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Florida Trail, Little Shoals

Near Little Shoals The Little Shoals Trailhead of the Florida Trail provides two opportunities for hiking: upstream and downstream. Both provide different takes on the Suwannee River, with the option of your choice of length of round-trip hike or working out a shuttle with a friend to do a linear hike.   UPSTREAM: 3.9 miles to Morrell Drive Heading upstream (east, or right, as you walk up the hill from the trailhead), the Florida Trail introduces you to the scenic beauty of the Suwannee River. Almost immediately, overlooks afford excellent views of Little Shoals, a whitewater area in the river. The trail is high up on the bluffs above the river and crosses several bridges over deep ravines, including the Walking Man Bridge, named for FTA legend and historian Cecil Kirkham. Picnic tables afford rest stops with scenic views. The trail passes Waldron's Landing, a historic spot, and clambers in and out of more ravines before turning away from the river to follow the property line of Ivy Ridge Studios around the horse pastures to emerge at Morrell Drive. If you're walking in and back out again, a good turn-around point is Waldron's Landing. Leashed dogs are welcome along this section of the Florida Trail.   DOWNSTREAM: 5.1 miles to Nature & Heritage Tourism Center The hike begins at a scenic overlook at the Little Shoals of the Suwannee River and continues west through dense ferns and palmettos, passing several residences before dipping under the railroad and highway bridges over the river into White Springs. Once past the bridges, it scrambles along the bluffs with excellent views of rock formations when the water is low. Eventually, the trail leaves the river for a while to cross a floodplain forest at Gar Pond and skirt through fields, a pine plantation, and an oak forest before reaching the river again at Suwannee Valley Campground. There is a short roadwalk section from the campground to downtown White Springs (broken up by a connector through the woods), since we use the CR 136 bridge over the Suwannee River to enter downtown, passing the elegant Sophia Jane Adams House and other architectural marvels across from the Nature & Heritage Tourism Center. DIRECTIONS: To find the Little Shoals Trailhead, head south on US 41 out of White Springs and cross the Suwannee River. The turnoff will be the first road on your left, just before the agricultural inspection station. The access road is about a mile long and is a narrow, unpaved track through floodplain forest; there may be puddles in it. A high clearance vehicle is recommended but not necessary. Trailhead parking is limited, but there are spots to park along the road if needed. Do not block any access roads or gates.

 

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