Day 107, Camp 24 - St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, near Apalachicola, FL

2009/02/26
Day 107, Camp 24 (3 nights @ $20 per nite)
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
near Apalachicola, FL

ALL PHOTOS RELATED TO THIS BLOG
ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW AT:
Picasa Web Albums - Phantom

We sadly left Ochlockonee, with many places left to see and rivers to canoe.... and headed a leisurely 77 miles down Hwy 98 West (then on St Rte 30A) to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, which is 24 miles out on a narrow sand-spit of land and about 30 miles West of Apalachicola... the central bottom tip of the Florida panhandle. (was that a run-on sentence)? Anyway... We drove into our reserved campsite (#51) on the outer road around the loop closest to the beach. We were facing the dunes directly across the road, where there was a boardwalk onto the beach. Unfortunately, it was closed and under repair. There was another one just a little ways down. You are not allowed to 'walk on the dunes' in most places in these coastal parks. They are sensitive and under reconstructive surgery. You do get to walk on sand, but only within some guidelines...
We spent some time on the beach... and walked every trail in the park. Also walked out onto the Preserve area... the final seven miles of the sand spit, where only walk-in primitive camping is allowed. You can land a small canoe/kayak with a permit. The space was pristine... an interesting hike through coastal barrier dunes, with views and environment of both the open coastal gulf waters, and the inner St. Joseph Bay, which is huge. There is substantial (to extensive) private and commercial building along this gorgeous and unique piece of land, especially in the Cape San Blas area. The sand and water here... the coast... was perhaps the most beautiful we've seen on the trip.
I saw many New Gulls and Terns and had fun trying to identify them. Still, the Northern Mockingbird and Yellow-rumped Warblers are abundant. Saw a beautifully spotted Three-toed Box Turtle while driving the road out to the Preserve. On a morning bird-walk, saw a Great Blue Heron eating a snake that appeared to be at least 3 feet long! In the other campground there was a Great Horned Owl's nest, about 100 feet up in the top of a Slash Pine. The mother was sitting on the nest most of the time and occasionally 2 or 3 fuzzy white heads could be seen over the edge. Wished I could have gotten closer images. For months now, since I began photographing the birds.... I've wished a had a longer lens. Perhaps next year... along with a lighter canoe!..
Had an enjoyable stay in this park. The last night the wind picked up as a hurricane warning passed across Tallahassee, just to the North. It sand-blasted the car and trailer. (It was that night that three men were lost at sea on the gulf, when their 22' fishing boat capsized). We left Sunday morning with the winds howling about 50 mph. I was leery to pull the trailer in these winds, but as soon as we got off the peninsula, the winds were not so bad.