Big Shoals

Hamilton County is bordered on three sides by rivers and an additional river runs through it.  The Suwannee is the eastern and southern borders and the Withlacochee forms the western limits dividing us from neighboring Madison County.

The largest whitewater in Florida is located on the Eastern border dividing us from Columbia County.  Today we set out to see the Big Shoals located in a state park.  The day was uncommonly warm for February at 83 degrees.  We followed the signs off highway 41 in White Springs.  A little before four p.m. we turned onto the recently scraped dirt road leading to the park, traveling a little over a mile to the park and parking area.

We walked down to the river and heard no whitewater.  In fact, the Suwannee was calm with little current.  As we started up the path, a family  returning from the shoals, told us it was about a fifteen minute walk.

We wound through the path (I neglected reading the sign showing the distance!) and passed under old live oaks and through palmettos seeing an occasional spring bloom here and there.  The day was still with little breeze under the partly cloudy sky.  The path had an occasional root and changed elevations fairly frequently.

We pressed on.  Twenty five minutes into the walk, we heard the whitewater.  Five minutes later, we saw the falls.

The website describes the shoals, “Big Shoals State Park features the largest whitewater rapids in Florida. Limestone bluffs, towering 80 feet above the banks of the Suwannee River, afford outstanding vistas not found anywhere else in Florida. When the water level on the Suwannee River is between 59 and 61 feet above mean sea level, the Big Shoals rapids earn a Class III Whitewater classification, attracting thrill-seeking canoe and kayak enthusiasts.”

I’ll take their word for it.  It was pretty, but we were already regretting not having water with us.

As we neared the end of our hike back to the car, I sat, leaning against the rough bark of an old oak tree, hot and thirsty.  As I rested, I wondered  if I never made it back to the car if there were any bears in the woods.  Klep walked ahead and met me just before I got back to the parking lot with bottled water.  He is a very good man!

We felt really good as we celebrated our success in the air conditioned car as we headed toward the setting sun and home on the other side of the county.