Nature festival a weekend of outdoor fun

Join the South Walton Community Council for a fun weekend of nature based activities Oct. 15-17. The Back to Nature Festival offers visitors and locals an opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Walton County.

Kayak the dune lakes, take a river safari, go on an ecology walk, or bring the family to Seaside for a day of family fun.

Most events are about two hours long and cost $10 unless otherwise noted. Events will be closed after maximum participant limits are reached so register early! Registration will begin in mid-September. To register, Click here

Friday, Oct. 15

6 p.m. – Welcome Night at Bud and Alley’s - Come to the welcome night for the 9th Annual Back to Nature Festival at Bud and Alley’s Restaurant in Seaside!  Enjoy a strolling dinner with complimentary house selected wine or beer and cash bar.  You will have the opportunity to meet event leaders and fellow nature enthusiasts, register for events, and preview selected items for our silent auction to be held on Saturday.  All proceeds from the silent auction and a percentage of proceeds from the strolling dinner go to benefit the mission of the SWCC, to preserve and protect our natural environment.  $25 per person. ::MAP:: Read More…

Posted under Biking, Birding, Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, paddle/surf/boat

Bring your snorkeling gear and explore Cypress Spring. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Take a short paddle to a cool spring

Don’t have all day but interested in finding a great place to cool off? Head up to Vernon and take a short paddle up to Cypress Spring from Culpepper Landing for a refreshing dip in a magnitude 2 spring.

The paddle upstream is approximately .75 mile and moderate as the Holmes Creek has a fairly slow current in this area. You will see the spring run’s clear water on the left. Paddle a short distance and you will have arrived at Cypress Spring. The spring run is full of native water plants including spatterdock and pickerelweed. Turtles and fish are abundant as well.

The spring is located on private property so paddling or boating is the only access to this clear spring.

Culpepper Creek boat ramp has adequate parking and picnic facilities.

Directions:
Take Hwy. 79 to Vernon. Take CR277 (blinking light) for 2 miles to the Washington County Boat Ramp (Culpepper Landing).

Holmes Creek Boat Ramp
(Culpepper Landing)
3081 Culpepper Ln
Vernon, Fl 32462
Picnic Facilities Boat Ramp

::MAP::

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature

Florida Trail Association – Choctawhatchee and Western Gate Chapters

Activities August/September 2010

Courtesy http://choctaw.floridatrail.org

Activity Participants Please note: Contact the activity leader well in advance for more information and/or to reserve your place (Space is limited.) Unless instructed otherwise by the activity leader, each participant should bring: day pack, plenty of water (recommended minimum, 2 quarts), sun protection (hat, glasses, screen), insect repellent, lunch and or snacks, adequate clothing for the forecast, and comfortable, sturdy close toed shoes with socks. Long pants, work gloves, and extra water are recommended for work hikes. Activity leaders may deny participation to anyone who is inadequately prepared.

The Western Gate Chapter (western area) and Choctawhatchee Chapter (eastern area) span a longitude difference greater than 80 miles. All activities are open to the public unless noted otherwise. Read More…

Posted under Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking

Spring on Econfina creek. ©Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Not only our most valuable water sources, spring fed waterways provide extraordinary adventure

Some of the most beautiful places to explore Northwest Florida are along our spring fed waterways. These creeks, streams and rivers provide incredible recreation and eco tourism along with the valuable drinking water our communities rely on.

Florida boasts more than 700 springs, with close to 40 in the Walton, Holmes, Washington and Bay counties. Blue Spring and Jackson spring in Holmes County feeds into the Choctawhatchee River and is Florida’s 12th largest spring with 122 million gallons per day discharge. Holmes Creek has more than a dozen springs and is the largest tributary into the Choctawhatchee River. The Gainer Springs Group on Econfina Creek (including springs locally known as McCormick and Emerald) is the most significant, measuring a first magnitude flow of 114 million gallons a day (mgd). Econfina creek feeds into Deer Point Lake which is the major source of water supply for Bay County.

