Sandhills, flatwoods and mixed hardwood forests, plus dome swamps, marshes, ponds and fields will keep you coming back throughout the year for more. Bring your camera to capture stands of longleaf pine and wiregrass, which provide homes for Bachman's Sparrow (listen for its distinctive "here, kitty-kitty-kitty" songs in spring and summer), Brown-headed Nuthatch, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Bobwhite, Eastern Wild Turkey and Gopher Tortoise.
Located in a quiet subdivision on the north side of Marianna, the 110-acre Butler Tract is another tranquil segment of the Chipola River Greenway good for wildlife watching. Floodplain forest is the dominant habitat type here; some pines are also present where the soils are higher and drier.
For the more intrepid explorer, this rustic river is kept clear enough of obstructions to make a nice day of paddling and birding. Launch from Florida Caverns State Park and paddle upriver toward Christoff Ferry Landing on the Upper Chipola River Water Management Area, where the river forks at the confluence with Waddells Mill Creek.
Florida Caverns State Park has some of the best-preserved uplands in northwest Florida as well as mixed-hardwood swamps lining the drainage basin of the Chipola River. Known for northern species like Red-breasted Nuthatches (in pine forest) and Winter Wrens, this site is ideal for birding with miles of remote trails.
his 226-acre portion of the greenway south of Marianna has more than 5 miles of foot trails through upland mixed and floodplain forest, pines, open fields, karst (cave) areas and wetlands, plus a non-motorized boat launch with access to the picturesque, 51-mile Chipola River Paddling Trail. The outer perimeter trail (made up of four loops) is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
This small waterfront park on Lake Seminole is worth a stop if you're in the area, to scope the open water for wintering ducks like Redheads, Canvasbacks, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, American Wigeon and more.
Pine and hardwood uplands with big, old trees characterize this park on the south shore of Lake Seminole. This lake is actually a reservoir created at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers, where they form the Apalachicola—the opposite shoreline lies in Georgia.
Sandhills, flatwoods and mixed hardwood forests, plus dome swamps, marshes, ponds and fields will keep you coming back throughout the year for more. Bring your camera to capture stands of longleaf pine and wiregrass, which provide homes for Bachman’s Sparrow (listen for its distinctive “here, kitty-kitty-kitty” songs in spring and summer), Brown-headed Nuthatch, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Bobwhite, Eastern Wild Turkey and Gopher Tortoise.
Located in a quiet subdivision on the north side of Marianna, the 110-acre Butler Tract is another tranquil segment of the Chipola River Greenway good for wildlife watching. Floodplain forest is the dominant habitat type here; some pines are also present where the soils are higher and drier.
For the more intrepid explorer, this rustic river is kept clear enough of obstructions to make a nice day of paddling and birding. Launch from Florida Caverns State Park and paddle upriver toward Christoff Ferry Landing on the Upper Chipola River Water Management Area, where the river forks at the confluence with Waddells Mill Creek.
Florida Caverns State Park has some of the best-preserved uplands in northwest Florida as well as mixed-hardwood swamps lining the drainage basin of the Chipola River. Known for northern species like Red-breasted Nuthatches (in pine forest) and Winter Wrens, this site is ideal for birding with miles of remote trails.
his 226-acre portion of the greenway south of Marianna has more than 5 miles of foot trails through upland mixed and floodplain forest, pines, open fields, karst (cave) areas and wetlands, plus a non-motorized boat launch with access to the picturesque, 51-mile Chipola River Paddling Trail. The outer perimeter trail (made up of four loops) is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
This small waterfront park on Lake Seminole is worth a stop if you’re in the area, to scope the open water for wintering ducks like Redheads, Canvasbacks, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, American Wigeon and more.
Pine and hardwood uplands with big, old trees characterize this park on the south shore of Lake Seminole. This lake is actually a reservoir created at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers, where they form the Apalachicola—the opposite shoreline lies in Georgia.
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. When you want to know where to go in Florida to see native birds, butterflies and more, head for the Trail.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Russell Office Park
1875 Orange Ave. East
Tallahassee, FL 32311