The Apalachicola National Forest is the largest National Forest in Florida, sweeping around the southern edge of Tallahassee. It is noted for its botanical beauty.
Carrabelle and Carrabelle Beach
Hiking, biking, paddling, camping, and other outdoor recreation near the town of Carrabelle, a historic fishing village along the Big Bend Scenic Byway.
Apalachicola River
There is something magical about the Apalachicola River, surrounded by deeply folded ravines at its upper end and wet pine flatwoods farther south, home to unusual plant species along its length.
Bald Point State Park
Where Ochlockonee Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico along the Forgotten Coast, quiet Bald Point State Park protects the tip of the peninsula, providing beaches to roam and estuaries and uplands to explore.
Florida Trail, Jewel to Vilas
14.3 miles. Delving deep into the swampy heart of the Apalachicola National Forest, this section spans some of the gnarliest titi and gum swamps you’ll see outside of Bradwell Bay.
Florida Trail, Porter Lake to Jewel
4.6 miles. A deep immersion in pine flatwoods and titi swamps awaits along this segment of the Florida Trail, which uses many old forest roads to cross tributaries draining into the Ochlockonee River.
High Bluff Coastal Trail
In Tate’s Hell State Forest, the High Bluff Coastal Trail along US 98 near Carrabelle leads you over relict dunes covered with scrub plants like Florida rosemary and scrub mint.
Ralph G. Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk
Leading to a stand of dwarf bald cypress centuries old and less than 15 feet tall, the Kendrick Boardwalk at Tate’s Hell State Forest is one of the weirder botanical spots in the Florida panhandle.
Retro lunch at Carrabelle Junction
A “Blue Plate” special. A Blue Plate Special? I remember those words from childhood as well as I remember the tunes drifting through this step-back-in-time diner, Carabelle Junction. It’s a celebration of the 50s and 60s – when my Mom was ordering the chocolate malt, not me, and the music is straight out […]