Green Swamp West Tract, Gator Hole Camp, CR471 Trailhead question.

[GalacticStone]

Hi Folks,

I'll post a more proper introduction in a few days when I get back. I've been doing some camping and I found this site through a Google Search for info about the Gator Hole campsite in the Green Swamp West Tract of Florida. I noticed that some of the members here have camped there in the past and I enjoyed lurking on the reports and gained some valuable insight into the local terrain by reading the posts.

I have one question for the Florida folks who have camped there - did any of you use the CR-471 trailhead entrance, and did you leave your vehicle parked there overnight? I am wondering if it is safe to leave my truck parked there overnight. Have there been any reports of problems there - vandalism, theft, etc?

I usually camp near the Peace River this time of year, but we've had a rainy winter and the river is too high for kayaking and fossil-hunting, so I am looking to do some stargazing from Gator Hole. Any help with the overnight parking issue would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

MikeG

[FLTurtle]

I've parked there a few times, no issues. Not saying that's it totally safe, so take regular precautions like not leaving anything valuable in plain sight. There's not much around there, so I assume most of the traffic is just cutting through for Hwy 50 or 98.

[LowTech]

Hi Folks,

I'll post a more proper introduction in a few days when I get back. I've been doing some camping and I found this site through a Google Search for info about the Gator Hole campsite in the Green Swamp West Tract of Florida. I noticed that some of the members here have camped there in the past and I enjoyed lurking on the reports and gained some valuable insight into the local terrain by reading the posts.

I have one question for the Florida folks who have camped there - did any of you use the CR-471 trailhead entrance, and did you leave your vehicle parked there overnight? I am wondering if it is safe to leave my truck parked there overnight. Have there been any reports of problems there - vandalism, theft, etc?

I usually camp near the Peace River this time of year, but we've had a rainy winter and the river is too high for kayaking and fossil-hunting, so I am looking to do some stargazing from Gator Hole. Any help with the overnight parking issue would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

MikeG

A bit OT, but what do you mean the Peace is too high to kayak, it's gauged as 73.5' right now @ fort mead and 72' is what they consider min.
Just asking because I'm planning to multi day kayak that one.

[GalacticStone]

Thanks! That eases my concerns a bit. I wasn't too too worried about it, but I've read that cars were vandalized at a trailhead further north by Lakeland, so it made me start thinking about it.

[GalacticStone]

A bit OT, but what do you mean the Peace is too high to kayak, it's gauged as 73.5' right now @ fort mead and 72' is what they consider min.
Just asking because I'm planning to multi day kayak that one.

It's just a wee-bit too high for fossil-hunting. It needs to be down to about 6-feet or less (on the USGS Zolfo gauge) for the gravel beds to be reachable without diving. I generally hunt the stretch south of Fort Meade down to Gardner. Also, I'm not getting any younger and I don't use a motor, so I try to avoid the river when the discharge rate is close to 400cfs. The old grey horse aint what he used to be. LOL.

That was all over the last couple of weeks - it's down close to 7 feet now and approaching huntable levels. After that last batch of rain, it's finally dropping to decent levels, but we have more rain coming on saturday. This wet winter has just about killed fossil-season, so I am doing more hiking and camping.

Fort Meade is a nice stretch to paddle. You putting in at Payne's Creek park?

[FLTurtle]

Thanks! That eases my concerns a bit. I wasn't too too worried about it, but I've read that cars were vandalized at a trailhead further north by Lakeland, so it made me start thinking about it.

We were on the Atlantic side last month, we had parked at Christenson's Landing boat ramp over in Brevard to do some island camping. Came back Sunday morning to find tires slashed on the trucks that had trailers. At least they were nice enough to only slash one tire, so we were able to put on the spares to get home.

[GalacticStone]

We were on the Atlantic side last month, we had parked at Christenson's Landing boat ramp over in Brevard to do some island camping. Came back Sunday morning to find tires slashed on the trucks that had trailers. At least they were nice enough to only slash one tire, so we were able to put on the spares to get home.

I am more concerned with general vandalism than theft. My old truck is 21 years old and has 250,000 miles on it. The radio is a cassette player and there is no toolbox to tempt thieves. I actually put a note written in large Sharpie letters in the windshield - "Nothing worth stealing. The radio sucks. No valuables or tools in here. The truck itself is about to lay down and die. Thanks!" - so far, over many years, nobody has messed with it yet. (knock on wood)

[LowTech]

It's just a wee-bit too high for fossil-hunting. It needs to be down to about 6-feet or less (on the USGS Zolfo gauge) for the gravel beds to be reachable without diving. I generally hunt the stretch south of Fort Meade down to Gardner. Also, I'm not getting any younger and I don't use a motor, so I try to avoid the river when the discharge rate is close to 400cfs. The old grey horse aint what he used to be. LOL.

That was all over the last couple of weeks - it's down close to 7 feet now and approaching huntable levels. After that last batch of rain, it's finally dropping to decent levels, but we have more rain coming on saturday. This wet winter has just about killed fossil-season, so I am doing more hiking and camping.

Fort Meade is a nice stretch to paddle. You putting in at Payne's Creek park?

Thanks! No 26 miles north off hywy 60. Shooting for 3 or 4 days, haven't decided.

Hope it gets down where you need it for your hunting, but stays high enough for the upper section to be run.

[GalacticStone]

Thanks! No 26 miles north off hywy 60. Shooting for 3 or 4 days, haven't decided.

Hope it gets down where you need it for your hunting, but stays high enough for the upper section to be run.

Sounds like up there by Bartow - that's a pretty stretch of the Peace. It's a nice paddle, but not much going on in the way of fossils up there. The good fossil hunting seems to start around Fort Meade or Bowling Green and then southward all the way to Arcadia. The last time I paddled the Peace that far north, I saw a big bull gator that was almost as long as our 16-ft canoe. He was a good 13-14 feet easy. Looked like an aquatic dinosaur. LOL.

The sweet spot on that Zolfo gauge for fossiling is about 5-feet. Anything higher and some of the gravel beds can be tough to reach and anything lower than that and parts of the river require portaging. Especially that northern Peace, as you said - some of those stretches are shallow and rocky to start with.

Good luck. I've been meaning to do a multi-day paddle on the Peace, but the most I can usually manage is an overnighter, usually around Zolfo Springs or Gardner.

[FLTurtle]

I am more concerned with general vandalism than theft. My old truck is 21 years old and has 250,000 miles on it. The radio is a cassette player and there is no toolbox to tempt thieves. I actually put a note written in large Sharpie letters in the windshield - "Nothing worth stealing. The radio sucks. No valuables or tools in here. The truck itself is about to lay down and die. Thanks!" - so far, over many years, nobody has messed with it yet. (knock on wood)

Til you find that one guy that says, "Oh sweet, I could use that note!" <smash>

Cuz you know there are people out there like that.