Exits 96 - RiverWay South

Get Off 10!
Florida’s
RiverWay South
Country
Discover the land, people, and unforgettable places
shaped by the Apalachicola and Choctawhatchee Rivers
Explore 15 Scenic Drives
through Northwest Florida’s
Beauty, Bounty, Culture,
and Secret Places
Exit #2 96-112 South
Acknowledgments
RiverWay South Board of Directors
Homer Hirt, President
John Alter, Jackson County; Jim Bagby, South Walton County TDC; Jim Brook,
Opportunity Florida; Bruce Ballister, Apalachee Regional Planning Council; Curt
Blair, Franklin County TDC; Julia Bullington, Holmes County TDC; Dr. Jim Froh,
Chipola College; Pam Fuqua, Jackson County TDC; Lee Garner, Gadsden County
TDC; Melinda Gates, Walton County; Jerrie Lindsey, Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission; Heather Lopez, Washington County TDC; Kristy Terry,
Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce; John Thornton, West Florida Electric
Cooperative; Robert Voss, Calhoun County; Betty Webb, City of Apalachicola
Pamela Portwood, Project Director
Staff
Credits
Diane Delaney and Don Lesh, Applied Sustainability Enterprises – Conceptual
Design, Text, and Photographs
Rex Adams, Adams Graphics – Graphic Design and Production
Peter Kraft – Mapping
Additional Photographs were provided by: RiverWay South Member Counties,
Northwest Florida Water Management District, Andy Wraithmell and Mark Keiser,
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Eleanor Dietrich, Florida
Wildflower Foundation
Exits 96 - 112 South
Exit #2
96 - 112
South
Drive Snapshot
The watery Eden surrounding the
Choctawhatchee River and Holmes Creek
Bonifay
81
90
Westville
Distance/Time
90
Ponce
De Leon
65.9 miles/Allow 3-4 hours to visit sites
and 1-3 days to explore the waterways
and trails
Exit 104
Exit 112
10
HOLM ES COUN TY
WASH INGTO N COUN TY
79
Exit 96
181A
Morrison
Springs Rd.
Main Attractions
1. Morrison Springs
5. *Pine Log State Forest
7. Moss Hill Church
1
Ch
Worth the Stop
oc
2. Red Bay Grocery
3. Muscogee Creek Museum
4. Choctaw Lodge B & B Retreat
6. Three Oaks Winery
ta
7
6
Vernon
279
wh
2
es C
r e ek
Ho l m
Hightower
Rd.
at c h
WALTON
COUNTY
ee
79
81
Water Access
Seven Runs Recreation Area - Seven Runs
Creek
Cowford Boat Landing - Choctawhatchee
River
Hightower Landing - Holmes Creek
Vernon Wayside Park and Canoe Livery Holmes Creek
Trails
Florida National Scenic Trail at Nokuse
Plantation
*Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail
Bruce
3
20
77
Cowford
Rd.
Ebro
4
WASHIN GTON COUNTY
BAY COUNTY
20
Choctawhatchee
River Rd.
5
79
6
0
Miles
Information Resources
RWSFL.org, Visitsouthwaltoncom,
Waltonoutdoors.com,
Visitwashingtoncountyfl.com, Visitflorida.
org, Floridasprings.org, Nwfwmd.state.
fl.us, Clubkayak.com, Dep.state.fl.us,
Floridabirdingtrail.com, Freshfromflorida.
com, Floridatrail.org
23
Exits 96 - 112 South
Self-Guided Tour
Driving Directions
There are 35 state forests
in Florida covering more
than 1,058,000 acres.
Florida began large land
purchase and preservation
efforts in the late 1970s
and management focus
shifted from timber and
wildlife to a “multiple land
use management ethic”
including “conservation
of natural and cultural
resources, wildlife
management, protection
of water resources, and
outdoor recreation.”
24
Take Exit 96 South and follow SR 81
South for 3.6 miles to Highway 181-A.
Turn left and continue for 1.5 miles,
turn right onto Morrison Springs
Road, and follow the road to the
parking lot to visit Morrison Springs
at mile 6.1. Return to SR 81 South
at mile 8.7 and continue to Red Bay
to visit the Red Bay Grocery on the
right. Seven Runs Recreational
Area is on the right before the bridge
at mile 10.4 and the Florida National
Scenic Trail through the Nokuse
Plantation is just after the bridge.
