From White Springs
to Suwannee River State Park.
The most beautiful part of the Suwannee -
                                                                                                            
                                                                               ( Audio - Operatic) 

Most of the photos below were of our trip down this beautiful river,  November 4th,  1998  There are also some that have been added from my  trip of December 4th to the 8th. On the Nov. trip, we first stopped and camped at the Stephen Foster State Park in Fargo, GA. for two nights, then on the 6th, we put in at the Hwy 41 Bridge in White Springs, FL.  Obviously it is not possible to post all the photos of the trip, (I also don't want to bore you)  however, I will attempt to give you enough so that you see the beauty of this part of the river. Be patient, hope you enjoy the music.                                                                           

Be sure to Click on the pic to enlarge, the small thumbnails do not do them justice. Click on "back" to return to normal.

   After putting in at White Springs, the next priority is ...
get out your camera!  The river is extremely beautiful.

   This is the first and only campsite  you will see after leaving the White Springs area,  for roughly 8 miles. (on the right) Therefore you should start your trip early in the day.  It has room for at least three tents and more in area that is not quite as level. Great Campsite.   Recognized by old road at upstream end. This site is now marked with three fluorescent orange ribbons on the tree in front. Please - build your fire in one of the two existing firepits. Otherwise... there will soon be no room for tents. And - Please take your trash with you.  Help keep this site clean for the next visitors.
One problem ... this site is 30 minutes from the Hwy 75 bridge.  The traffic noise is noticeable enough that it is somewhat bothersome but the solitude and beauty makes up for it.

    This large sandbar is directly across from the above campsite.  Though it does not have as much room, it still can be used for a couple or three tents should the above site be occupied and the sun is low. Check the area behind the large fallen tree. There were three kayakers camped here when I arrived at the above site  on my last trip. See below photo.

  My neighbors for the first night.  They said they were from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  I never got their names. Any viewers from that area who recognizes them, please have them get in touch with me.

    So peaceful and quiet. It does wonders for your soul. The only sound you hear are birds and dipping of paddles.

  Though many of the 'super sandbars' were wiped out by the extremely high and fast water of this years storms, there are still plenty of  nice ones. Here we stop for a short stretch and lunch. This sandbar would accommodate a dozen tents easily.

    This is what the "Cubby Hole" mentioned in my book looks like from the river (at low water).  It is also described in more detail in the book. It is a neat little spot back from the river out of the wind and weather. The high water has changed the outer appearance some. But the inside was still in good condition.  Though it is an inside campsite - which normally there would be more mosquitoes - believe it or not, in each of the three times we have camped there, the mosquitoes were not bad at all.

   This is what the inside of the "Cubby Hole" looks like.    We have used this site roughly four times. Neat little site. 

   Here we pass one of the beautiful limestone walls on the right side with the sun bringing out the colors. This is not the norm. Most of the left side is high like this. Not much on the right. Since that side is in shade constantly, the colors do not show up as well.  From White Springs down to Suwannee River State Park, the left side is mostly steep. The right side tends to be flatter.

   My best canoeing buddy, Rusty.  He's my pal.  An 80 lb. Tosa and Chow mix and one of the most intelligent and fiercely loyal dogs I have ever owned. He loves to ride in the canoe and makes sure the campsite is safe all night. When he's along, I never have to worry about 'night critters'- especially snakes. He'll kill a snake in a heartbeat. No, I don't worry about gator's.  He's in the tent with me at night. He sits and watches out the door most of the night. If he suspects something is out there, he nudges me to go out, he then checks the perimeter, comes back inside. Only problem is, he runs out of pee. I think he tried to mark every tree in north Florida on our last trip.  {:o))  

  The only good thing about running the river at extremely low water is you get to see much more beauty of the river. These limestone walls are normally under water. Note the arrow. That is about where the normal waterline is.

  I would like to have added more photos but space would not permit it. However, the book photos take you all the way down the river to the gulf. (and the video)

    Return to Home Page.

Last updated on 3/1/05

Grab your paddle, Canoe or Kayak, and lets go paddling the Suwannee River from the  Okefenokee Swamp of Georgia,  through Florida, down river to the Gulf of Mexico.