Coldwater Creek: A Paddlers Paradise

Coldwater Creek is located in the panhandle near Milton, Florida. Last week I had the opportunity to do a solo trip on this beautiful body of water and all I can say is that it was well worth the 7.5 hour drive to see it. It is a crystal clear spring fed paddle trail that varies in depth from 1 – 3 feet deep with the occasional deeper pocket in some of the bends. It’s bottom is sand and gravel with the occasional stump or tree submerged under water. One of the things that make this river fun to paddle is the current. It moves swiftly   pushing you down stream with little or no effort required to keep moving, if anything, I found myself trying to slow down because I was moving so quick.

The paddle trail section is 19 miles though the creek is actually longer. I had wanted to paddle the entire 19 miles but do to poor weather I had to cut my trip short.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon and camped at the Adventures Unlimited Campground located at 8974 Tomahawk Landing Rd. Milton, Fl. The staff at Adventures Unlimited  were terrific. They were able to answer questions about the area, were knowledgeable about the river and genuinely seemed to enjoy what they do.  Their campsites are well maintained and the bathhouse was immaculately clean. I was very impressed.

 

 

Because I was car camping for this trip, I was able to bring my bicycle with me to explore the area Thursday afternoon.

Adventures Unlimited offers a Zipline course that allows you to see the river from up above. (Weather stopped me from doing it)

Friday morning, they portaged me up stream and I began my trip.

This creek is clear and beautiful and I had it all to myself that day.

 

The current is swift. (For Florida)

The pine and hardwood mixed forrest and  high banks and sandbars was a refreshing change from what I am used to seeing. I did see a lot of wildlife, (deer, bear, otters) but it was very skittish.

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with me so I had to cut my trip short. I was only able to do 7 miles of the creek. I reached my take out and had just enough time to get my boat and gear loaded before it poured down rain.

 

I plan on returning in another month to paddle the entire 19 miles and also spend a little time on the Blackwater River. If you have been here, let us know in the comments section. If you would like to join us on future trips, contact us.

 

Find your headwaters,

Jaucque