This is one hike that’s no walk in the park. The reason? The very name of the place, Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, gives it away. We’re talking serious topography here. The trail drops into several steephead ravines, emerges on high bluffs above the Apalachicola River, and dares you to take on another steep down and up before you head back home. Unless you’re used to hiking up and down steep hills, expect this hike to take a couple of hours. Take time to savor the views and the botanical wonders you’ll encounter.
Resources
Overview
Location: Bristol
Length: Up to 3.3 miles
Lat-Long: 30.454700, -84.970433
Type: Round-trip and loop
Fees / Permits: None
Difficulty: Rugged
Bug factor: Moderate
Restroom: None
Managed by The Nature Conservancy, the trail has reopened after closure for habitat restoration work.
Directions
Located just south of Torreya State Park along CR 12, the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve can be reached from either SR 20 in Bristol (drive north on CR 12) or from I-10. Driving north from Bristol, go 1.6 miles to Garden of Eden Road, turn left at the sign, and continue 0.4 mile to the parking area. From I-10 exit 174, head south on CR 12 for 20.3 miles, passing Torreya State Park. Turn right at Garden of Eden Road. There are no facilities at the trailhead.
Hike
From the kiosk at the parking area, the trail starts out in basic sandhill habitat—lots of open space, lots of sand and turkey oaks, and not especially inviting. But before you hit the half mile mark, the fun begins. Hang on for a steep descent as the trail makes a sharp left in the deep shade of a bluff forest following the edge of a ridgeline around a massive steephead ravine. You can see a loooong way down to the right. At the bottom of the ravine, a bridge crosses a burbling brook. Arrive in March or April to catch colorful red Florida anise in bloom, and look down at the splashing water to catch a glimpse of a speckled frog.
What goes down must come up, so it’s a steep, steep ascent up the other side of the steephead. Ashe magnolia and sparkleberry crown the top of the ridge. The understory is very open, enabling you to look down to the right into another ravine. At 0.6 mile, you pass an outhouse-shaped camo blind to the left, just over the property line. The landscape drops off very sharply to the right—be cautious, as the trail is narrow and pitched.
At 0.8 mile, look off to the right to see what looks like water in the distance through the trees and needle palms growing along the ridge. Drop steeply into another ravine down a set of stone stairs. Scramble down a steep slope into a forest of what seems like rhododendron (and indeed, there are such plants that grow here, but I need to verify), and cross a bridge over a swiftly flowing stream that appears to come from an outflow pipe, perhaps directly from the river. The trail parallels the stream. As you make a slow ascent out of the ravine, you rise into sandhills much like those at the start of the trail, and the footpath makes a sharp left up a wide road—follow the blazes!
At 1.3 miles, the trail veers left down a forest road and passes between two posts. Look off to your left to see another ravine, which you can traverse on the return trip. Sporadic plant identification markers start here, helping you to understand the complex botany on this bridge. At 1.4 miles, you emerge at an unexpected viewpoint— Alum Bluff, with its vast panorama of Apalachicola River, even better than the views at Torreya State Park. Standing 135 feet above the river where a Confederate gun emplacement once assisted in protection of the arsenal at Chattahootchee, you have a decision point—retrace your route for a 2.6 mile round-trip hike, or continue along the loop to do the full 3.3 miles.
The ravines along the far loop are deeper and steeper than the ones you’ve encountered up to this point. The loop returns you back into the second sandhill area, nearest the bluffs. From there, you retrace your route through the first two ravines back to the parking area.
If you are 57 years old, out of shape, carrying 10 plus pounds of backpack and wearing worn out shoes, you will probably find this hike challenging to say the least. The inclines and descents become progressively steeper as you near the Alum Bluff overlook.
I got about as far as the river and could see the bluffs from the other side. There was more trail ahead but I felt I had long since passed the point of no return from a cardiac perspective. I paced myself due to my inexperience with hiking, and did drink a quart of Powerade, which lasted quite well. Thirst was not an imminent problem.
You WILL achieve cardio exertion on this hike, guaranteed. On the way back I was thankful that the inclines gradually softened, but I had to make frequent stops amid all of the steeper inclines in order to avoid the need for CPR. I saw at least 25 other hikers, and none of them were carrying a defibrillator as far as I could tell. It was a popular outing for a warmer than usual Sunday in mid February, and I was happy that these vibrant young hikers did not encounter me during my periodic moments of cardio-vascular distress and dysfunction.
I think if I lost 60 pounds, bought a $200 pair of hiking boots and lost the backpack, this would have gone more smoothly, but I still had a lot of fun and I definitely traversed some rugged terrain.
Amen. Went today with church group. They are all college students, young and full of energy. Even some of them were finding it quite strenuous. Me (53) was dying and kept wondering if they had to life flight me out, where could a helicopter land. Fortunately this never became necessary. The view at the river made it all worthwhile. Enjoy.
We did the trail in 1.5 hours. Compared to the Torreya Challenge Trail, this one is about half as long, and has steeper but fewer ups/downs. Both trails have topography and ecology which make them stand out compared to most Florida trails– and I’d recommend both.
My walker pace is about 3 miles an hour; I’m a Florida walker not an AT hiker. Alum Bluff is 2.6 or 3.3 total but it took me two hours not one – enjoying the view while having a snack, etc. It was a warm April day and I found it pretty much as described in this write up as far as “rugged” goes and we got quite sweaty. I did not tell my 7 year old that it was “rugged” and although she did her fair share of sweating she had fun and did not perceive it as difficult.
Thanks for the detailed write-up. I’m hoping to visit this site at some point during the next few years, and it’s good to know ahead of time what to expect. I live in Minnesota now, but come back to southwest Georgia a couple of times a year for family visits (and botanical outings…)
The trail is currently closed. Hopefully they will open it up soon
It’s open again!
My husband and I just did this hike, on November 16th, 2013. The weather was prefect and the trail was in great condition. There was even some changing of the colors. We were the only hiker out that day. The trail does have some strenuous climbs up and down, but nothing that should scare anyone away. Just make sure to wear a good pair of shoes and be careful not to slip on the leaves covering the ground. It took us 2 hours and 9 minutes, which included several stops along the way to admire the views and eat lunch.
This is a nice hike, and a pretty good workout, but nowhere near as strenuous as this writeup suggests. My husband and I are regular walkers (but not seasoned hikers) and we complete this hike in about 2 1/2 hours, allowing for a little time to admire the view from the bluffs.
It depends on your level of ability. For most Florida hikers, this is one of the more strenuous day hikes in the state so I’m giving a heads-up. If you’re used to big hills, it’s not tough.