Disappearing Creek Loop – Florida Hikes

Rapids between cypress knees? That’s what you’ll see alongside the loop round Camp Department when “surf’s up” alongside the Suwannee after a superb rain.

This area has spectacular geology due to its karst topography. Karst happens when water and gentle acid from tree leaves and different pure detritus seeps into porous rock.

A karst window adjoins the campsite

West of White Springs, Camp Department tumbles by means of a slim gorge over a collection of cascades and vanishes right into a sinkhole.

Its waters emerges as a spring within the Suwannee River simply as invisibly.

The three.6 mile Disappearing Creek Loop has a loop inside a loop, the outer third of which is a scenic stretch of the Florida Path on the river bluffs.

Alongside the bluffs of the Suwannee on the Florida Path

Overview

Location: White SpringsLength: 3.6 milesTrailhead: 30.3778, -82.8789Address: SE 89th Method, White SpringsFees: FreeRestroom: NoneLand supervisor: Suwannee River Water Administration DistrictPhone: 386-362-1001

Trailhead open daybreak to nightfall. No tenting on the trailhead. Camp at a chosen campsite close to the Florida Path.

Leashed canines are welcome, however we warning towards bringing them on the internal loop as a result of steepness of the terrain. The identical goes for babies. If in case you have steadiness points, this isn’t a path for you.

Don’t hike into any flowing water on this loop. If the Suwannee or Camp Department is flooding, water rises by means of surrounding sinkholes, making the panorama treacherous.

Instructions

Hike

A map on the trailhead kiosk offers an summary of the route. From the hole within the trailhead fence, take the graveled double-track entry highway behind the gate.

It makes a fast steep, deep plunge right into a ravine created by a facet channel eroding its solution to the twists and turns of Camp Department by means of a bluff forest.

Begin by dipping by means of a ravine

After the considerably steep climb out of the ravine, the highway ranges out. With shiny leaves wanting very similar to rhododendron, horsesugar greens up the sides.

This upland forest is relict sandhill, oaks and pines ravaged and thinned by current hurricane seasons, the understory a thick puzzle of textures.

Horsesugar past the crest of the ravine

White blazes present confidence markers alongside the curving forest highway. Deer moss sprouts in seafoam-colored puffs on a leafy sandbank.

A quick ascent right into a curve is adopted by a descent by means of tufted grasses. Buried beneath the highway at 0.6 mile, a culvert conveys an intermittent stream.

Amongst pines and oaks

Graze near a property line marked by a fence earlier than the understory opens up beneath the pines. A gentle fog usually lies throughout this panorama on cool mornings.

Climb by means of a curve to a junction with a double white blaze. Though the worn two-track curves sharply proper, proceed straight forward right into a broad clearing.

Proceed straight forward as an alternative of curving

At treeline, a slim, leafy path wiggles by means of an unlucky assortment of downed timber, one among which sports activities a blue blaze for this brief connector.

Meet the Florida Path at a T intersection, turning proper at 0.8 mile to affix its footpath.

Path junction

Closely embellished with Spanish moss, the dense river bluff forest has a haunting really feel. For the subsequent tenth of a mile there’s quite a lot of harm to the forest.

Comply with a grassy ribbon between the timber, utilizing the orange blazes as a information when it isn’t apparent the place to show subsequent.

Seepage slope

A seepage spring creates a soggy, muddy spot at one grassy uphill curve. It’s a reduction to exit the hall of the worst of the crumpled, chainsawed timber.

Thickly carpeted with pine needles, the footpath curves previous a dropoff into a big forested sinkhole. The curving continues, mimicking an unseen curve of the river.

Forested sinkhole

Climb right into a hall outlined by an expanse of noticed palmetto beneath the oaks. Open sky on the left makes it apparent the river isn’t far.

At a mile, seize a glimpse of the frothy waters by means of a display of timber. In one other tenth of a mile, descend to a low clearing with a blazed tree in its center.

Worn pathway

Make a left on a spur path to climb over the river bluff, a ribbon of sandy seaside alongside swift, tannic waters your introduction to the Suwannee River.

As apparent on its far shore, eroded rocky bluffs are the norm for this floodplain river, which drains the Okefenokee Swamp and a whole lot of springs to the Gulf of Mexico.

Seaside on the Suwannee River

Return to the Florida Path to proceed your journey. Climbing out of the despair, the path hall broadens.

A double blaze marks a pointy left dropping between partitions of noticed palmetto. Edging in direction of the bluffs once more, glimpse the river from spots the place fronds body the view.

River view

Sand banks at the moment are apparent on the far shore by how they gleam within the gentle. Build up alongside curves, they arrive and go on the whim of the floodwaters.

Following the mild curves of the path, cross low depressions and make brief climbs by means of the undulating terrain of the river bluff forest.

