As if Ochlockonee isn’t fun to say on its own, this park is located in Sopchoppy. And the town of Sopchoppy is in Wakulla County, so there’s a mouthful of fun just in saying the names!
Ochlockonee River State Park is tucked among the many curves and loops of the Ochlockonee River, about 30 miles south of Tallahassee. With two boat ramps (including a handicapped-accessible kayak launch) and a nice picnic area which includes a shower, a peaceful camping loop with great Camp Hosts who keep the bathhouse spotless and the campsites welcoming, miles of hiking trails along the river and through a really nice pine flatwood area, and white squirrels and at least one piebald deer, this park made a great staging area for an October visit to the panhandle.
The drive to Ochlockonee took about five hours on backroads and I arrived just in time to find Sharol completing her camp set-up. Once my tent was set up, we wandered down the road past the camping loop to see the river. Walking along the road, we saw the hiking trail through the pine flatwoods area. It was late in the season for wildflowers, but there were still liatris and asters everywhere, and many others we have not yet identified.
The paved road ends at the confluence of the Ochlockonee River and the Dead River. There is a small swimming area at the Dead River side, but I would never swim in this water; it is too close to great alligator habitat! The picnic area is so pleasant – there is something lovely to look at no matter where you look, and you can launch into either the Dead River or the Ochlockonee. Every time we visited, the water was still and beautifully reflective.
The park seems to be used mostly by boaters and campers. There was very little traffic on the road back to the river, and we never saw the picnic area used. On the trails, unless we were on trails that bordered the campground, we saw no other hikers. The campsite was full, but the loop was quiet for the most part, and even the dogs all got along. The camp has two camp hosts who did a great job of keeping the bathhouse clean and everything in order. When a storm was moving in and our next campsite reservation was cancelled, the rangers were enormously helpful in finding another site for us so we could continue our trip in spite of the weather.
We were fortunate enough to see the white squirrels and we even saw a piebald deer! The deer was much harder to photograph and I have no pictures that don’t look like a white blob in the pines. Maybe next time.
From this park, we were able to explore the panhandle to both the east and the west with everything being within an easy drive. The number of rivers, trails, state parks and forests ensured an endless variety of adventures and places to explore. I cannot wait to return to Ochlockonee!
Click here for a park brochure to start planning your own Ochlockonee adventure, or ask me to help you plan! I’ll happily make the trip to the panhandle or simply share pointers and itineraries.