St. Marks River State Park Prep
Please scroll waaaay down past all this text to see maps, photos, etc!
10 Oct '09 Work party 10am-2pm. Rain date 17 Oct. Some details are viewable in a September 24 story here.
THIS GALLERY:
1) Preliminary user group meeting 7 Dec '08 with State Park management for this relatively new ~2600 acre addition to the parks system.
2) Photos from the 7 Feb '09 workday. GPS track of my meanderings. Fencing was installed to delineate some boundaries around the Tram Road trailhead, and a parking corral. When complete, this will allow easier public access. As of 14 Feb '09, there is still a chain with a combination lock blocking this trailhead. (14 Feb workday was cancelled/postponed.)
Thank you to State Park representatives Barry Birch and Bert Hickey for patiently discussing the park's future with us.
From the DEP 1Oct07 press release, "Currently, visitors can explore the property’s wildlife by hiking or biking on the park’s existing road system while the Florida Park Service develops the management plan and necessary infrastructure for the park."
The park is located along the St. Marks river, between Tram Road and US 27. The south trailhead on Tram Road is located ~9.3M east of the CCSE/US 319 and Tram Road (County 259) intersection. Driving note: As you continue east on Tram Rd past the Tram Rd and Old Plank/WW Kelley Rd intersection, it's another ~2.4M, immediately adjacent to Bobby Godwin (dirt) Rd.
Location of some existing park roads from a Jan '08 ride.
The rangers related work afoot to add land to the park all the way south to Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park.
It's my opinion this park desperately needs something like Econfina Creek's singletrack. Obviously, setting aside large chunks of undeveloped land is primary. However, to lure folks out here it will be mandatory to establish low impact trail along the river, with multiple river crossings.
Southern Trailriders seem to have their act together better than any other user group on this. Check out new President Sue Noyes' excellent write-up in their Feb '09 newsletter.
See p. 40 and 46 of this document for some recent assessment and funding info re this parcel. And here for more official type funding info. Excellent map in that second document depicting what was purchased, what remains to be purchased, and surrounding park/conservation areas. I don't know whether some/all of this info has been rendered moot by the "economy."
The 161st park in the state park system has been open since Oct 2007. It remains in a relatively "raw" condition a year later. 2009 should see user groups working with park management to make the area more accessible, while maintaining a passive nature.
Special appreciation to Southern Trailriders Association's Linda Vause and Sue Noyes for the loan of "Rex" as today's post-meeting equine buddy. Also attending this meeting were members of The Leon County Horsemen’s Association.
Tiny video clip at gallery's end. I dropped the camera early in the ~7M ride. So nothing between that point and back at the trailhead.
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Thanks,
John Kalin
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