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OTTER SPRINGS

Recreation

Public use is managed by For Vets, Inc., though an agreement with Gilchrist County as part of the County owned Otter Springs Park and Campground. Visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, picnicking, swimming, paddling, and wildlife viewing on trails and administrative roads.

352-463-0800

Otter Springs Park and Campground

Access
Otter Springs:
The Otter Springs Tract is accessed through Otter Springs Park and Campground.

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MOUNT GILEAD

Recreation
On the Mt. Gilead Tract, visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, horseback riding, scenic viewing, and wildlife viewing, in addition to fishing and hunting. Many of the river access points provide launches for canoes, kayaks, or small boats.

Mt. Gilead is part of the Middle Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. Hunting is allowed in permitted areas only. For more information on hunting, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at:

386-758-0525
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Website

Access
Mt. Gilead Tract from Monticello:
Travel south on CR 257 to Lamont, cross U.S. 19; travel 9 miles south crossing the Aucilla River, turn left on Rocky Ford Cemetery Road; travel 2 miles and the entrance is on the left.

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LUKENS

Recreation
This tract is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors may enjoy fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, as well as paddling. There is a kayak launch on the tract on the east side of SR 26. For more information, contact the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge at:

352-493-0238
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Cedar Keys Page

Access
Lukens tract from Cedar Key:
Travel north 3.5 miles from Cedar Key on SR 26, turn right on SW 153rd Court, travel north .25 mile and entrance gate to the east side is on the right. Public access to the Lukens tract east side is by special use authorization (SUA). An SUA is free and available by calling (386-362-1001) or emailing the District. Obtaining an SUA may take 3-5 business days.

Lukens access on the west side of SR 26.


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JONES MILL CREEK

Recreation
On the Jones Mill Creek Tract visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, horseback riding, scenic viewing, and wildlife viewing, in addition to fishing and hunting. Many of the river access points provide launches for canoes or small boats.

Jones Mill Creek is part of the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. Hunting is allowed in permitted areas only. For more information on hunting, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at:

850-265-3676
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Website
Aucilla Bird List (PDF)

Access
Jones Mill Creek Tract:
Travel 22 miles west on US 98 to Powell Hammock Road, turn right; travel north 4 miles, turn left on Goose Pasture Road; Continue west on Goose Pasture Road 1.25 miles, turn right on Jerkins Mainline Road and the tract is on the right.

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JENNINGS BLUFF

Recreation
On this tract, visitors may enjoy fishing, as well as biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads.

The Jennings Bluff tract has a canoe launch and part of The Great Florida Birding Trail.

Alapaha River

The 202-mile-long Alapaha River is a tributary of the Suwannee River flowing through South Georgia and North Florida with three tributaries the Willacoochee, Alapahoochee and Little Alapaha Rivers. The final twenty-five miles in North Florida is an intermittent river during periods of low volume. Most of the water disappears underground into swallets in the river bed and a “blind valley” and becomes a subterranean river approximately 2.3 miles below Jennings, FL.

Dead River

A major swallet is at the terminus of the blind valley known as the Dead River and Dead River Sink.  Blind valleys are karst features where surface water is diverted from a river and flows into a channel to a swallet or sinkhole recharging the aquifer.  The Dead River is a distributary of the Alapaha where the water flows upstream to the Dead River Sink and disappears into an opening in the rock wall.  During extreme low water conditions, the Dead River may be dry.

A dye trace study conducted in 2016 by the District and Florida Geological Survey introduced dye into the Dead River Sink, six days later it appeared in Holton Creek Rise and Alapaha Rise ten miles to the south.  Both flow into the Suwannee River.

Cody Escarpment (Cody Scarp) traverses the southwest corner of the tract. The Cody Scarp is a geomorphologic formation that runs across north and central Florida. It approximates an ancient shoreline of Florida from a time when sea levels were much higher. The Cody Scarp represents the largest continuous topographic break in Florida. For more information about the Cody Scarp, visit mysuwanneeriver.com.

Access
Jennings Bluff tract from Jasper:
Travel north on US 41, turn right on NW 25th Lane; travel approximately 2 miles east and the entrance is on the left.

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GOOSE PASTURE

Recreation
Visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads, in addition to fishing and hunting.