Upon entering the town of Bruce,
turn left at the Muscogee Creek
Museum sign to visit the 1913 era
School House Museum and Gift
Shop at mile 23.8. Continue south
to SR 20 (mile 24) and turn left. To
visit the Choctaw Lodge Bed &
Breakfast Retreat, turn right in 2.2
miles onto Cowford Road, continue
1.6 miles, then turn right onto
Choctawhatchee River Road for .8
miles. The Retreat is on
the left. Return to SR
20 East. The Cowford
Boat Landing on the
Choctawhatchee River
is at mile 27.8.
Continue 2.2 miles
to Ebro and the
intersection with SR 79.
To visit Pine Log State Park,
turn right to access the Public
Entrance gate. Return to SR 79
North toward Bonifay/Vernon.
Turn left onto Hightower
Spring Road at mile 44.1 to
visit the Water Management
Area on Holmes Creek and
the Hightower Boat Launch in
.07 miles. Continue north on SR 79,
passing the home of the author of
Wagon Tracks at 45.9. Three Oaks
Winery is on the left at mile 47.1.
Turn right at mile 48.6 onto SR 279/
Moss Hill Church Road to visit the
historic Moss Hill Church on the
right at mile 52.2. Return to SR 79
North at mile 55.8 into Vernon. Just
after crossing the Holmes Creek
Bridge in .8 miles, turn right into the
Vernon Wayside Park and Canoe
Livery on Holmes Creek. This is
directly across from the intersection
of SR 279. Continue north on SR 79 to
Exit 112 at mile 65.9.
When Washington County
was created in 1825, it
was nearly twice the size
of the State of Delaware,
stretching all the way to
the Gulf of Mexico. After a
century of boundary shifts,
the county now comprises
391,040 acres, of which
16,448 are fresh water and
374,592 are land. Named
for President George
Washington, the arrival of
railroads in the late 1800s
boosted economic, social,
and political developments.
25
Exits 96 - 112 South
Self-Guided Tour
Main Attractions
Morrison Springs
For tens of thousands of
years, Florida’s springs have
been hotspots of biological
diversity. Based on fossils
discovered during the past
century, we know that the
spring ecosystem once
provided water, food, and
habitat for many of North
America’s most spectacular
animals including the
mastodon, sabertoothed
tiger, and giant sloth.
26
Morrison Springs is one of the most
popular swimming, snorkeling, and
diving spots in northwest Florida
and is well-known throughout
the southeast. The large, sandybottomed spring is surrounded by
a 161-acre park that is managed
by Walton County. The spring
discharges an average of 48 million
gallons of crystal-clear water each
day to create a 250-foot-diameter
spring pool and a spring run that
flows into the Choctawhatchee
River. There are 3 cavities reported
at the bottom of the spring pool,
one of which is 300 feet deep. The
natural floodplain setting is also
popular for birding, photography,
and nature walks. Amenities include
a picnic pavilion and restroom
facilities. A large wheelchairaccessible boardwalk, with an
overlook, links the springs to the
floodplain along the spring run.
Pine Log State Forest
Purchased in 1936, this is Florida’s
first state forest with 7,129
acres. There are various natural
communities found in the forest.
They include
sandhills,
flatwoods,
cypress
ponds, and
titi swamps.
Pine Log State
Forest has
three named
streams
(Pine Log
Creek, Little Crooked Creek, and
Ditch Branch) as well as several
small lakes and ponds. It offers
many recreational opportunities for
the outdoor enthusiast, including
camping, wildlife viewing, picnicking,
hiking, bicycling, swimming, fishing,
and hunting. Over 13 miles of hiking
trails have been developed, including
a boardwalk and segment of the
Florida National Scenic Trail, which
covers approximately 8 miles.
The congressionally
designated Florida
National Scenic Trail
is approximately
1,300-miles long and
offers a continuous,
permanent, nonmotorized recreation
opportunity for hiking
and other compatible
activities. Over its
length, it showcases the
incredible biodiversity,
history, and rich culture
of Florida. Its termini lie
in Gulf Islands National
Seashore to the North
and Big Cypress National
Preserve in the South.
