charles Spring ramp
106.4 – Ezell Landing/ramp
103.3 Lafayette Blue Springs State Park (Hub) ramp
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities. River Camps are located a day’s paddle between hubs. Accessible only from the river, the camps provide covered camping platforms, primitive camping and restrooms with hot showers
98.2 – Hal Adams ramp
97.4 – Telford Springs ramp
95.8 Peacock Slough River Camp reservations – (800) 868 – 9914
N 30 6.09, W 83 8.23
92.9 – Hardenberg ramp
90.4 – Hugh Byron ramp
(camp day 6 – Adams Tract)
85.5 Adams Tract River Camp reservations – (800) 868 – 9914
River Camps are located a day’s paddle between hubs. Accessible only from the river, the camps provide covered camping platforms, primitive camping and restrooms with hot showers
N 30 2.10, W 83 1.14
86.6 – Ft. Macomb Ramp
83.7 – Walker Track launch/ramp
82.0 – Ruth Springs ramp
LOWER RIVER
79.0 – Patrician Oaks Ramp
76 Highway 247 Branford, Fl
76 Ivey Memorial Park/ramp – Branford (Hub)
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and nearby restaurants.
N 29 57.23, W 82 55.69
66.7 – Dorothy landing/ramp
65.5 SANTA FE RIVER RIVER
63.2 – Sims Landing/ramp
59.6 – High Landing/ramp
(camp day 7 – riverside)
56.6 Highway 340 /ramp
55 Gornto Spring County Park N 29 46.82, W 82 56.35
52.0 – Log Landing
49.9 – Wanee Ramp
46.0 – Eula Landing/ramp
44.0 – Turner Point ramp
43.1 Hart Spring County Park /ramp N 29 40.46, W 82 57.26
41.0 – Purvis Landing
40.0 – Sapp Landing
35.8 Highway 98 Suwannee Gables Ramp
34.2 Fanning Springs State Park (Hub)
(camp day-eight, at FS State Park)
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities. This State Park offers primitive camping and restroom with a cold shower or spring to take a ‘bird-bath’ in – the plus, a very short walk to excellent restaurants – convenience store. N 29 35.26, W 82 56.08
34.2 – Joe Anderson Ramp
32.0 – Hinton Landing Ramp
30.2 – Old Pine Landing Ramp
28.7 – New Pine Landing Ramp
28.1 – New Clay Landing Ramp
25.1 Manatee Springs State Park N 29 29.34, W 82 58.67
24.6 – Usher Landing Ramp
23.3 – Camp Azalea Ramp
22.7 – Yellow Jacket Ramp
16.8 – Fowlers Bluff Ramp
16.0 – Weeks Landing Launch
7.6 – Munden Creek Ramp
(camp day 9, 10 Anderson Landing)
3.9 Anderson’s Landing River Camp (Hub)
Hubs are towns or parks ‘ A wide range of goods and services are provided to meet visitors’ needs. Visitors can enjoy special events, shopping and other activities. River Camps are located a day’s paddle between hubs. Accessible only from the river, the camps provide covered camping platforms, primitive camping and restrooms with hot showers
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