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Your guide to Florida's outdoors, by Sandra Friend, Florida's hiking expert, and her co-author John Keatley, covering the Florida Trail and other trails throughout Florida.

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Florida Trail, Blackwater

Florida Trail, Blackwater

45.5 miles Milton & Pensacola

An official connector, the Blackwater section takes a blue-blazed branch of the Florida Trail up to the Alabama State Line to link up with the Alabama Hiking Trail and the greater Eastern Continental Trail. Blackwater River State Forest is Florida’s largest state forest, encompassing 190,000 acres of pine flatwoods and clayhills along the scenic Blackwater River and its tributaries.

Popular for backpacking trips, this beautiful section of the trail walks you through Atlantic white cedar and longleaf pine forests, pitcher plant bogs and titi swamps. Once a major lumber and turpentine area, it’s now devoted to conservation and recreation, with a handful of private leases to farmers growing cotton and corn. North of Deaton Bridge, the Florida Trail utilizes parts of three hiking trails to head north: the Juniper Creek Trail, the Jackson Red Ground Trail, and the Wiregrass Trail. South of Deaton Bridge, the trail traverses the Hutton Unit and the Deer Lake Unit, both of which sport showy pitcher plant bogs as well as steephead ravines.

Hiking Tips

FLOODING can make hiking along the Blackwater River and its tributaries dangerous. Check National Weather Service flood gauge. There is no safe way to skirt around flooding at Deaton Bridge if it occurs. Do not enter flowing waters.

Wear a bright orange shirt or vest during hunting seasons in Blackwater River State Forest. Check the FWC website for hunting season dates.

No permits are required to hike in Blackwater River State Forest. Fees apply if you are camping at developed recreation areas such as Blackwater River State Park, Bear Lake Recreation Area, Krul Lake Recreation Area, Karick Lake Recreation Area, and Hurricane Lake Recreation Area.

Fees apply if you leave a car at Blackwater River State Park, which is the safest place to leave one during a backpacking trip, inside the park gates. Check at the ranger station for fees.

Frequent prescribed burns are used for forest management throughout Blackwater River State Forest. All times of year, expect at least a portion of your hike to be through recently burned forest. To avoid walking into an ongoing burn, call ahead to check on their schedule of planned burns along the Florida Trail, 850-957-5700

Water sources are scarce the farther north you go along this section. Plan where to get your next water.

Resources

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail. The Blackwater segment of the trail is our free trial for you to try out the app.

Florida Trail Blackwater section map


Trail Segments

  • Jackson Red Ground Trail Jackson Red Ground Trail- Connecting Karick Lake Recreation Area with the Red Rocks area of Blackwater River State Forest, the Jackson Red Ground Trail is part of the Florida Trail near Milton
  • Longleaf pine and wiregrass on the Wiregrass Trail Wiregrass Trail- An excellent overnight backpacking trip which is also a segment of the Florida Trail, the Wiregrass Trail immerses you in longleaf pine forests northeast of Pensacola.


SOUTHBOUND<< Eglin

Camping at Blackwater River State Park

April 24, 2013 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

Camping at Blackwater River State Park

While at the Panhandle Trace Hike we camped at Blackwater River State Park. We didn’t know in advance that this particular state park campground is designed for RVs, trailers, and other folks who don’t camp in tents. After months and months of camping in the woods, it was quite a shock to our way of […]

Filed Under: Articles, Camping, Florida Trail, Travels with Primrose Tagged With: Blackwater River, Blackwater River State Park, Florida, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace, Pensacola

Converging on the Panhandle Trace

April 11, 2013 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

Converging on the Panhandle Trace

With two hikes behind us, we drove toward west to join the Panhandle Trace Hike. Knowing that after ten years of leading this event long-time Florida Trail Association activity leader Peggy Grantham would be retiring, Sandy wanted to participate this year and fill in a few new spots on the Florida Trail map. We arrived […]

Filed Under: Articles, Events, Florida Trail, Hiking, Travels with Primrose, Treks Tagged With: Blackwater River State Park, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace

Following the Juniper Creek Trail

April 16, 2013 by John Keatley 2 Comments

Following the Juniper Creek Trail

Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike Yesterday, while being shuttled back to camp, we drove through an area that was still burning. The forest was black and charred, filled with thick smoke. As we drove past, we watched for small flames still brightly burning. Our first thought was why would the forest service do […]

Filed Under: Articles, Florida Trail, Hiking, Travels with Primrose, Treks Tagged With: Blackwater River State Forest, Blackwater River State Park, Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace

