White Springs, FL

We stopped here in White Springs in 2004 on our trip, but it was so cold we didn't take advantage of all of the fun things to do here. So, we've returned and we are spending a week to take in all the mountain biking and kayaking we can do. This visit we're staying at Kelley's RV Park which backs up to a conservation area. We took one of the trails out the back yard and biked the trails of the Gar Pond district. How convenient!

Our only concern was getting lost. We knew that we were hemmed in on all sides by roads or rivers, so there's only so far we'd get before finding our bearings, but the doubletracks and singletracks crisscrossed in every direction, that it took some time, without a map, to get our bearings. Plus a few glances at my compass. One thing that helped us was that Miss Lilly's (a biker bar near our campground) was having a Battle of the Bands outdoors, so we could hear music in certain areas that would help us know which way was east.

The singletrack was great - packed surface, narrow, winding. The saw palmettos were one of the biggest hazzards. Their razor edged blades will cut if you veer off the path (or, in my case, fall into one). But my biggest dread is their roots. It looks like it is a constant battle for the Suwannee Bicycle Association to keep these plants from taking over the trails. Only one small section was a nuisance.

We were disappointed though that we missed the SBA's Fat Tire Festival Nov 3-5. We'll have to try and remember that for another year. Check out their website for maps and other information when visiting this area.