Curve within the path

Together with the understory itself, extra views of the river open up by 1.5 miles. Rejoin the palmetto-lined hall, reaching one other spur path at 1.7 miles.

Its furrowed method to the river financial institution makes it a superb cease for backpackers to filter water earlier than reaching the designated campsite forward.

Facet path to river degree

The footpath broadens to a width of a highway earlier than it meets the well-signposted junction for Disappearing Creek.

Flip proper, leaving the Florida Path behind at 1.8 miles to stroll in direction of the campsite.

Path junction

On the blue blazed path, its benches and fireplace ring are perched on a pure crown above a steep dropoff into inky waters on the backside of a sinkhole.

Comply with the worn path edging round this gaping pit, with higher views into it on the climb alongside its edge.

Entry to the campsite and south method to the loop

Proceed up and over a ridge and right into a despair with quite a few depressions in its ground.

The blue blazes lead up a sandy slope lined in leaves to what seems to be like a puzzle of rock past a bluff. Strategy it slowly.

Climbing in direction of the bluff

The dropoff and the waterfall past it aren’t apparent till you attain the sting of the bluff. Camp Department pours in direction of you thru the rocky chasm straight forward.

Its origins stay unseen from this angle because it cascades right into a swirling present that merely vanishes under your ft.

That is the south finish of the internal blue-blazed loop that traces its journey upstream.

Camp Department cascading to the place it disappears

Flip proper, strolling across the oddly formed oak to comply with the slim footpath alongside the chasm.

Pause to look again to see the tea-colored pool the place the creek vanishes right into a rocky bluff in a layer of froth.

This karst formation is named a swallet, a sinkhole that gulps a waterway immediately into the aquifer.

The swallet that disappears the creek

The footpath climbs because it traces the deep cleft beside it, with views of the water racing by means of and over the rocks, foamy after it burbles by means of slim cascades.

Through the years, the path has been nudged away from the eroding sides for security’s sake, so there are a number of parallel footpaths in a number of spots.

The higher cascades into the slim gorge

Cypress timber rise from the higher reaches of the creek, with oaks nearer to the trail. Be aware the watermarks on them.

When the Suwannee rises in response to heavy rains upstream, the aquifer does as nicely, filling this whole gorge with water.

Watermarks climb ten ft excessive or extra

Descending an especially slim and canted sandy path, method and cross a easy plank footbridge with a single railing.

At 2.1 miles, it hovers nicely over Camp Department, with a really steep scramble up the bluff on the opposite facet to proceed alongside the loop.

Footbridge with one railing

A quick stroll within the woods opens to the flatter floodplain on this facet of the creek, nonetheless elevated on a bluff.

Strolling downstream, comply with the slim footpath because it guides you thru a distinct set of views.

Drawing near Camp Department in its floodplain

Tannic waters sluice by means of the tooth of cypress knees into curves that seem extra sinuous from this angle.

As soon as the stream drops into its chasm, it’s now not seen.

Clamber over a limestone ridge, blue blazes main again round to the beginning of the loop on the bluff above the swallet.

At decrease water ranges, the creek cascades by means of the knees

At 2.3 miles, proceed previous the odd tree and climb the trail straight up the hill past it, which curves and broadens earlier than reaching a T junction.

On the clearing with the forest highway connecting the trailhead and the river, flip left.

Comply with the trail straight up the bluff to exit the loop

The rest of the hike is just a stroll alongside the forest highway again to the trailhead. White blazes seem as soon as extra.

There’s a sluggish ascent from river bluff forest into the relict sandhills with their pines and oaks.

Forest highway heading again to Camp Department trailhead

Inside a tenth of a mile, a double blaze marks a flip within the highway the place you would possibly in any other case be tempted to take a path straight forward.

Older sand reside oaks lend character to this nook of the forest earlier than a brief climb. Extra ascents comply with, the highway turning into grassier underfoot.

Grassy curve

A patch of horsesugar attracts consideration to the understory simply earlier than the junction at 2.9 miles the place you shut the outer loop.

Comply with the curve to the left, retracing the beginning of the hike to the plunging ravine and steep climb, reaching the trailhead at 3.6 miles.

Moses and lichens on sand reside oaks

Path Map

Discover Extra!

Be taught extra concerning the Suwannee part of the Florida Path

Florida Path, Suwannee For 78 miles alongside the Suwannee River, the Florida Path clings to bluffs and scrambles by means of ravines for bodily challenges and nice surroundings.

Video

Mountaineering Disappearing Creek Loop

Slideshow

See our photographs from the Disappearing Creek Loop

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Articles collectively researched, written, and photographed by Sandra Good friend & John Keatley, Florida authors and publishers of FloridaHikes.com.

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