Back to Cypress Glen campground on Silver Lake

 

I miss peddling and paddling with Peggy, this was her favorite campground to do both.

I got site #45 this year, two sites away from the site in this picture but close to Silver Lake. They paved the campground road since this picture, making it easy to bike to the paved Withlacoochee State Bike Trail (46 mi).

This area is a beautiful State Forest but the two main reasons we come here is for the paddling and the biking. 

Canoeing & Kayaking

We are only 100 yards from launching our canoe into a wide spot on the Withlacoochee River called Silver Lake. The river is slow so you can paddle upstream or downstream from our campsite and then paddle back so no vehicle shuttle is necessary. However if you do want to set up a shuttle you can drive down the road about 10 miles to a wayside park in Nobleton, drop off your vehicle and use the paved bike trail to bike back to the campground. You can also paddle upstream and try the narrow winding Little Withlacoochee if the water level is high enough or continue upstream on the main river past the Crooked River Campground as far as you like and then  paddle back to camp.

I got here on a Monday afternoon and was able to bike three times and paddle twice this week, I did a 6 mi rt kayak trip upstream from my campsite and then I did the 9 mile paddle downstream around Hog Island and back. I left early to avoid the forecasted high winds, when I was returning across Silver Lake the winds were really picking up but luckily they were behind me on the lake.

I saw lots of large birds near Hog Island; Ibis, Egrets, Heron and a few big Wood Storks . I saw a few small gators including a tiny baby gator. It was unusual, but I also saw a small snake swimming across the river.

Biking

You can bike 1-1/4 miles on the nice paved roads through the campground and intersect the 46 mile long paved Withlacoochee State Trail  at  mile marker 9 (K on map). 

From there you have 3 options. Pedal south to Trilby the start of the trail (21 mi RT), I did that on Tuesday.

You can go north about 1 mile to the paved Good Neighbor Trail (This link has some nice pictures) The trail goes west to the City of Brooksville (26 mi RT). I did that on Thursday. This section has some small hills and a few curves but is still in the shade most of the way. It ends at a city park and train museum.

On Sunday I took the route north to Floral City (31 mi RT). It was another hot day so I left before 9 am. Also there were a lot less bikers on this popular trail at that time. By mid-day you will see dozens. The map I posted shows these options, the white dots are one mile markers.

I usually see a few Gopher Tortoises near the trails. They dig huge holes in the sandy soil and after a few days they dig another new home The old hole becomes a home for other  animals that can't dig such nice holes for their homes. The gopher tortoise is about as charming as a tortoise can get. Originating 60 million years ago, it’s one of the oldest living species on the planet and the only native North American tortoise species east of the Mississippi River.

This campground has some other wildlife beside squirrels. We once saw some Coyotes passing by and if you hear leaves rustling at night, its probably an Armadillo.

 I think February set records for High temperatures in central FL this year. There were only 2 days when the daily highs went below the 80^o's for the whole month of February including the first week of March. And next week the forecast is still for highs in the 80^o's, maybe when I leave here and head to northern FL it will cool off. Up there they are forecasting highs only in the 70^o's and lows around 50^o.

My plans are to stay here for one more week and leave early next Sunday (3/12) and look for a campsite at Ocean Pond campground in the Osceola National Forest off I-10 in northern FL, west of Jacksonville.