Headwaters of the Suwannee River
40 million years ago, the Suwannee River formed the Suwannee Straits, which separated islands in peninsular Florida from the panhandle. The uplifting of the Appalachian Mountains created enough sediment to block the straits and allow vegetation and fill to connect the islands and form lower Florida. The headwaters in George formed the massive Okefenokee Swamp which drained 246 miles into the Gulf of Mexico.
The upper and middle Suwannee river is notable for its karst topography. In many places, like Suwannee River State Park, limestone cliffs rise out of the riverbed to form bluffs. Other karst features include sinkholes, solution valleys and spring vents. Perhaps the most notable karst features of the Suwannee River are the 196 springs that flow into the Suwannee.
Paddling at Suwannee River State Park
The Suwannee River has more fabulous kayak runs than you can shake a paddle at. We detail five possible paddling options you can take: day trips above and below the park on the Suwannee, a day trip on the Withlacoochee, and overnight trips above and below the park on the Suwannee. Make sure you check out the attached map for details and directions. You could even save it to your phone for reference while you are on the river, but my legal team advises me to say it is not intended for navigation 🙂
The Suwannee River is a blackwater river which Wikipedia defines as “a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or black coffee.” Blackwater rivers and swamps are some of the most misunderstood and ecologically significant ecosystems in the world.
The leaves do more than discolor the water, they provide nourishment to diverse and exotic host of plants and animals that include the idiomatic cypress and oak trees draped in a blanket of Spanish moss, sturgeons leaping out of the water, turtles sunning themselves on rocks, deer galloping in the meadows, or alligators lounging on the bank. The more we learn about the biomass, oxygenation, and water purification that occurs in these wetlands, the more we realize that they are essential to human life on Earth. The slow flowing Suwannee River gives you a veritable super trail to explore and discover this amazing world.
For most of this journey, the river banks are lined with forests, with few, if any houses visible. Occasional sandy beaches provide opportunities to stretch your legs and karst features like crystal clear springs provide exceptional highlights along the way.