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Fighting Fire With Fire for the Good of us All

On our trip to Collier Seminole State Park last year, Steve and I hiked through an area that had just been reopened after a prescribed burn.  Parts of the forest floor and many tree trunks were still smoldering! Surprisingly, though, the palmettos and ferns were already putting up new shoots. I guess nature is going to keep going no matter what her human component gets up to.

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Unexpected Tour at Unique Devil’s Millhopper

Alachua County’s Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park is truly something special. It’s a National Landmark, and comprises a sinkhole that’s about 500′ wide, reaching 120′ down into the earth before you reach water. There are 132 steps on a beautiful boardwalk leading down the side of this sinkhole, and landings where you can enjoy the views. Hurricane Irma destroyed the original staircase, which was longer, but the new boardwalk protects the sinkhole and visitors alike.

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Tranquil Trails in a Shady Setting – and Breezy, Too!

Dunn’s Creek State Park, Putnam County

Dunn’s Creek State Park is a lovely spot covering over 6300 acres. Entering the park, we noticed beautiful rolling hills which gave way to more level ground as we got further down the road toward the water.

Parking and Trails

There are two parking areas, each with picnic tables and open areas. The second parking area looks like it may be for a group camp, as there’s a locked bathhouse and a fire ring. It would be a nice spot for an overnight! The trailheads are also at this parking area. Four trails traverse Dunns Creek State Park: the 1.4 mile Green trail; 1.8 mile Yellow trail, 2.6 mile red trail, and the Blue trail, which has a short option (looks like about 4 miles) and a long option (6.1 miles).

Steve and I meandered on the Yellow Trail, traveling through a hydric area and into a really pretty pine forest. In just the first quarter mile, we saw orchids, a Lobelia (new to me, and very pretty), and SO MANY AIRPLANTS! We watched an eagle fly with a large branch in its beak; it appears that home improvements are being made somewhere in the forest.

Retirement Means No Crowds!

We had the entire park to ourselves nearly the entire Tuesday morning we were there! We saw a ranger leaving as we arrived, I noticed a motorcyclist as we came off the trail, and Steve saw boaters on the river. There were no other cars in the parking lot, and we thoroughly enjoyed the solitude. We watched the water and read in the peaceful silence.

We stopped for lunch in Astor at Drifters, and enjoyed really good Cuban Sandwiches. A blue heron watched us watching him, and we traveled home to begin planning our next trip. It’s going to involve a picnic and more time reading under the maples along the shoreline, I’m certain.