Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Hiking, biking, paddling, and other outdoor recreation near the town of Ponce De Leon, a central location for visiting springs in the Choctawhatchee River Basin.
8.7 miles. Crossing majestic longleaf pine forests in Nokuse Plantation, the Florida Trail along the Choctawhatchee River also showcases natural features in the river basin between Cypress Creek and Seven Runs.
9.7 miles. Contrasting steephead ravines and sluggish creeks in gum swamps with restoration areas on former sod farms and pine plantations, the Forgotten Creek portion of the Florida Trail in Nokuse surprises with its challenges.
27.7 miles. Spanning from the Choctawhatchee River west to the boundary of Eglin Air Force Base, Nokuse is a compelling backpacker’s destination in the Florida Panhandle.
Since falling in love, becoming a couple, and marrying, it was time for a real test of our relationship: going upstream with two paddles along Holmes Creek.
Surrounded by a rim of old growth cypress, Morrison Springs is a beautiful second magnitude spring with swimming and diver access down an interpretive boardwalk
With a dozen launch points and more than 15 springs along its 16 mile length, Holmes Creek, a tributary of the Choctawhatchee River, is a must-do paddling trip along a remote waterway.
Two short nature trails, the Sandy Creek Trail and the Spring Creek Trail, follow the confluence of waters at Ponce De Leon Springs State Park.
In the middle of the Florida Panhandle, Ponce de Leon Springs is along the upper end of a belt of shimmering springs that feed the Choctawhatchee River basin
While dive training is part of what they do, you don’t have to be a diver to visit Vortex Spring Adventures, where 28 million gallons of water a day create a natural summer-season water park that the family will love
