The place the Blackwater River broadens into Blackwater Bay, Escribano Level protects over ten miles of fragile estuarine shoreline.
Though it’s managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee, this 4,000 acre tract is fully surrounded by Eglin Air Power Base.
Following a footpath to the purposeA number of residential inholdings adjoin its frontage on the japanese shore of Blackwater Bay. As soon as famend for coastal tenting, its distant location led to abuse of that privilege.
The WMA is now strictly day use, which makes its launch and mountaineering trails the explanation why you’d drive out right here on the tough clay roads of Eglin.
Mucky when damp, miles of purple clay roads result in and thru this protectBeginning at three separate trailheads, 4 named trails make up the path system at Escribano Level.
With how distant this protect is, they have been surprisingly nicely maintained. We tackled them from south to north, parking at every of the trailheads in succession.
A junction alongside the Bayside PathAssets
Overview
Location: HolleyLength: As much as 3.3 milesTrailhead: 30.516600, -87.007255Address: Choctaw Touchdown Rd, MiltonFees: FreeRestroom: Portalets at Bayou and Bayside trailheadsLand Supervisor: Florida FWCPhone: 850-488-6411
Open daybreak to nightfall. Leashed canine welcome. No tenting. Trails are multi-use. An Eglin Recreation Allow just isn’t required to drive by the bottom to this WMA.
Examine on scheduled looking seasons prematurely of your go to. Put on vivid orange should you select to go to throughout hunts, particularly should you plan to hike or bike.
Instructions
In regards to the Protect
Fronting Blackwater Bay and buffered by the large wooded acreage of Eglin Air Power Base west of SR 87, the protect is a haven for wildlife.
Its distinctive location means you’re as prone to see blue-winged teals and blue crabs as crab spiders.
Pelicans cluster on an oyster bar within the bayPay shut consideration to muddy and sandy footpaths to see the tracks of Florida black bears, turkeys, and white-tailed deer.
With each saltwater and freshwater marshes, this is a wonderful birding vacation spot.
Botanically, bogs with carnivorous crops lie not removed from huge needlerush marshes.
Needlerush marsh traverseBayside Recreation Space is the go-to for shoreline fishing, with a stretch of seashore proper on Blackwater Bay.
It’s an incredible place to launch a kayak or canoe into the watery expanse. Picnic tables present scenic views.
Hand launch at Bayside Recreation SpaceBayou Recreation Space perches on a bluff but in addition has a launch on the finish of its street.
Sandhill and scrub habitat dominate this space, in contrast to the coastal pines at Bayside. Picnic tables are additionally supplied on this breezy location.
Anglers can entry the sinuous channel of Fundy Bayou. Warnings about alligators are posted in each areas, as they don’t have any drawback with brackish waters.
Fundy BayouCyclists can observe the in depth community of forest roads crisscrossing the WMA.
As we found, traces on the offical WMA map don’t translate to the realities of precise terrain.
Titi swamps and coastal marshes create pure barricades the place you suppose roads and trails ought to join.
A forest street used as a part of the Fundy Bayou LoopA map from any of the trailhead kiosks will information you to and alongside a quartet of named trails open to mountaineering, biking, and equestrian use.
Three of the 4 trails begin at or close to Bayside Recreation Space, whereas the fourth begins on the Bayou Recreation Space.
An accessible trailhead constructed proper contained in the WMA gate implies one other path could also be within the works.
New kiosk on the time of our go toMountaineering
Bayside Trails
Entry two of them by a spot within the nook of the parking corral at Bayside Recreation Space.
The Eagles Roost Path and Catfish Basin Path explores coastal flatwoods alongside the shoreline of Blackwater Bay.
From a separate trailhead alongside the doorway street, the Bayside Path loops by a lot drier scrub and sandhill.
Bayside Path entranceFundy Bayou Loop
Beginning close to a scenic sand bluff above Fundy Bayou within the Bayou Recreation Space, the Fundy Bayou Loop explores quite a lot of uplands habitats alongside a straightforward 0.7 mile loop.
Alongside the Fundy Bayou LoopPath Map
Discover Extra!
Video
Hikes at Escribano Level WMA
Slideshow
See our images from Escribano Level WMA
Close by Adventures
Path Map (PDF) Official Web site
Creator of over 40 books, Sandra Buddy established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to develop on the sector analysis she’d accomplished for her first six mountaineering guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Outside Writers Affiliation.