Karst diagram courtesy U.S. Geological Society

What are springs?
Springs are portals where water in the earth’s aquifers, rises to the surface and escapes into our streams, lakes and coastal waters. There are two general types of springs in Florida, seeps (water-table springs) and karst springs (artesian springs). The springs in Northwest Florida are karst springs. Karst topography is a landscape created by groundwater dissolving into sedimentary rock such as limestone. This creates landforms such as shafts, tunnels, caves, and sinkholes. The Dougherty Karst Plain underlies our area.

What is a spring classification?
Springs are most often classified based upon the average discharge of water. Individual springs exhibit variable discharge depending upon rainfall, recharge and groundwater withdrawals within their recharge areas. One discharge measurement is enough to place a spring into one of the eight magnitude categories. However, springs have dynamic flows. A spring categorized as being a first-magnitude spring at one moment in time may not continue to remain in the same category. This can result in a spring being classified as a first magnitude spring at one point in time and a second magnitude at another.
Read More…

Posted under Birding, Eco tourism adventure, Environment, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun

Photo courtesy West Florida Canoe and Kayak Club.

The West Florida Canoe and Kayak Club offers a variety of paddles in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. If you are interesting in becoming a member, you can go to their website at www.clubkayak.com/wfckc or contact Wes Mosteller at wesjane@earthlink.net

Guests are welcome on trips as long as they have the skills to safely navigate the waters being paddled.  Guests must sign a waiver form and have an Eglin Recreational Pass if the trip is on the Base.  Paddlers must supply their own boat.

Turkey Creek paddle Sunday, August 22

We will be paddling Turkey Creek on Eglin AFB near Niceville. Turkey Creek is one the best creeks in the Panhandle. It is narrow with lots of twists and turns. If you want practice steering your boat with great scenery in the background, this is it. It is not treacherous, but newer paddlers may be in the brush …  a lot.  It is also crystal clear and very inviting if it gets hot. No pets allowed.

EGLIN AFB pass required. Bring a pfd, paddle, boat, lunch, plenty to drink, raingear, etc. Plan on about 5 hours or so on the water.

MEETING PLACE: Meet at the Hippie Hole put-in at 10:00 a.m. (E-mail for directions if you need them.) Shuttle leaves at 10:15.
Please let me know if you plan to come so I can alert you in the unlikely event of any change of plans. Call Doug at 850-375-8209 or e-mail at dougwaggle@yahoo.com.

Florida Paddlers’ Rendezvous 2010, October 22-24

Mark your Calendars now — 
for the 2010 Florida Paddlers’ Rendezvous, October 21-24.

FL Sport Paddling Club (FSPC) proudly continues the Rendezvous tradition of bringing together Florida paddling clubs and paddling enthusiasts for a weekend of fun, friends and paddles.
This year’s base camp will be the Silver River State Park campground from which we will launch four days of trips that canoeists and kayakers of all skill levels will enjoy. Also join the potluck supper, program, nightly campfires, paddlers’ swap meet, and the wonderful exchange of friendship and paddling skills that evolves when so many with like interests come together.

The main event will take place Friday-Sunday, October 22-24, 2010. Make your reservations at Silver River SP now!! Pre-Rendezvous paddles will be held Thursday, October 21, for those who can come early. Trip details and a list of additional accommodations will follow when we have a website set up.
Please help us reach all who may be interested.   Send us any additional contacts you may have.  Please email Kathy, publicity chair, at KathrynVaughn@ATT.net with your questions, suggestions or information

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Parks, paddle/surf/boat

A trail to the beach at Camp Helen. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Celebrate Recreation and Parks month with swimming, hiking or sitting  under a shade tree!

Recognizing the benefits of time spent outdoors in Florida’s environment, Governor Charlie Crist recently signed a proclamation highlighting July as Recreation and Parks Month in Florida.

Saturday, July 17 the Florida Park Service (FPS) will offer FREE entry to all state parks, excluding the Skyway Fishing Pier. Canoe rentals, camping and other activities will be available at the regular price.

With Florida’s famous sunshine and hot temperatures, Florida’s state parks offer a welcome relief and an opportunity for fun with family and friends. Swim at the beach, snorkel in a crystal clear freshwater spring, float along on a lazy river, take a boat tour, splash in a pool at Hillsborough River or take a thrilling flume ride or tranquil tube ride at Weeki Wachee Springs’ Buccaneer Bay.