The Goose Pasture tract is a part of the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. For more information on hunting, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at:

850-265-3676
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Website
Aucilla Bird List (PDF)

Note: Hunting is only allowed in permitted areas.


Camping Area
The primitive camping area is open on a first-come, first-served basis by self-issued special use authorization, which is available at the kiosk. Campers are limited to a 10-day stay. Camping is not allowed during general gun season. The group camping area can be reserved for groups of six or more by contacting the District at:

386-362-1001
800-226-1066 (FL only)
Email Recreation


Access
Goose Pasture tract from Perry:
Travel 22 miles west on US 98 to Powell Hammock Road, turn right; travel north 4 miles, turn left on Goose Pasture Road; travel west 2.75 miles and the tract is on both sides of the road. Continue traveling west 1 mile and the road ends at Goose Pasture Campground.

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CHRISTIAN

Recreation
The Christian Tract north river access point provides a canoe launch, and the south parking area overlooks Shirley Springs. Visitors may enjoy fishing, as well as biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads.

Access
Christian Tract from Live Oak:
Travel SR 51 south, turn right on CR 250; travel 10 miles to 225th Road, turn left; travel 3 miles, turn right on 132nd Street; travel 1 mile to 233rd Road, cross the road to the entrance of the Christian Tract.

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BIG SHOALS PUBLIC LANDS

Big Shoals Public Land is owned by three agencies Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Big Shoals State Park), Florida Forest Service (Big Shoals State Forest), Suwannee River Water Management District and managed as Big Shoals Public Lands. For information on Big Shoals State Park and Big Shoals State Forest contact:

386-397-4331

Big Shoals State Park Website

386-208-1460

Big Shoals State Forest Website

Recreation
Big Shoals offers 28 miles of trails, including the paved multi-purpose Woodpecker Trail, and a canoe launch for the outdoor enthusiast. Here you can view the only stretch of major whitewater rapids in Florida.

Visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads. Hunting is allowed on the Big Shoals tract, which is part of the Big Shoals Wildlife Management Area.

For more information on hunting, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at:

386-758-0525
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Website

Note: Hunting is allowed in permitted areas only.


Access
Big Shoals Public Lands from White Springs:
Travel north from White Springs on CR 135 and turn right into the Little Shoals entrance or continue 2 miles north on CR 135 and turn right on SE 94th Street (Old Goodwin Bridge Road), which ends at the second entrance into Big Shoals Public Lands.


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BLUE SINK

Recreation
On the Blue Sink Tract visitors may launch a canoe, enjoy biking, hiking and wildlife viewing.

The Blue Sink Tract provides scenic views of the river at the end of Blue Sink Path, parking and canoe launch at the Blue Sink Canoe Launch, and a boardwalk to view the blackwater spring at Blue Sink.

Access
Blue Sink Tract from Live Oak:
Travel northeast on SR 136 crossing I-75; travel approximately 1 mile past the interstate, turn left on 27th Road and the Blue Sink tract begins approximately .75 mile on both sides of the road. From White Springs: Travel southwest on SR 136, turn right on 27th Road.

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BIG SHOALS PUBLIC LANDS

Big Shoals Public Land is owned by three agencies Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Big Shoals State Park), Florida Forest Service (Big Shoals State Forest), Suwannee River Water Management District and managed as Big Shoals Public Lands. For information on Big Shoals State Park and Big Shoals State Forest contact:

386-397-4331

Big Shoals State Park Website
386-208-1460

Big Shoals State Forest Website
Recreation
Big Shoals offers 28 miles of trails, including the paved multi-purpose Woodpecker Trail, and a canoe launch for the outdoor enthusiast. Here you can view the only stretch of major whitewater rapids in Florida.

Visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads. Hunting is allowed on the Big Shoals tract, which is part of the Big Shoals Wildlife Management Area.

For more information on hunting, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at:

386-758-0525
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Website
Note: Hunting is allowed in permitted areas only.

Access
Big Shoals Public Lands from White Springs:
Travel north from White Springs on CR 135 and turn right into the Little Shoals entrance or continue 2 miles north on CR 135 and turn right on SE 94th Street (Old Goodwin Bridge Road), which ends at the second entrance into Big Shoals Public Lands.