Withlacoochee State Forest-Croom Tract-Brookville, Florida - April 14, 2009

HI EVERYONE, 

WE BROKE CAMP AND MOVED TO BROOKVILLE, FLORIDA TO A PRIVATE CAMPGROUND BORDERING THE WITHLACOOCHEE STATE FOREST.  HERE WE RODE OUT OF CAMP ONTO THE 50 MILES OF EASY, WELL MARKED TRAILS.

AFTER BREAKFAST THE NEXT MORNING WE SADDLED UP OUR HORSES, READY FOR OUR FIRST RIDE IN THE WITHLACOOCHEE FOREST.  AT THE TRAILHEAD WE HAD TO DECIDE TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT.  DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

WE TURNED LEFT DOWN A SANDY TRAIL.  AS THE SUN BEGAN TO RISE IN THE SKY WE WERE GLAD TO BE IN THE SHADE OF THE LARGE LIVE OAKS AND TALL PINE TREES. A FLOCK OF 6 TURKEYS QUICKLY CROSSED THE TRAIL IN FRONT OF US.  THEY DISAPPEARED INTO THE COVER OF THE UNDERBRUSH. AT TIMES WE MEANDERED THROUGH STANDS OF LONG LEAF PINES WITH THEIR LARGE PINE CONES LYING IN THE SAND. SUDDENLY OUR HORSES PERKED UP AS THEY SPOTTED SEVERAL DEER CROSSING THE TRAIL AHEAD. AFTER A FEW HOURS OF GREAT RIDING WE HEADED BACK TO CAMP.

THE NEXT DAY WE TURNED RIGHT AT THE TRAILHEAD. WE NOTICED MORE HARDWOODS SUCH AS OAK, SWEET GUM AND ELM BEGINNING TO PUT ON THEIR SPRING GROWTH OF GREENERY. THE BREEZE BLOWING THROUGH THE GREEN TREES WAS COOL AND REFRESHING ALONG THE TRAIL. WE PASSED THROUGH THICKETS OF OAK AND EVERGREEN SCRUB BUSHES, SUDDENLY AN ARMADILLO SCURRIED ACROSS THE TRAIL!  ARMADILLOS WERE ABUNDANT IN THE FORESTS OF FLORIDA.

CONSULTING OUR TRAIL MAP WE DECIDED TO RIDE OVER TO THE TUCKER HILL DAY RIDING PARKING AREA. APPROACHING THE TRAILHEAD WE TRAVELED THROUGH DENSE SCRUB THICKETS AS TALL AS WE WERE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE NARROW TRAIL. A YELLOW JASMINE VINE WAS WEAVING ITS WAY THROUGH THE LIMBS. AFTER REACHING THE PARKING AREA WE SPOTTED A LARGE CISTERN WITH NON-POTABLE WATER CONSTANTLY FLOWING THRU. WE WALKED OUR HORSES OVER FOR A COOL DRINK. HUMANS NEED TO BRING THEIR OWN WATER!

A SMALL FEE WAS CHARGED FOR PARKING. BIKE AND HIKING TRAILS WERE ALSO AVAILABLE. THESE WERE ALL WEATHER TRAILS WITH SPRING AND FALL BEING IDEAL FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. PRIMITIVE HORSE CAMPING WAS PROVIDED IN THE FOREST BY OBTAINING A PERMIT FROM THE STATE FORESTRY OFFICE IN BROOKSVILLE. THERE WAS NO CHARGE FOR THIS PERMIT. IF PRIMITIVE CAMPING IS NOT YOUR THING, TRY THE PRIVATE CAMPGROUNDS. THE OWNERS OF THE PRIVATE CAMPGROUND WHERE WE CAMPED WERE NICE AND ACCOMMODATING.  

WE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED A WEEK OF GREAT RIDING IN VERY PLEASANT TEMPERATURES. EMAIL US IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL INFO ON ANY OF THESE TRAIL RIDES.

THERE IS ANOTHER ADVENTURE COMING SOON. UNTIL THEN WE WISH YOU “MANY HAPPY AND SAFE TRAILS.”

BOBBIE AND LARRY