Emerald Coast and Blackwater River State Park, Florida

5/12 Left Ft. Pickens in the morning and drove east on the Santa Rosa Island traveling through Pensacola Beach, more of the National Seashore and to Navarre Beach before we headed north towards Blackwaer River State Park in Holt, Florida. The drive this morning was stunning. These deserted beaches along the National Seashore just seem to go on and on. The Gulf on our right and the bay on our left. They call this part of Florida the Emerald Coast and for a reason. It seems quartz comes down from the mountains to this area and the sea pounds them so that the sand is pure white and sparkly. Navarre Beach is considered one of the best in the world but I think the beaches in the Panhandle are definitely the best in the USA. We did see some prisoners with the little nets still looking for tar balls on the beach from the oil spill last year but we never saw any tar at all.
When we headed north for about 35 miles we drove through the forest with Elgin Airforce Base on our right. You would not know that the base was even there. Dirt sand roads and just trees all around.
Blackwater River State Park, Holt, Florida – with taxes $23 – 30 sites – full hookups. This is a charming campground of two loops set in the forest with the Blackwater River a five minute walk away. Sites are very nice and level. There are even clotheslines at each site. Bathrooms are spotless. Sites are set in the forest and well shaded. You can walk to the river and sit on the white sand or just sit in the river and talk to those tubing or canoeing by. River is one of the purest sand bottom rivers in the world where one finds sandbars and places to stop and swim all along it. The Florida birding and canoe trail goes through here. It is beautiful. One should reserve because only half the sites were filled on this Thursday night but the campground was considered full because all the sites were reserved for the weekend. Other campers told us that weekends and all through the summer this campground is full. Outfitters will take you 11 miles upstream to canoe or tube downstream and meet you at a bridge just below the campground. Price for tubing was reasonable. You can also rent a canoe for all day or three days and canoe the whole trail through this park of 31 miles and camp on the sandbars. We were so glad that we came here even for just one night but would need two to really enjoy the tubing or canoeing on the river. One picture I put up even shows a dog that the owners put a life jacket on with a leash so he didn’t drift down river. Really cute and did he enjoy the swimming!