At Bald Point State Park, the St. Teresa Tract protects over 7,000 acres. This recent acquisition closes a gap in conserved land extending for miles across an adjacent national forest, refuge, and state forest.
A pair of trails for hiking and biking radiate across the tract, providing views of the Ochlockonee River basin as it nears the Gulf of Mexico. Accessible from a small launch, paddling is allowed on a freshwater lake next to the trailhead.
The view from the St. Teresa Bluffs extends to the Ochlockonee Bay bridgeResources
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Overview
Location: St. Teresa
Length: 7.5 miles
Trailhead: 29.954807, -84.440087
Address: 4449 U.S. 98 East, St. Teresa FL 32358
Fees: $4 per vehicle.
Restrooms: Portable toilet at trailhead.
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-962-2771
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From the intersection of US 98 with US 319 south of Crawfordville, head south on US 319 for 14.3 miles, passing through Sopchoppy, before turning left onto a dirt road with a large sign for the St. James Tract of Tate’s Hell State Forest. Continue north on the dirt road for 0.8 miles to the park entrance with an iron ranger. In another 0.7 miles, turn left onto a crushed shell parking area.
Hike
From the parking area, head downhill through a series of fences to a quiet picnic spot alongside Corn Landing Lake.
Tables sit under a shady canopy of oaks near a paddling launch and information kiosk.
Picnic area and paddle launchThe hike begins on a short section of trail shared with the Granite Point Loop. Turn left as the path divides at 0.3 mile, following yellow blazes.
The corridor is flanked with small pines, oaks, and thick underbrush. Vibrant wildflowers line the grassy edges of the path, attracting a variety of pollinators when in bloom.
Blazing star with skippersReaching a half mile, stay to the left to start a clockwise circuit around the loop.
As the forest floor gradually opens, clusters of fluffy, sage-tinted reindeer lichen stretch across a vast carpet of pine needles.
Lichen covered forest floorConspicuous rows of sand pines border the trail in both directions, remnants of extensive tree farming operations atop former Camp Gordon Johnston.
An occasional turkey oak or tuft of wiregrass reveals elements of a sandhill ecosystem that previously occupied the rolling landscape. The park service will restore it over time.
Turkey oaksAs the pathway turns northward, the trail passes through a low spot with potential to flood along the edge of a prairie lake.
At four miles, the route begins to parallel an arm of the Ochlockonee River, although the water is mostly obscured by shoreline vegetation.
Prairie lake dipGradually ascending while rounding a bend, the trail reaches a high point.
Enjoy incredibly panoramic views of the winding river. The Ochlockonee Bay Bridge glimmers on the horizon.
Gnarled sand live oaks cling to the steep edge of the bluff as dark brackish water ebbs and flows with the tides below.
Ochlockonee OverlookNearing the loop’s end, rare scrub mints sprout from dry, sandy soils.
Scarlet calamints produce showy red blossoms throughout the year. Fragrant clusters of coastalplain balm bloom with speckled pink flowers in the fall.
The loop concludes at 6.9 miles, leaving a half mile walk along the shared trail back to the trailhead.
Scarlet calamint in bloomThe shared-use portion of the trail is also part of the adjacent Granite Point Loop starting at the same trailhead.
Granite Point Loop Traversing ecosystems undergoing degrees of habitat restoration, the 4.8 mile Granite Point Loop at Bald Point State Park features fantastic views of Ochlockonee Bay.Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Bald Point State Park
Bald Point State Park From its namesake point at the Gulf of Mexico to the sandy heights of St. Teresa Bluffs, Bald Point State Park protects miles of waterfront along Ochlockonee Bay while providing extensive trails to roam.Video
A walk through the Bluffs Overlook Trail
Nearby Adventures
Tates Hell State Forest One of Florida's more enormous state forests with over 202,000 acres, Tate's Hell is a vast coastal swamp sliced and diced by timber barons before being preserved by the state.
Bald Point Tucker Lake Trail Circling the largest body of water in Bald Point State Park, the Tucker Lake Trail showcases a blend of dry upland ecosystems and expansive marshlands. 
Bald Point Sand Pine Trail Crossing a rolling landscape of sandy ridges, the Sand Pine Trail explores the largest scrub community found in Bald Point State Park. 
Ochlockonee River State Park At Ochlockonee River State Park waters meet, the tidal bore of the estuary pushing upstream to meet two rivers draining the vast swamps of the Apalachicola National Forest.
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