Three Rivers State Park: A Healing Landscape

Philip Spyckaboer hunkered down in his solid brick home waiting for Hurricane Michael.  It was October 10, 2018 and the hurricane was approaching Three Rivers State Park from the Gulf of Mexico some 75 miles away.

As the hurricane eye passed overhead, he emerged to inspect the damage.  In the eerie stillness he knew his job as head ranger would be dramatically changed forever.

Pat and I spoke with Spyckaboer during a recent five-night camping trip to the state park.  Although considerable recovery efforts have been taken place over the last 15 months, damage from the category 5 hurricane is still very much evident.  Recovery will continue for years in the future.

He explained recovery efforts have included debris removal and replanting.  Some cleared areas now have growths of new grasses and small trees, while tree removal continues in other areas.  Some areas will be burned to stimulate new growth.

We proceeded slowly along the potholed entry road and enjoyed views of Lake Seminole.  The popular fishing lake was formed in the 1950s by Jim Woodruff Dam built at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers.  The dam empties into the Apalachicola River on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Our campsite had views of the lake, a small fishing pier and threadbare trees nearby.  We could only imagine how the park looked before the storm and how it will appear as the forest recovers.

From the campground there is a half mile trail that leads to a picnic/playground area for day visitors.  Although we can’t report seeing any animals during our visit, we did see various birds, including lots of ducks, several woodpeckers and a bald eagle.  We hoped to rent a canoe or kayak to try our luck at fishing, but the weather and strong winds made us decide otherwise.

We took several interesting day trips during our stay.  More on these next week.

Three Rivers State Park Essentials

Location – 53 miles west of Tallahassee, easy access from I-10 (9 miles)

Closest town – Sneads (3 miles).  Chattahoochee (8 miles) or Marianna (21 miles) have a better selection of restaurants and supplies, however.

Campground amenities – the campground has 30 campsites (each with 30/50 amp electric, water, picnic table, fire ring), dump station, clean restrooms with showers, washer/dryer and dish washing sink.  Firewood and canoe/kayak rentals. Fishing pier and boat launch.  One cabin is also available.

Connectivity – 4G AT&T cell service very good (4 bars).  I tethered and completed a blog update during our stay.  We received nearly 30 over-the-air TV channels

Hiking/Biking – there are several short hiking trails.  Biking on park roads only, closest rail trail is 50 miles away, near Tallahassee.

Lasting Impressions – beautiful lake view, awesome night sky, peaceful and quiet.  Several interesting day trips available in the area.

Watch out for bumps on the entry road!