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Highlights

The Apalachicola National Forest is one of the longest wilderness sections on the Florida Trail. Although the forest is laced with dirt roads, there are no towns and no access to services for 77 miles. The thirty-two mile eastern section of the Forest starts with rolling sandhills topped with longleaf pine and wiregrass, providing a gateway to the Sopchoppy River--a blackwater stream lined with cypress--where the trail follows the high bluffs of the western shore in and out of ravines with numerous bridges, leading you through patches of native Florida azalea, fragrant in spring. In the Bradwell Bay Wilderness, the forest changes as you walk from wet flatwoods dotted with titi trees into a swamp forest of sweet-gum, maple, and cypress, where stands of virgin loblolly pines survived due to their inaccessibility to loggers. Passing the historic Langston Homestead, the Florida Trail continues through private property (FTA membership required) with steephead ravines along the Ochlocknee River, before the ending of this section at Porter Lake on the Ochlocknee’s western bank.

Mileage Points, east-to-west:

00.0 US 319 (1.1 mi. west of Medart, 5.3 mi. east of Sopchoppy). Head north and follow forest roads for 8.5 mi.

08.5 Cross Sopchoppy R. on FR 343 (Oak Park) bridge. Trail passes through Oak Park trailhead, W. of bridge.

10.5 Monkey Creek Bridge.

12.4 Campsite in clearing south of FR 329.

12.5 Jct. with FR 329. Jog west, then north. Sopchoppy trailhead to north. East border of Bradwell Bay Wilderness.

(There is a second, larger, trailhead to the east at this junction--near the east end of the bridge.)

17.9 Blue-blazed 0.7-mile trail leads south to Monkey Creek trailhead on FR329.

19.6 Monkey Creek. If westbound, this is the start (and deepest part) of the Bradwell Bay Swamp Stomp.

20.3 Blue-blazed 0.1-mile trail leads south to Bradwell Bay South trailhead on FR 329.

21.8 Bradwell Island 100 ft. NW of trail. Dry area in middle of swamp.

23.3 Jct. with old tramway. If eastbound, this is the start of the Bradwell Bay Swamp Stomp.

24.8 Jct. with FR 314. Bradwell Bay West trailhead. West border of Bradwell Bay Wilderness. Jog north, then west.

28.8 Jct. with CR 375. Langston House trailhead on west side of highway. Trail continues N. along CR 375. (Blue-blaze trail from trailhead leads west, then south, 0.2 miles to historic Langston Homestead.)

30.1 Jct with FH 13. Turn left on FH 13 and cross Ocklocknee River on road bridges.

31.4 Porter Lake trailhead & campground on left [no sign at road]. Water, parking, restroom, one picnic table.

Trailhead directions:

Directions to all trailheads (Medart [Carraway Cutoff], Oak Park Bridge, Sopchoppy River, Monkey Creek, Bradwell Bay South, Bradwell Bay West, Langston House and Porter Lake) can be found on our Apalachee Chapter website at

. Click on “Click here for trail-heads map and directions” at the bottom of the page. Park at your own risk.

Conveniences:

Supplies: Crawfordville, Sopchoppy, Panacea.

Lodging: The Inn at Wildwood Resort, US 98, east of Medart (850-926-4455).

Public Campgrounds: Porter Lake, Whitehead Lake and Wood Lake --all in the National Forest;

Ochlockonee River State Park (850-962-2771); Myron B. Hodge City Park (Sopchoppy, 850-962-4611).

Emergency Numbers

(USFS) Wakulla Ranger District (Crawfordville) ... 850-926-3561

(USFS) National Forest Dispatch ... 850-523-8800

Wakulla County Sheriff ... 850-745-7171

Florida Highway Patrol ... 850-245-7700

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FLORIDA NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL

Apalachicola National Forest - East

Length = 31.4 MILES

FNST

Spur Trail

TH Trailhead

Prepared by Linda Patton - May 2011, rev. 1/20/15

To purchase detailed FTA maps

and data book,

visit and click on “Shop”...

then ‘Maps,’ then ‘FTA Maps,’ then ‘Printed Maps’

[select map “9/10 Apalachicola”...]

[...and select map “11/12 St. Marks/Aucilla...”]

...and then “Publications,” and then “Florida Trail”

[select “2014-2015 Florida Trail Data Book”]

[Also select “The Florida Trail Guide” for trail details

and town information/maps.]

“The Florida Trail Association, Inc., its officers, directors, staff and members proclaim the information from

included has not been independently verified by the FTA. The FTA assumes no liability arising

the use of the information therein. Persons using the information do so at their own risk.”

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