wfooshee
O, Woe is me!!
The tallest waterfall in Florida is about 45 miles from my house, and while it's not anywhere near as spectacular as Niagara or Yosemite, and is actually bone dry when there hasn't been any rain for a while, we did have a pretty good rain Friday night, so I rode up to have a look yesterday. The rain was a warm front and brought our temps up into the 60s, so it was a nice, comfortable ride up, 2024's first outing on the Feej.
Now, by "not as spectacular," what I mean is that it's a very small creek that's running along minding its own business, when the ground suddenly disappears into a limestone sinkhole. The water drops 73 feet and continues in an underground stream. So at 73 feet, it's the tallest waterfall in Florida, but it's just a creek falling into a cave. The fall is located in Falling Waters State Park, which has not only the waterfall, but a large number of very deep sinkholes, the result of the limestone being eroded dissolved by millenia of streams and rain, forming small caverns that simply collapse. This was my 5th visit over the past ten years or so, and only the second time that I've actually seen water flowing over the waterfall.
Signs contain much useful information. (Except the other side of this one, which simply listed political office-holders involved with the development of the park...)
My first view from the trail approaching the fall.
More useful information!
From the lower balcony, with my widest lens, and I was able to get the entire height of the waterfall.
A little ways south of the waterfall, a series of more sinkholes. You're not actually allowed to walk the grounds here, but you're on a wooden walkway that overlooks the area. Probably not a good idea to turn 4-year-olds loose around these...
Oh, look! MORE useful information!
The aforementioned "high pine lands."
A lake
A lake near the camping area north of the fall. Across the lake here is a beach with a picnic pavilion. The posts you can just make out in front of the beach is a fence/net to keep alligators out of the swimming area. Seriously. There are signs saying that if alligators are spotted, don't count on the fence - stay out of the water.
Actual oil prospecting occurred here!
Unsuccessfully
Now, by "not as spectacular," what I mean is that it's a very small creek that's running along minding its own business, when the ground suddenly disappears into a limestone sinkhole. The water drops 73 feet and continues in an underground stream. So at 73 feet, it's the tallest waterfall in Florida, but it's just a creek falling into a cave. The fall is located in Falling Waters State Park, which has not only the waterfall, but a large number of very deep sinkholes, the result of the limestone being eroded dissolved by millenia of streams and rain, forming small caverns that simply collapse. This was my 5th visit over the past ten years or so, and only the second time that I've actually seen water flowing over the waterfall.
Signs contain much useful information. (Except the other side of this one, which simply listed political office-holders involved with the development of the park...)
My first view from the trail approaching the fall.
More useful information!
From the lower balcony, with my widest lens, and I was able to get the entire height of the waterfall.
A little ways south of the waterfall, a series of more sinkholes. You're not actually allowed to walk the grounds here, but you're on a wooden walkway that overlooks the area. Probably not a good idea to turn 4-year-olds loose around these...
Oh, look! MORE useful information!
The aforementioned "high pine lands."
A lake near the camping area north of the fall. Across the lake here is a beach with a picnic pavilion. The posts you can just make out in front of the beach is a fence/net to keep alligators out of the swimming area. Seriously. There are signs saying that if alligators are spotted, don't count on the fence - stay out of the water.
Actual oil prospecting occurred here!
Unsuccessfully
