The campground had wifi at the gift shop so I was able to sit outside in the dark after my famous ramen and tuna fish dinner and figure out the plan for the next day. I had told my girlfriend to expect me in two days, from the start that was always the plan. Santos was a mere hour and half away, but that wasn't much driving. Alafia and Balm Boyette were further but only two hours from her, how could I drive so far and not keep going?
By this point my mind was made up, tomorrow I would make the long haul to Sanibel and surprise Kayla a day early (she hates surprises). I still wanted to ride and pouring over the SWA's website its obvious they like to too. They have done some amazing things in this small community with trails on every little plot of land they could find. From the state park I could grab the aptly named 4.5 mile Bridge-to-Bridge and find myself at the trail head to three different areas: Big Shoals, Beast of Burden, and Gar Pond.
By this point my mind was made up, tomorrow I would make the long haul to Sanibel and surprise Kayla a day early (she hates surprises). I still wanted to ride and pouring over the SWA's website its obvious they like to too. They have done some amazing things in this small community with trails on every little plot of land they could find. From the state park I could grab the aptly named 4.5 mile Bridge-to-Bridge and find myself at the trail head to three different areas: Big Shoals, Beast of Burden, and Gar Pond.
I wanted to hit Big Shoals, a 4000 acre piece of public land that was jointly managed by Suwannee River Water Management District, Florida Division of Forestry, Florida State Parks and Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. It boasted nearly 25 miles of trails if you wanted, and of course, the famous whitewater. I crossed US 41 and made my way into the thick. Like Foster Hammock much of this area was easy spinning. In fact a lot of it was forest road that was simply bumpy. It wasn't the most exciting riding, but it was a workout. I saw my first couple snaked here, plus a fox. | The little singletrack I did hit was well made and similar to the rest, rooty and twisty. There wasn't much in the way of technical or elevation. Riding through palmetto fields may be a bit boring, but hey, I've never really done that! The overlook to the rapids was a nice stop. I highly recommend hitting the Long Branch trail, a little lollipop loop near the back of the bigger Big Shoals loop. |
As I made my way back out to US 41 I was realizing the epic may not come to fruition. Which was okay, I'd rather push myself and have fun then not. I opted to do Beast of Burden and likely skip Gar Pond unless my legs felt up to it. Spinning south on US 41 for a short bit you tap into the Beast and it puts the hammer down. Its bumpy and fun, more singletrack than Big Shoals. After this was feeling it and skipped Bridge-to-Bridge to ride the road back to the tent, shower up and hit the road. The ride ended up being just a hair over 29 fun miles with only 440 feet of elevation. |
It was Cinco de Mayo so I was eager to find a big burrito and few cervezas before I sat in the car for five hours to surprise Kayla. All in all I highly recommend White Springs. The Stephen Foster State Park is centrally located and has a lot to offer in the way of historical and cultural opportunities. Plus the community has a wide range of trails, road rides, and of course the river.