WILD WATERS

When you think Florida, waterfalls don’t typically come to mind. However, Falling Waters State Park, a serene spot located just a few miles south of Interstate 10 in north Florida, will quickly change that notion.

// BY KARIN FABRY-CUSHENBERY

“A s one may infer by its name, the park’s main attraction is its falling water, which can be admired from the park’s grounds,” says Alexandra Kuchta, deputy press secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “The waterfall is the tallest in Florida and one of only three in the state, making it a rare sight that you don’t want to miss.”

The falls are naturally occurring and formed as the result of dissolution, a geologic process that shapes terrain and is also responsible for such features as sinkholes, springs and natural bridges. Geologists refer to these natural phenomenon as karst topography.

“With enough rainfall, surface waters ow downstream and travel down the rim of a circular depression known as Falling Waters Sink, a 100-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide pit that drops 73 feet to the bottom,” says Alexandria. “The water’s nal destination is unknown.”

Alexandria notes that as you meander your the historical legacy of the region while also providing resource-based recreation and preserving the land’s unique natural features.”

The park o ers three scenic nature trails and is known for birdwatching year-round. More than 100 species of birds call the park home, in addition to deer, fox, squirrels, turtles and other Florida wildlife.

“The park also showcases a 2-acre freshwater lake with a white sand beach that o ers park guests a cool place to escape the Florida heat,” says Alexandria. “The lake also makes for a great shing spot, where guests can sit back and relax, Florida style. History bu s can explore the remnants of an 1860s gristmill, the rst oil well to be drilled in Florida and a variety of artifacts from ancient Native American civilizations that date back more than 5,000 years. If you’d like to make a weekend out of it, the Pine Ridge Campground is located on Florida’s highest elevation site at 324 feet above sea level.

“Whether you are a local looking for a weekend activity or you are on the road looking for a detour, Falling Waters State Park is the perfect destination to immerse yourself in the history and nature of Florida,” says Alexandria.

way through the park’s trails you will notice depressions in the land in multiple areas.

“These are sinkholes that have formed from collapsed limestone, which is a common occurrence in Florida,” she says. “Exposed in the walls of Falling Waters Sink are limestone formations that developed between 20 and 30 million years ago when this region of Florida was still under water. These formations are also known as the lower Miocene Chattahoochee Formation and the lower Oligocene Suwannee Limestone.” The falls in Falling Waters State Park are rich in history and have served many purposes throughout Florida’s past.

“The site once provided power for a gristmill during the Civil War, housed a whiskey distillery established to meet the demands of men at the frontier railway construction site, was the site of the rst oil ever drilled in Florida, and even served as a plant nursery,” says Alexandria.

In 1962, the property was acquired by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials and was eventually leased to the Florida Park Service. “Today, the park’s primary function is to protect a series of sinkholes, particularly the chimney sinkhole that Florida’s highest waterfall cascades into before disappearing into the park’s network of terrestrial caves,” says Alexandria. “The park also highlights