Northwest Florida Getaways 2008 - (Page 22) parks TORREYA continued from page 20 Close up of Torreya taxifolia or the Florida Torreya. Photo by Vince Scheidt. But you don’t have to lug a 45-pound pack up the River Bluffs Trail to get a taste of nature. Torreya has a 30-site, full-service campground that welcomes tents and recreational vehicles. Another unique sleep option is to reserve the park’s YURT (or Year-round Universal Recreational Tent). It’s a round, 20-foot, domed tent with a floor, electrical hookup and lockable wooden door. This shelter, inspired by Mongolian nomads, has a real bed, as well as fresh water and a fire pit. With the campground or YURT as your base, you are free to explore a half-dozen different trail combinations, each one special in its own right. While you are out there, keep an eye out for the fabled gopherwood tree. For in this Old Testament-style Garden of Eden, you never know when you just might need an ark. For more information on Torreya State Park, go to www.floridastateparks.org or call 850-643-2674. For information on Florida Trails, including maps, see www.floridatrail.org. Into the Wild While Torreya State Park may mean different things to historians and botany buffs, for backpackers and hikers, it is a rare chance to climb the only “mountains” in a state where most folks live at or slightly above sea level. Torreya has miles of hiking trails through a variety of terrain. Hikers and backpackers can rough it or camp in relative style, depending on which trail they choose. The shortest trail and most accessible campsite is located at Rock Bluff, an approximately one-mile hike, or 45minute walk, from the parking lot. A second campsite can be found along a small feeder stream called Rock Creek. It takes about three hours to reach this campsite, but it is well worth the effort. The truly stout of heart (and feet) should consider heading out to the Torreya Challenge campsite, a fourhour hike from the park entrance. The terrain has changes in elevation from a low of 40 feet to a high of 290 feet. Unlike most Florida trails, which are sometimes akin to a stroll on a beach, Torreya’s longer trails will be a challenge (hence the name). Sturdy, ankle-high hiking boots are a must. Those new, lightweight, aluminum hiking stick(s) will help you keep your balance. If you planning an overnight trip, be sure to pack lightly because the frequent changes in elevation have broken many a backpacker used to the state’s sea-level trails. On a recent trip, we set up camp at Rock Bluff. The air temperature dropped into the upper 30s that night, and when we awoke in the morning, the Apalachicola River below was covered by a fog thicker than pea soup. For a moment, I forgot I was in Florida – the scene was more reminiscent of the Great Smoky Mountains than the Sunshine State. All night long, we could hear deer as they rustled along the ridge. In the morning, we heard the cries of a bobcat, and later caught a rare glimpse of the nocturnal predator as the sun struggled to rise above the horizon. Stone bridge on the nature trail. Plant images curtesy of the USDA-NRCS. 22 VISITFLORIDA.com/northwest http://www.floridastateparks.org http://www.floridatrail.org http://VISITFLORIDA.com/northwest
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