Settled in at Lithia Springs

After two days at our first campsite #39, we were able to move across the street, right on the river to site #40, it is larger and more level but is limited to 14 days like the other 5 riverside campsites, which are very popular at this non-reservation campground. We only planned on 14 days, so that was great.

We like the park because of the large shady campsites and easy river and bike trail access.  On Friday we took our Tandem Bike for a 14 mile ride on the west side of Fish Hawk Ranch. The weather so far has been above normal and an afternoon of rain on Sunday brought the river back up to a good level.

We met a woman, April, on site 43 who had just bought two kayaks. She had taken a paddle board down the river but was looking for someone to show her how to kayak down and offered to shuttle our canoe to the put-in. Her friend on campsite 37 agreed to drive her truck back to camp and help me load up. On Saturday, 1/4, the river was running at 200 cfs, a nice level.

Here is what the state says about the Alafia River Paddling Trail; 10 Miles, Beginner to Intermediate From Alderman Ford Park to Lithia Springs Campground. The Alafia River provides the paddler with occasional shoals to get the heart pounding. You will see many large birds along the way; Egrets, Ibis, Limpkin, Anhinga, Wood Storks, Ospreys, Red-shouldered Hawks, Pileated Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Blue Herons, and songbirds. A few alligators, and turtles can also be spotted. The best WaterLevel is about 180-400 CFS. If above that the current becomes swift and the river is not recommended for beginners. Most of the trail’s shorelines are undeveloped and in public ownership. Occasional snags or strainers may require portaging.

April was a fast learner and we all had a nice day with a lunch at Duck Landing rest stop. We saw lots of birds but no alligators. It took us about 3-1/2 hrs. to paddle the 9 miles back to camp.

Campsite 40 at Lithia Springs County Park

On Sunday we took another 11 mi. bike ride with a stop at the nice Publix Grocery store only 2-1/2 miles from our campsite. When we leave here I’ll post a map of all our bike rides.