Recreation Areas at Blackwater River State Forest

Recreation Sites:  Bear Lake | Bone Creek | Camp Paquette | Clear Creek | Coldwater | Hurricane Lake | Karick Lake | Krul | Wildlife Management Areas

Blackwater River State Forest has outstanding forest and water resources that offer a variety of recreational opportunities such as hiking, swimming, camping, canoeing, fishing, hunting, nature study, mountain biking and horseback riding. 

• State Forest Fees and Rules

Bear Lake Recreation Area

Bear Lake is a 107-acre artificial impoundment located on Bear Creek. Maximum depth is 23 feet, with an average depth of 8 feet. The lake is characterized by flooded timber. The dam was constructed in 1959, and the lake opened to fishing in the spring of 1961.

Bear Lake has electric and non-electric campsites with several hiking trails nearby. The Sweetwater Trail, 1.3 miles in length, connects Bear Lake to Krul Recreation Area. The Bear Lake Loop Trail encircles the lake and is 4 miles long. The 2-mile Bear Lake-Jackson Connector Trail connects Bear Lake Loop Trail to the Jackson Trail. A 6-mile mountain bike trail also encircles the lake. The campground has a group dining hall with kitchen by reservation only. For camping information and reservations, visit FloridaStateForests.ReserveAmerica.com or call 1-877-879-3859. No swimming is allowed. Alligators are present.

Trails

• Bear Lake Trails Map [ 218.4 kB ]
• Panhandle Birding Trail: Bear Lake Loop (#19) [ 1.4 MB ]

Directions

 Bear Lake Recreation Area is located approximately 2.5 miles east of Munson, Florida, off of Highway 4.

Bone Creek Recreation Area

Bone Creek is a Day Use Area that includes a man-made pond with swimming area, dock and picnic tables.

Fishing is allowed in the lake except in the swimming area.

Day Use Area hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m., April 1-September 15, and 7 a.m.-sunset, September 16-March 31.

Directions

Bone Creek Recreation Area is located north of Holt, Florida. The entrance sign to Bone Creek is located on Highway 90.

Camp Paquette

Camp Paquette is a youth facility with bathrooms, an outdoor pavilion, and primitive camping areas with designated fire pits and picnic tables. There is a swimming lake in the back of the facility with a pier. Fishing is allowed outside of the swimming area.

Directions

Camp Paquette is located off of Belandville Road, due north of Munson, Florida, approximately 6 miles north of Highway 4.

Clear Creek OHV Riding Area 

Clear Creek Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Riding Area offers over 52 miles of challenging OHV trails in the forest. For OHV riding information, contact the Blackwater Forestry Center at (850) 957-5700. The phone number at the trailhead facility is (850) 626-3034. This number is answered only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays when the facility is open. Permits are available through FloridaStateForests.ReserveAmerica.com. 

All riders must wear an approved helmet. Children under 16 years of age must wear a helmet, eye protection and over-the-ankle boots.

• Blackwater River State Forest Clear Creek Off-Highway Vehicle Riding Area Brochure [ 2.3 MB ]

Trails

• Clear Creek OHV — All Trails Map [ 1.5 MB ]
• Clear Creek OHV Eastside Trails Map [ 1.4 MB ]
• Clear Creek OHV Westside Trails Map [ 1.2 MB ]

The west side of Redbird Trail is open for motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). ROVs must be 65” or less in width.

The east side of Redbird Trail is open for motorcycles and ATVs that are 50” or less in width.

All OHVs are required to have working exhaust systems and spark arrestors. Sound levels are limited to 96 decibels. OHVs with normal exhaust systems have sound levels that fall below 96 decibels. 

Directions

Clear Creek OHV Riding Area is located at 8348 Redbird Trail, Milton, Florida 32570. Redbird Trail is located off of East Gate Road adjacent to Whiting Field Circle.

History

Since the enactment of the T. Mark Schmidt Off Highway Vehicle Recreation and Safety Act in 2002, the Florida Forest Service has been actively promoting new public OHV recreation sites in Florida to help riding enthusiasts find legal places to ride. The critical need areas for OHV sites in Florida included northwest, southeast and southwest Florida, where there are virtually no legal riding areas available.

In 2010, the Florida Cabinet approved the purchase of the Clear Creek/Whiting Field tract at Blackwater River State Forest for the purpose of providing Florida residents a place to legally ride off-highway vehicles in northwest Florida.

