On the east side of the day use area at Three Rivers State Park, the Dry Creek Trail is primarily a short interpretive loop through upland forest.
Short, however, doesn’t mean easy. It has a surprising amount of elevation gain that requires you to scramble up some very steep slopes.
While its 0.8 mile circuit stands on its own as a pleasant nature trail, the Dry Creek Trail also provides access to the Eagle Trail, a longer day hiking loop.
Slope forest along the Dry Creek TrailResources
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Overview
Location: Sneads
Length: 0.8 mile loop and round-trip
Trailhead: 30.7390, -84.9167
Address: 7908 Three Rivers Park Rd, Sneads FL 32460
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restroom: At the day use area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-482-9006
Open daily 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. While the day use area has accessibility, the nature trails are natural surface footpaths.
The park is immediately west of the line between the Eastern and Central Time Zones, so keep that in mind if you’re coming from the Tallahassee area.
Directions
From the junction of US 90 and SR 71 in Marianna, north of Interstate 10, drive east along US 90 for 15.6 miles to Sneads. From the east, approach Sneads via US 90 west from Chattahoochee or by SR 286 north from Interstate 10 to US 90.
Follow River Rd north from US 90. The park entrance is on the right after 2 miles. Follow the main entrance road straight ahead where it splits. After the steep downhill to the day use area, parking at the east end of the parking area by the trailhead kiosk for the Dry Creek Trail.
Hike
At the day use area, facing Lake Seminole, walk through the picnic area to the east until you reach the kiosk at the far end of the clearing under the pines.
Your hike starts here. Pick up an interpretive guide to follow along with the numbered stops along the footpath.
Start of the Dry Creek TrailMarked with green arrows, the trail is relatively easy to follow along its beaten path along these steep hills.
The hills slope down into Lake Seminole, which is really a reservoir where the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers merge and are held behind the Woodruff Dam.
Woods above Lake SeminoleAfter Hurricane Michael, it’s doubtful that the ancient pines and magnolias you see in our pictures are still standing.
But the slope forest has a way of coming back over time, with grapevine and beautyberry early colonizers.
Grassy slopeThe landscape is undulating, with with tributaries forming deep rifts in the hillside as they flow towards the lake.
The footpath drops down along Dry Creek, which true to its name, is often dry. During a rain, it will rage and erode.
Dry Creek under vegetationAfter climbing up a slope, you cross the creek on the first bridge, reaching Marker #3.
Climbing past exposed limestone at Marker #4 on a little ridge, the trail drops to creek level and crosses it on a second bridge.
A side trail heads to the group camp at a quarter mile. As the trail continues to climb, it ascends out of the creek basin and into the pine flatwoods.
Junction to group campPassing a bench, you come to another trail junction at 0.4 mile. Here’s where the green markers end and orange markers take over to connect to the Eagle Trail.
Either continue on to hike the Eagle Trail (2.3 miles total for the hike) or turn and follow the slow, steep downhill back towards the lake.
The orange markers connect to the Eagle TrailAs the trail descends back into the Dry Creek basin, you can look down into Dry Creek on the right.
Just beyond Marker #6 is a Southern magnolia that has tangled itself around another tree. Grapevines encircle its base like giant hoops.
Cross a bridge over Dry Creek before climbing up a rocky ridge where American beautyberry thrives.
Southern magnolia in the slope forest at Three Rivers State ParkBoth the day use picnic area and Lake Seminole are visible as the trail flattens out.
When you reach the kiosk, a sign points out the Lakeview Trail on the west side of the day use area.
Follow the orange markers through the picnic area to connect to its trailhead.
Well worn footpathTrail Map
Dry Creek and Eagle TrailsExplore More!
Learn more about Three Rivers State Park
Three Rivers State Park
Hugging the state line with Georgia at Lake Seminole – the reservoir created by the dam where the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers form the Apalachicola – Three Rivers State Park is a prime getaway for anglers
Eagle Trail
A loop atop the ridges standing above Lake Seminole, the Eagle Trail offers a different perspective on the uplands of Three Rivers State Park
Lakeview Trail
Enjoy views of Lake Seminole from forested slopes on the 2.5 mile loop created by the Lakeview Trail and the Ridge Trail at Three Rivers State Park at Sneads
Slideshow
See our photos from the Dry Creek Trail
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Chattahoochee Nature Trails
Chattahoochee Nature Trails system treats hikers to an exploration of botanically-rich habitats along bluffs and ravines near the Apalachicola River and an archaeological site towering over the river’s edge.
Angus Gholson Nature Park
Above the Apalachicola River, the community of Chattahoochee hides a natural treasure in its deep ravines—a park named for its native son, botanist Angus Gholson.
Merritt’s Mill Pond
Fed by first-magnitude Jackson Blue Spring and nearly a dozen smaller springs, Merritt’s Mill Pond is a waterway unlike any other in Florida, its unusual hues trapped between rocky slopes and edged with moss-draped cypress trees.
Florida Caverns State Park
A dip into Florida’s only show cave at Florida Caverns State Park brings on an instant sense of cool. Opened in Marianna in the 1930s by the hardworking Civilian Conservation Corps, the tour route wraps through more than a dozen rooms with their own distinct and colorful landscapes.