Hiking the Hills of Hutton

April 21, 2013 by Sandra Friend 1 Comment

Hiking the Hills of Hutton

With our switcheroo on the previous day – skipping the burned zone of the Jackson Trail to walk the Juniper Creek Trail back to the campground – Day Four of the Panhandle Trace Hike had us headed northbound for the first time on this trek. Peggy had hikers going in all directions and for different […]

Filed Under: Articles, Florida Trail, Hiking, Travels with Primrose Tagged With: Blackwater River, Blackwater River State Forest, Florida, Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace

In the Land of Tall Pines

April 15, 2013 by Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

In the Land of Tall Pines

Day Two of the Panhandle Trace Hike started off where we’d left the trail the day before, at Kennedy Bridge. After we dropped off our cars at the end point for the hike, McVay Road, Peggy, Helen, and other members of the Western Gate Chapter shuttled us to the starting point. We asked how long […]

Filed Under: Articles, Florida Trail, Hiking, Travels with Primrose, Treks Tagged With: Blackwater River State Forest, Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace

Jackson Red Ground Trail

Blackwater River State Forest
Munson   [30.896467,-86.641867]   20.7 miles

Jackson Red Ground Trail

Connecting Karick Lake Recreation Area with the Red Rocks area of Blackwater River State Forest, the Jackson Red Ground Trail is part of the Florida Trail near Milton

Filed Under: Backpacking, Day Hikes, Florida State Forests, Florida Trail, Hikes, Northwest Florida, Trails Tagged With: Blackwater River State Forest, Developed Camping, Dog-friendly, Favorites, Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Hilly, Historic Sites, Milton, Munson, Pensacola, Pitcher Plants, Weekends, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing

On the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike

April 4, 2013 by Sandra Friend 1 Comment

On the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike

It was a delight this year – Peggy Grantham’s last as hike leader – to join the Panhandle Trace and get to know the far northern reaches of the Florida Trail. It’s been 11 years since I hiked through Blackwater River State Forest and while some things remain the same, others certainly have changed. I […]

Filed Under: Articles, Florida Trail, Hiking, Travels with Primrose Tagged With: FT Blackwater, Milton, Pensacola

South to Florida!

April 14, 2013 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

South to Florida!

The northern terminus of the Florida Trail isn’t easy to get to. I was thankful we weren’t driving one of our vehicles – especially Primrose – and even more thankful that Helen, from the Western Gate Chapter of the Florida Trail Association, was willing to ferry us in her car down this terribly rutted and […]

Filed Under: Articles, Camping, Florida Trail, Hiking, Travels with Primrose, Treks Tagged With: Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Panhandle Trace

The Harold Store

April 18, 2013 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

The Harold Store

Back in camp on Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike, we met up with Gail and Sally. Since we had to move Primrose to our next campsite – and we had to kill time, since someone was still occupying it – we a took detour to the Harold Store. En route I realized that […]

Filed Under: Articles, Camping, Events, Florida Trail, Travels with Primrose, Treks Tagged With: Blackwater River State Park, Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace

Through Smoke and Fire on the Jackson Red Ground Trail

April 17, 2013 by Sandra Friend Leave a Comment

Through Smoke and Fire on the Jackson Red Ground Trail

Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace Hike, McVay Road to Red Rock Road Trail Head Guest post by Gordy Hawkins, Suncoast Chapter FTA. Photos by Gail Baldwin. Enter into a world of black and white and the continuum of grays in-between. That is what it was like for me the day we walked a recently […]

Filed Under: Articles, Florida Trail, From our readers, Hiking, Treks Tagged With: Blackwater River State Forest, Florida Trail, FT Blackwater, Milton, Panhandle Trace

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Florida Trail Sections (S > N)

Florida Trail Big Cypress section Florida Trail Seminole section Florida Trail Okeechobee section Florida Trail Ocean to Lake section Florida Trail Kissimmee section Florida Trail Western Corridor section Florida Trail Orlando section Florida Trail Ocala section Florida Trail Northeast Florida section Florida Trail Suwannee section Florida Trail Big Bend section Florida Trail Apalachicola section Florida Trail Central Panhandle section Florida Trail Eglin section Florida Trail Seashore section Florida Trail Blackwater section

About the Florida Trail

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Pinhook River Bridge on the Florida Trail Florida Trail, Apalachee Bay
Cathedral of Palms Florida Trail, Shepherd Spring
Econfina Creek Florida Trail, Econfina Creek
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SOUTH FLORIDA
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