Connecting Russell Harber Landing Park and Whiting Park in Milton, the Old River Trail is within Blackwater River Water Management Area.
The pathway parallels the flow of the Blackwater River and the Old River, a dead river channel, with side trails to the water’s edge on both sides.
Following an old limestone roadbed that a railroad also used long ago, the trail begins at the far end of the Russell Harber Landing Park extension.
Trailhead kioskResources
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Overview
Location: Milton
Length: 1 mile round trip
Trailhead: 30.631881, -87.029403
Address: 32570 Russell Harber Rd, Milton
Fees: Free
Restroom: Near the trailhead
Land Manager: City of Milton
Phone: 850-983-5400
Open sunrise to 10 PM. Leashed dogs welcome. Bank fishing permitted. Paddler put-in and boat ramp nearby.
Directions
From Interstate 10 exit 28, follow Ward Basin Rd 3 miles to US 90. Turn left. Make a right into Russell Harber Park after 0.8 mile, before the bridge into downtown Milton. Follow the park road to the back of the park and then continue to the very back of the park extension, past the kayak launch.
Hike
A large welcome kiosk marks the start of the Old River Trail, with a walk-through stile with sharp right angles adjoining the gated road.
The surface is a leaf-strewn limestone roadbed. Yaupon holly grows thickly under the oaks and cedars lining the road.
Old roadbedMake a gentle curve, passing a grassy marsh when the road straightens out. Its rim of dark water is dotted with lily pads.
A sheltered bench provides the first rest stop along the walk.
BenchBeyond it on the right, a beaten path leads to the marshy shore of the Old River, a dead river popular with paddlers.
An oxbow abandoned by a change in flow by the Blackwater River, the Old River ends in this cove.
Old RiverA pile of aging railroad ties under the trees implies this road was a railbed in the past; its width argues for it also having been old US 90.
Pass a marker post on a slight curve at a quarter mile, where the Blackwater River becomes visible.
Railroad tiesA sand path leads to a low river bluff and then to a sandy beach along its shoreline.
Swift and wide, this 57 mile river rises in southern Alabama and is fed by many steephead streams before flattening out as it nears Milton.
Blackwater RiverContinue east along the sandy path for more wooded overlooks before returning to the main trail.
The next sheltered bench faces an open river view along a bluff. Now firmly along the river’s edge, the trail curves to the next long straightaway.
Marshes along a worn woodland pathViews of the river are framed by the trees clinging to the low bluffs. An interpretive sign calls out an outstanding specimen of a towering Southern red cedar.
Reach the kiosk at trail’s end after a half mile. It faces the entrance to Whiting Park Recreational Area.
Back side of trail kiosk at Whiting Park gateWhiting Park is maintained by NAS Whiting Field for their personnel and families. Only visitors with a military ID may enter the gate.
Turn around here for the walk back to the trailhead at Russell Harber Landing Extension, a mile round-trip.
Marsh near the trailheadTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking the Old River Trail
Slideshow
See our photos from the Old River Trail
Nearby Adventures
Blackwater Heritage State Trail Long forested corridors, gentle curves, and trailside amenities make this 9.9 mile linear paved bike path a pleasant ride near Pensacola.
Bagdad Mill Site Park Reclaiming a beautiful stretch of waterfront along the Blackwater River below Milton, Bagdad Mill Site Park restored a historic mill site while interpreting its past. 
Arcadia Mill At the site of Florida’s first "modern" industrial complex, Arcadia Mill features an accessible boardwalk offering a glimpse of the past and the gradual return of natural landscapes. 
Florida Trail, Hutton An exceptionally scenic hike, the Hutton section of the Florida Trail navigates distinctive landscapes though clayhills, ravines, and pitcher plant bogs amid thick stands of pine. 
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