Some of us LF'ers & APUG'ers are heading over to Gold Head Branch State Park September 16th, a Saturday. We plan on meeting at an old mill around 8:30AM, then proceed on one of the trails. I've never been there, but understand the ravines trail is photogenic. The Park is located on SR 21 just North of Keystone Heights.
Unfortunately, its not practical for me to join you, but the announcement rings some definite bells.
When I was a kid growing up in Jacksonville, we would go to Gold Head once or twice each summer for a family outing. I recall swimming in Little Lake Johnson, and getting some of the most severe sunburns of my life there. It has now been more than 40 years since I was last there or even thought of it. Thanks for stimulating pleasant memories!
Man I checked it out on the web and it sounds like a great place. I figure 4.5 hour drive to get there. but I'm going fishing in key-west this weekend and taking off for a couple of days next weekend may casue a devorce. But I am putting this on my places to go as soon as I can make a trip up state.
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I may join you if I can talk the wife into it. I've been there before and the ravine is quite striking - very un-Florida like. I've got some pictures from there, but none are online right now, sorry. It's a nice place and there are some good opportunites there.
Just confirming that I will be there. I was planning on attempting to make the Sunday gathering in North Georgia, but the 10 hour drive just didn't work out. My 8x10 is on my workbench right now so I'll be there with a 4x5 Korona and maybe some MF gear as well...
There is no mill left, only the concrete foundations and a few scraps of metal sticking out, but for those that are no familiar with the area, there are two parking lots for the trail, one at the mill, which is the parking lot further down the road, and one near the deepest part of the ravine, which is nearer the park entrance. The mill ruins parking lot is the larger of the two, but a good number of cars can fit at the other parking area.
The trail follows the ravine from the first parking lot to the second by following a spring run located at the bottom of the ravine at the first parking area. The trail is wide and well trodden so it should not be a problem to lug gear along it for the couple mile distance, but if there are a number of us, someone might want to consider leaving a pickup or large vehicle at the closer parking lot to ferry heavy gear back to the mill parking lot.
The weather looks superb for this type of outing, and in the ravine the temperature will be noticeably cooler than at the road level due to the heavy cover. There was a decent amount of light reaching the trail when I was there last, but it is less than open canopy so be aware that lighting level may be low in some spots. With the rain we've been having, I would expect the trail to be moist in places, but not washed out or overly muddy - it's well constructed in most places if I remember correctly. We may have an increased level of flow from the spring as well. I don't know much about the depth of its water source, but even if the level is not up, we should still have good amount of flowing water.
Forgot to add that this is a State Park, so be sure to bring four or five bucks for admission to the park. Also, if you are making a long trip and want to hit another nearby State Park, Ravine Gardens is not far from this site.
Randy, great images. Almost makes me want to try some color film. I did a 12X16 print of the ferns in middle of the stream (need to digitize my more recent stuff this weekend, so it may pop up on my website). Haven't seen anything from John yet. The site is worth a return visit especially in the Winter/Spring timeframe.
I agree! There is a fair amount to work with there and I would like to go back in a different season (or what passes for seasons here) to see how it looks.
Gold Head Branch State Park 
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