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Exits 96 - 112 South
Self-Guided Tour
Moss Hill Church
Holmes Creek begins in
southern Alabama and
continues southward
into the Choctawhatchee
River Basin. The navigable
portion of the creek
begins about three miles
north of Vernon. Once
underway, paddlers will
discover several natural
karst springs. This is a
slow-moving river with
easy current (except after
heavy rains) and is a rich
tea color from the tannins
of decaying leaf material.
The channel winds across a
sand bottom as it meanders
past mixed hardwoods,
sand hills, and tupelocypress swamp systems.
28
This 1857 structure is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
and remains one of Florida’s oldest
standing church buildings. The church
is built of milled lumber, sawed at a
water-powered mill on nearby Hard
Labor Creek, and both square nails
and wooden pegs were used to fasten
the structure together. Look for the
“upside down footprints” that can be
seen in trails across the ceiling. They
were probably left behind by folks
walking along the planks when they
were stacked on the ground. The
church served as the center of life in
the Holmes Valley community during
the Civil War. Markers in the cemetery
honor those captured when the
Vernon unit tangled with Union
troops returning from the Battle of
Marianna on September 28, 1864.
The skirmish is locally remembered
as the Battle of Vernon. The church
was attended by both whites and
African American slaves during the
years leading up to and during the
Civil War.
Both whites
and blacks
assisted in the
construction
of the
structure
and it stands
today as a
landmark to
all of the early
residents of
Holmes Valley.
Worth the Stop
Red Bay Grocery
Redbaygrocery.com, 8704 SR 81
The Red Bay Grocery
has been in operation
since 1936 under 28
different owners. It
closed in 2008 and
left the community
without a gathering
spot. As a result, folks
had to drive 20 miles
to get provisions. In
2009 some 50 community partners
brought the store back to life and
rebuilt it again after a devastating fire
in 2011. Operated like a cooperative,
the partners grow the produce, cut
fresh flowers, bake cookies, cakes,
and pies, take care of the carpentry,
plumbing, and electrical needs and
even handle legal issues. But mainly,
over coffee and biscuits, the partners
of Red Bay Grocery provide stories
and daily updates of the goings-on
in this small town. The shelves are
full of local products like honey, jams,
jellies, pickled goods, and sauces.
Breakfasts and homemade ice
cream are extremely popular. Lunch
and dinner are also served on the
weekend.
Muscogee Creek Museum
Mnof.org
The museum is part of a rural relief
complex including a food pantry
and second-hand clothing shop.
French Huguenots who
settled North America
around 1562 made wine
from the abundant wild
Muscadine grapes they
found growing near present
day St. Augustine. Since
that time, wine production
in Florida has continued to
develop as an industry. In
1923 a breeding program
at the University of Florida
developed disease-resistant
grape varieties suited to
Florida’s soil and climate.
There are currently twentythree certified Florida Farm
Wineries which utilize
indigenous grape varieties
and exotic and citrus fruits.
29
Exits 96 - 112 South
Self-Guided Tour
The Pileated Woodpecker
is one of the biggest, most
striking forest birds on the
continent. It’s nearly the size
of a crow, black with bold
white stripes down the neck
and a flaming-red crest.
Look (and listen) for Pileated
Woodpeckers whacking at
dead trees and fallen logs
in search of their main prey,
carpenter ants, leaving unique
rectangular holes in the wood.
The nest holes these birds
make offer crucial shelter to
many species including swifts,
owls, ducks, bats, and pine
martens.
The main building, a
1913 school, houses the
tribal office, museum,
and gift store. Tribal
office workers serve
as museum docents,
offering insights into
the small, but significant
collection of artifacts,
photographs, handmade goods, drums,
games, and clothing.
The Muscogee Nation
of Florida, also known
as the Florida Tribe of
Eastern Creek Indians,
is a Tribe of Creek Indian people
whose home is centered in Bruce,
Florida. The Creek predecessors of the
Muscogee Nation of Florida signed
11 treaties with the United States
between 1790 and 1833. Those who
formed the modern nation followed
the Choctawhatchee River south into
the State of Florida from Dale County,
Alabama as early as 1837 to escape
the federal government’s removal
policies. The museum offers a glimpse
into what life was like in Bruce from
the early 1900s until today.
