A podcast of the Florida Trail Association
right click and "save target as" to download to your MP3 player:  podcast: Bradwell Bay

Of the mysterious places in Florida hiking lore, Bradwell Bay is most venerable among them. It is Florida's second largest wilderness area, one of the special places set aside in our National Forests as untouchable by our mechanized lives. No roads, no bush hogs, not even chainsaws are allowed on this hallowed ground.  

It wasn't always this way. Between 1915 and 1920, logging companies slashed their way through the pine and grand cypress of this basin, building tramways to take out timber. But their efforts failed as they got into the deep thickets and deeper water at the core of Bradwell Bay—the hardwood swamp. Black gum, pond cypress, and loblolly bay rise from the dark water. There are thickets of titi, a leathery-leafed tree with fragrant spring blooms. 

 Bradwell Bay is a wild and majestic place, a natural bowl in the middle of the Apalachicola National Forest. It collects and funnels rainwater into a broad, shallow, hardwood swamp. There is only one outlet: Monkey Creek. And there is only one sensible way across it. Follow the Florida Trail. 

The challenge of Bradwell Bay lies in not being able to see your feet. It's a rare season indeed when the water drops below knee level. Stained with tannic acid from the oak trees, the water is the color of tea. Each foot must be placed carefully. You never know if a log or a deep hole will add to the excitement. A hiking stick is a must; not those spring-loaded lightweight poles that backpackers favor, but a sturdy, thick column of tree, for under the water is the muck. The muck sucks at your boots. It makes each step a puzzle in placing your feet, as you lift one out of the muck behind you to place into the unknown in front of you. Thanks to the water, and the muck, this is Florida's toughest day hike. Your feet will be wet for a good 7 miles. 

Hiking east to west, you’ll ford Monkey Creek near the beginning of your hike. It’s an excellent indicator of how deep the water will be as you plunge ahead. The wet pine flatwoods encountered beyond the creek contain plants that love bogs, like carnivorous pitcher plants, sundew, and bright white bog buttons. As the ground rises, you know you’ve reached Bradwell Island, the high point in the wilderness area. It’s the only place to pitch a tent, if the island is dry enough. 

Beyond Bradwell Island, the Florida Trail slips into the heart of this swampy wilderness, the Scenic Area. It’s not unusual to encounter waist-deep water as you wade beneath a densely-knit canopy of tupelo, black gum, and red maple. Winding through the swamp, the trail reaches a slight rise, where virgin cypress and champion-sized slash pine stretch towards the sky. Why, you ask, would a hiking trail cross this wet wilderness? This is the answer.  

To preserve the virgin slash pine forest deep within Bradwell Bay, the Bradwell Bay Scenic Area was designated in 1963. No more roads would be built, no more logging permitted, in this natural treasure. Bradwell Bay became an official Wilderness Area in 1975. 

The Florida Trail in Bradwell Bay is 30 miles southwest of downtown Tallahassee in the Apalachicola National Forest. It's about an hour's drive, due to the dirt roads in the forest. A vehicle with high clearance is recommended. 

There are four trailheads from which you can access the Florida Trail in Bradwell Bay. To reach the eastern side of Bradwell Bay, follow US 319 south to Crawfordville. Turn right on Arran Rd, towards Arran, and drive about 4 miles. Turn left on Forest Road 365. Turn right on Forest Road348 and continue about 4 miles. Turn left on Forest Road 329.  The first trailhead is on the left before the Sopchoppy River bridge. Continuing west along Forest Road 329, the Monkey Creek Trailhead is on the right before the Monkey Creek bridge and the Bradwell Bay South Trailhead is further west on the left.

The shortest hike you can do across the western and deepest portion of Bradwell Bay without wading Monkey Creek is 6.5 miles between the Bradwell Bay South trailhead and the Bradwell Bay West Trailhead at Forest Road 314.

Since Bradwell Bay floods easily after a rainstorm, it's best to check with the USDA Forest Service before heading into this section of trail. At flood stage, the trail is extremely dangerous, not just because of the rising depth of water in the swamp, but also the fast-moving water that can suddenly sluice down Monkey Creek. It can take weeks for water levels to drop after a storm. Call (850) 926-3561 on weekdays between 8 AM and 4 PM for information.  Bradwell Bay is best hiked with a friend, or a group. Each spring, the Florida Trail Association hosts an annual Swamp Stomp through this section of trail. Watch the website for details. 

Music for this podcast includes Contemplation and Inner Peace (Shaun Harris, www.royaltyfreemusic.com ) and selections from Song of the Florida Trail, by Gordon Johnson and friends.