The development of the Clear Creek OHV Riding Area at Blackwater River State Forest, for OHV use specifically, was extremely important for enthusiasts in Northwest Florida because it established a model riding system that could be used in other areas of the state. The Florida Forest Service and local users planned, designed and developed this OHV site, and the Florida Forest Service received a $383,000 Recreation Trail Program grant to develop the parking lot, restroom, trails and trailhead. Volunteer trail consultants worked closely with staff to lay out the area and ensure protection of the natural resources, while giving riders the best riding experience.

Coldwater Recreation Area

The Coldwater Recreation Area, bordered to the north by Coldwater Creek, offers trails that take horseback riders through some of the most scenic woodlands in Florida. Opened in 1974, the facility has been a prized recreation area for bird dog and fox hound field trial participants and horseback riders. The forest around the campground is prescribed burned frequently to promote habitat for quail, red-cockaded woodpeckers, gopher tortoises and other native species. Because of frequent burning, beautiful vistas are located throughout the area.

Trails

• Coldwater Creek Paddling Trail Map[ ]
• Panhandle Birding Trail: Three Notch Road (#18) [ 1.4 MB ]
• Paddling Coldwater Creek (Feature Article from VisitFlorida.com)
• The Coldwater Equestrian Pink Trail and Yellow Trail are part of the Trailtrotter Program.

Hurricane Lake Recreation Areas

Hurricane Lake is a 318-acre man-made lake located on Hurricane Creek. The lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet, with an average depth of 7 feet.

Hurricane Lake was constructed in 1971 and opened for fishing in 1973. It has two improved recreation areas located on the north and south sides of the lake. 

For camping information and reservations visit FloridaStateForests.ReserveAmerica.com or call 1-877-879-3859. 

No swimming is allowed. Alligators are present.

North Hurricane Lake Recreation Area

Trails

• Florida National Scenic Trail Segment Map [ 859.7 kB ]

South Hurricane Lake Recreation Area

Trails

The Blackwater River Paddling Trail[ ]  begins at Kennedy Bridge.

Directions

 The Hurricane Lake Recreation Areas may be reached from Hurricane Lake Road off of Highway 4. They are located approximately 7 miles north of Highway 4 in north Okaloosa County. There is access to the south side primitive campsites from Kennedy Bridge Road and access to the north side campsites via Beaver Creek Highway.

Karick Lake Recreation Areas

Karick Lake is a 65-acre artificial impoundment on Deadfall Creek in northern Okaloosa County. It has a maximum depth of 18 feet at the dam and an average depth of 7 feet. A considerable amount of flooded timber provides fish habitat. The lake was constructed in 1965 and opened to fishing in 1966.

Karick Lake has two improved camping areas: one on the north side of the lake and one on the south side. The east end of Jackson Trail starts at North Karick Lake. The campgrounds are located east of County Road 189 approximately 7.5 miles north of Baker. For camping information and reservations, visit FloridaStateForests.ReserveAmerica.com or call 1-877-879-3859. No swimming is allowed.

North Karick Lake Recreation Area

Trails

• Karick Lake Loop Trail Map [ 144.6 kB ]
• Panhandle Birding Trail: Karick Lake (#20) [ 1.4 MB ]

South Karick Lake Recreation Area

Krul Recreation Area

Krul Recreation Area is a camping and Day Use Area built next to a 6.5-acre man-made lake.

It is recharged from springs located on the north end of the lake. It is a popular swimming area.

The Sweetwater Trail starts at the Krul parking lot and runs 1.3 miles to Bear Lake. The first half mile of trail is in handicapped accessible boardwalk with a suspension bridge over Sweetwater Creek. A gristmill is located along the boardwalk.

Day Use Area Hours at Krul

• April 1-September 15: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• September 16-March 31: 7 a.m. -sunset

Trails

• Sweetwater Trailwalker Trail Map [ 218.4 kB ]

Directions

 Krul is located ½ mile east of Munson, Florida, north of Highway 4.

Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)

For hunting purposes, Blackwater River State Forest is broken down into three wildlife management areas. The Blackwater WMA, the Blackwater Carr Unit, and Blackwater Hutton Unit are managed by the Florida Forest Service together with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Wildlife viewers, cyclists, horseback riders, paddlers and other nature lovers can find wild places to pursue their interests in addition to hunting and fishing.

Both hunting and non-hunting recreationists are encouraged to check FWC's Wildlife Management Area webpages for Blackwater River State Forest:

• Blackwater WMA
• Blackwater Carr Unit
• Blackwater Hutton Unit
• Hunting and Fishing Licenses and Permits with FWC

More

• Blackwater River North (the Florida Trail)
• Blackwater River South (the Florida Trail)
• Escambia River (Northwest Florida Water Management District)