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One of Florida’s original state parks. The Setting Most of the park is made up of pine sandhills, which provide habitat for American kestrels, American bald eagles, white-tailed deer, turkeys, gopher tortoises, fox squirrels and pocket gophers. Gold Head Branch ravine, formed by seepage springs, divides the park and has been designated a State Natural Feature Site. About 65 feet deep and 1.5 miles long, the cool, moist ravine is covered by a dense canopy of loblolly pines, hickories and magnolias. The steady trickles from these seepage springs eventually join at the bottom to form Gold Head Branch, which meanders through the park and empties into Little Lake Johnson. The Facility Three campgrounds offer 74 sites that accommodate both tents and RVs and provide water, electricity, picnic tables and ground grills. Primitive camping and a group camping area are also available. Sixteen furnished cabins —original CCC, block style and modern—overlook Little Lake Johnson. Each sleeps four to six persons and is equipped with refrigerator, stove, a double bed and hide-a-bed. Some have a wood or gas fireplace. Linens and kitchen utensils are provided. Park Features The park has four marked hiking trails. The Ridge Trail meanders along the upper ridge of the ravine between the ravine and the grist mill site. From this viewpoint, hikers can see the contrasts between the sandhill and the ravine communities. The Loblolly Trail loop begins and ends at the mill site and winds past the largest loblolly pines in the park. The shortest trail, the Fern Loop, begins at the ravine stairway and passes by the headsprings of Gold Head Branch. A portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail traverses the park and takes approximately two hours to hike. Camping Tips
Address Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park |
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