Choctaw Lodge B & B Retreat
Choctawlodgeretreat.com
781 Choctawhatchee River Road
30
Owners Ron and Kathryn Hardy are
always delighted to share their “place
In Paradise” with nature enthusiasts
in search of a unique encounter
with the natural beauty of the
Choctawhatchee River. The Hardys
have much to offer their guests,
including bird watching, nature and
plant photography, swamp tours,
fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking,
and much more in an area relatively
unknown to most people. “It is the
best kept secret in the Panhandle
of Florida,” the owners
explain, “and our goal is to
preserve it in its pristine
and natural state as
long as we are here.” The
Choctaw Lodge river front
property includes three
houses nestled among an
array of indigenous trees
including cypress, cedar,
and hardwoods.
Three Oaks Winery
Threeoakswinery.com,
3348 SR 79
This family winery produces some
of the finest wines in the Southeast.
Owned and operated by
the Biddle family, Three
Oaks Winery uses its own
line of grapes, including
Conquistador and
Muscadine, to produce
smooth, refreshing lowalcohol wine aged to
the proper fermentation
and bottled at the peak
of flavor. All of their
products are Florida
wines and their Port is
ranked #1 in Florida.
Visitors to the winery may
enjoy free wine tasting
and tours, as well as a
nicely stocked gift shop.
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Exits 96 - 112 South
Self-Guided Tour
Water Access
Seven Runs Recreation Area Seven Runs Creek
Seven Runs Creek can be enjoyed
at the facility or on a scenic paddle
through hardwood wetlands and
cypress swamps. A short, 2.3 mile
paddle, this creek provides many
twists and turns before it opens
into the swampy cypress-filled
forest before emptying into the
Choctawhatchee River. The facility
has bathrooms, picnic pavilion,
benches, and grills. Seven Runs
Creek is part of the Choctawhatchee
River Wildlife Management Area and
was recently included in the Florida
Forever Conservation program.
Cowford Boat Landing Choctawhatchee River
32
Operated by Walton County, this
facility has a good, wide, single lane
concrete boat
ramp with steel
ramp at the
water’s edge. It
has designated
paved parking
for 11 vehicles
with boat trailers,
1 handicap
designated
parking space,
and a nice
covered pavilion
with picnic tables
and grill.
Hightower Landing Holmes Creek
The facility has a single concrete
boat ramp with parking for about
10-12 vehicles with trailers. The
Landing has trash containers, a
fire pit, and restroom. There is a
very photographic spring to the
left of the ramp.
Vernon Wayside Park and
Canoe Livery - Holmes
Creek
In Vernon, Holmes Creek opens
up and is an easy paddle with
slow current and clear water. The
small park has a boat ramp and
the canoe livery next door offers
kayak and canoe rentals.
Trails
Florida National Scenic Trail at
Nokuse Plantation
The Nokuse Plantation portion
of the Florida Trail offers upland,
wetland, and freshwater natural
habitats along the Lafayette Creek
and Big Head Branch Creek in
Walton County. The trailhead near
Seven Runs Creek offers a short, 2-3
hour, shady, moderate hike along
Big Head Branch creek. Nokuse
Plantation is a privately owned
preservation and restoration area
connecting conservation lands
of Eglin Reservation, Lafayette
Wildlife Management Area, and
the Choctawhatchee Wildlife
Management Area.
Vernon, the geographical
center of Washington
County derives is named
for George Washington’s
Virginia home, Mt. Vernon.
The pioneer town was also
the site of a major Indian
settlement.
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172
Self-Guided Tour
RiverWay South
Contributing Partners
173
A publication of RiverWay South Apalachicola Choctawhatchee, a
dynamic river-based rural tourism organization serving Calhoun,
Franklin, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Walton, and Washington
Counties.
#Explore Our Florida
RWSFL.org
Funding provided by RiverWay Contributing Partners, the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida
Department of Economic Opportunity