8 March 2021
Well, it was a cold night. It got down to 38F by morning but I was snug as a bug in a rug with a sleeping bag rated to 10F. As a matter of fact, it got a little warm and I had to come out of some clothes.
Yesterday when I entered the park, there was a “Campground Full” sign out by the office. However, when I did a quick bike tour of Dogwood Campground there were three empty sites. I suspect they were simply cancellations at the last minute. There seems to be a lot of people my age in their RV’s or coaches. A lot seems to be Trump supporters as evidenced by their Trump flags at the campsite.
Breakfast was quick. I had Blue Bottle drip coffee and oatmeal/blueberries/quinoa combination. I was on the trail by 8:30 am. The first trail is located in Dogwood Campsite – Dogwood Trail. What a misnomer. There were nine dogwoods (one I suspect planted at the lodge) and only three along the trail. The other 5 were deep in the woods. It would be more appropriate to call it the Azalea trail since there was plenty of those.
Dogwood is a 1.22 mile trail that ends near the day use area of the park. Not much is in bloom this time of year but I did see some violets and bluets (albeit white ones).
About halfway down the Dogwood Trail is the junction of Limestone Trail which is a 0.62 mile loop to an old quarry. Most of the quarry is now grown over with vegetation but it’s still a decent size hole in the ground.
Once you reach the day use area, you can cross the swinging bridge across the Santa Fe River. The bridge and much of the park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 30’s.
As you cross the bridge, you can walk the River Trail, a 1.44 mile loop that takes you to the River Sink. The Santa Fe River suddenly disappears at the sink and goes underground for 3 miles to reappear at River Rise State Park.
It’s estimated there are some 150,000 feet of underground, flooded tunnels, many of which have been explored by divers. It’s said this is the largest underwater system of caves and tunnels in Florida.
The loop brings you back on the other side of the river since you crossed a natural bridge over the river where the river goes underground. As you exit the loop, you get to see the old CCC lodge which no longer appears to be in use.
The CCC also built a fire tower that is now the nature center. The old CCC architecture is really quite fascinating. They were certainly inventive with their use of natural building materials in the park.
All total, I hiked 6 miles today in 3 hours and 15 minutes. I suspect I’ll need some Advil tonight since I haven’t hiked in some time.
I slept pretty well last night for the first night in a tent in almost two years. However, even though I checked everything twice this morning before setting out on my hike, I still forgot to include an extra water bottle and my Tilley hat. It was cold enough this morning I started out with my watch cap and didn’t think to pick up my Tilley hat (with brim). As a result, the sun was in my eyes all morning.
Tomorrow is another travel day to Amicalola Falls State Park.
Some great photos. Looks like a nice park. Enjoy the rest of your travels. See you soon.
Your commentary really complements the photographs. I really enjoyed reading and seeing your experiences in this hike. So glad you are traveling again. Look forward to seeing you soon.