Joshua Kinser
Published: October 26, 2005
Sparkling freshwater springs that trickle into Juniper Creek and sugar white sand bars are just a few of the reasons to glide down this less paddled creek in Blackwater River State Forest.
With Blackwater River crowded by motor boats and Coldwater Creek covered with tubers and paddlers, Juniper Creek offers an alternative for the adventurous spirits looking for more solitude and a very fulfilling wilderness experience.
At times the dense and lush forest bordering this narrow and winding creek encloses above the quick rolling water and provides a shady, cool retreat where only thin shafts of sunlight filter through the canopy; sending the reflection of the sparkling dark water dancing on the underside of overhanging juniper, oak, pine and magnolia trees.
In an instant the forest retreats and the landscape opens up to the sun where the cool creek curves around white sand and pebble beaches, perfect for a rest or a snack, lunch, fishing, swimming or camping for the night.
Getting there
After strapping a few kayaks or canoes to the roof of your car and joining at least one other car-owning friend or a caravan of paddlers, head north from Pensacola on I-10 or Hwy. 90 through Pace to Milton in North Santa Rosa County. The best way to get to Juniper Creek is to take a short drive north of Milton up Hwy. 87 and then take a right on Hwy. 191.
This is the part of the drive that is best when taken slow with the windows down. On a cool morning take in the sights and smells of the countryside as the sunrise stretches across the picturesque rural landscape of horse pastures and farms. Soon you will enter the soaring pine and wiregrass flats of Blackwater River State Forest.
For a longer overnight trip of around 11 miles go down Route 191 for about eight miles and take a right onto Indian Ford Road (SFR 86). Six miles down SFR 86 will take you to Indian Ford Bridge (3). Here you will leave one of the cars for after you have made your way downstream. Now, take 191 north to Juniper Creek bridge (1). Juniper Creek Bridge will be the launch site and the beginning of your trip.
Row, row, row your boat… and sometimes carry it too
Whether it is a 10-mile hike to a secluded back country lake and hot spring in Yellowstone National Park or a long hard climb to watch the sunset atop a mountain in Colorado, solitude and accessing true wilderness has its price, and it is usually paid in sweat. Juniper, you will find, is no exception. For the first few miles quite a few areas of down trees require you to get out of your boat and push it over tree blockades or in a few cases drag or carry your boat through the forest to get past the impassable section of creek. Don’t let this keep you from heading out to the creek though, as all of the difficult areas are short and most are either only a few downed trees or have a gully washed out around them that acts as a clear and sandy trail you can easily navigate when the time comes to carry your boat through the forest. In the end, this is what makes this trip so great. A few ripples in the creek keep enough people away to keep it an isolated and thriving wilderness where you can go and get away from everything.
Water Levels are important to consider when planning a trip down Juniper Creek. Utilize the USGS website (waterdata.usgs.gov) information for Big Coldwater Creek to determine if the creek is running at a good and safe level for paddling. When Big Coldwater Creek is running at around five feet, Juniper Creek is at an optimal water level for paddling. Low water levels mean dragging your canoe or kayak across extremely shallow areas of the creek, and high water levels call for more experience handling the boat because of the increased speed of creek flow. These creeks are also known to rise rapidly after heavy rainfall, so be prepared.
Don’t blink or you might miss something
Apart from the technical and slightly challenging aspects of Juniper Creek, most of the experience will be a slow and effortless journey that will send you gliding past mossy, fern covered banks, through the wildlife rich forest of Blackwater River State Park, and around inviting, sunny and sandy, beach banks. Deer, alligators, raccoons, turkeys and an enormous variety of snake and spider as well as fish, amphibian and bird species can be seen along the banks of Juniper Creek.
The second weekend in October I spent a couple days paddling Juniper Creek with a few friends. Early in the day three deer dashed from the forest to drink and splash in the creek while we rested quietly on a sandbar.
After the long day of paddling, fishing, exploring, swimming, and sleeping in the sun on sandbars, we found a long thin beach edged by tufts of grass and clumps of trees. Before pulling to shore we back paddled for a moment with just enough strength to keep still while the creek rolled away into the distance and out of sight.
For a moment it seemed that time had stopped and that as the world and the creek rushed through the forest, time was gliding around us and we were apart from it and could watch it for once move on without us.
We pulled to shore, and as we started to heat dinner and set up camp the sun slowly set behind the creek. Soon the night sparkled with stars; a nightscape forgotten by those who stay where the lights of the city compete with the night sky.
It was quiet and dark and we were alone in the forest, but the rising crescent moon gave us company. It hung so low and bright in the sky that it looked as if it hung on a string from a mobile just above our tents. It was comforting to be there with the moon; another unique object, alone in its own vast wilderness of space.