Sit under a shade tree or hike a nature trail. Pack a picnic lunch and cooler. Bring a fishing pole and bait. All are fun, cool and perfect activities for a hot summer’s day. Invite family and friends to make it an extra special day to remember.

Here is a list of local state parks:
Topsail Hill Preserve – Click here for info
Grayton Beach – Click here for info
Eden Gardens – Click here for info
Deer Lake – Click here for info
Camp Helen – Click here for info
Rocky Bayou – Click here for info
Ponce deLeon Springs – Click here for info

Posted under Beaches, Birding, Eco tourism adventure, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Parks, Trails/Hiking

Paddling down Holmes Creek.

Head up Highway 79 to Vernon for a full day of paddling fun

Holmes Creek is one of the most diverse paddles in the Northwest Florida Panhandle area.

As part of Florida’s statewide system of Greenways and Trails, Holmes Creek flows through a variety of diverse habitats.  The upper and lower portions pass high sandy banks while the majority of the tail is through low-lying swamplands.

Rich with flora and fauna, the creek is abundant with turtles and birds, including blue, green and white heron, ibis, warblers and woodpeckers. Read More…

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, paddle/surf/boat

Photo courtesy Kevin Griggs.

Blue spring near Cerrogordo a boater’s favorite

Kevin Griggs, a local outdoor enthusiast from Argyle took this photo of Holmes Blue Spring run spring boil.

“Fishing, boating and canoeing are great on the river up there just have to watch what your doing when the water is low, not sure about swimming in the river I am sure it is done though,” Kevin said.

The Walton County area has an abundance of beautiful spring gems to explore. Thanks for sharing Kevin!

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Fishing, Kayak/Canoe, paddle/surf/boat

Scenic paddle down the Shoal River. ©Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Scenic river in Crestview offers a journey through a wetland hardwood forest

The appropriately named Shoal River offers an abundance of sandy sandbars, (shoals) along with cool water along a meandering 10-mile paddle in Crestview. This 10-mile stretch is the only open publicly accessible run on the river. It is easily accessible with a boat ramp at each end, with put in at U.S. Hwy. 90 and take out a SR-85 in Crestview.

As part of the Florida Greenways and Trails system, the paddle offers scenic views of a variety of wetland hardwoods such as Titi, black gum, live oak, magnolia and coastal plain willow. Fauna includes a variety of birds such as kingfishers, blue herons and egrets, along with an occasional alligator and turtle.

Read More…

Posted under Birding, Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature

Explore nature along the Holmes Creek Canoe Trail and the Choctawhatchee River

Holmes Creek and the Choctawhatchee River are two of the most diverse paddles in the Northwest Florida Panhandle area. These journeys are abundant with wildlife including turtles, fish and a variety of birds including blue heron, ibis, egrets, warblers and woodpeckers.

Holmes Creek Canoe Livery offers tandem aluminum canoes for rent. The livery will drop you off and pick you up at a variety of locations depending on how long a journey you wish to take.
Holmes Creek:
2-4 hour trip: $30
4-8 hour trip: $45
Overnight camping trip: $60 (2 days, 1 night, 20-30 miles)
Choctawhatchee River:
One day trip (per canoe): $45
Camping trip, 2 days, 1 night: $60

The trips are planned and priced anywhere from Pittman Creek Landing on Highway 2 to Cowford Bridge on Highway 20 in Ebro.
All trips are priced for two adults
• $10 additional per person
• Children 12 and under free
• Youth group and church groups call for discounted rates.

Guided Swamp Tours: Great opportunity for hunting, fishing and photography.

Groups received 10% discount.
No glass bottles.

Holmes Creek Canoe Livery is located at SR 79 North of the Vernon Bridge.
To find it, drive into the Vernon Park and boat landing

The livery provides shuttle service for $10 for those with their own boat.
Tel: 850-210-7001, 850-956-2074

::MAP::

To learn more about Holmes Creek: Click Here

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun