Florida’s Tallest Waterfall

March 25-27, 2025                                                       Most Recent Posts:
Falling Waters State Park                   Last Visit to Silver Springs for this Year
Chipley, Florida                                        Unique Things of the Rainbow River

TUESDAY MARCH 25

I left Silver Springs and drove 270 miles north west to Falling Waters State Park in Chipley Florida.  It’s claim to fame is having Florida’s Tallest Waterfall.  It was on my way, so why not.

I had booked a pull through so I would not have to unhitch.  If you are a big rig, I do not recommend this here.  If you are anything over 35’, I do not recommend this campground period.   When I drove up to the campsite it looked like and upside down V.  Not a gentle curve. 

Look closely at the photo and you can see the rig is very severely slanted down back to front.  The car is at the very edge of the site and so is the RV. What you cannot see and I should have included in my photo is that the front end of my site is right at the front end of a back in site so I literally could not pull forward at all.  In fact the second night I was there someone came in at 10pm and made multiple attempts to back into that site without hitting me.  In the dark dark.  While I watched.

I could have disconnected but why?  Leveling up the RV would have taken the tires off the ground which would have required my horse pads to stabilize the tires for the sake of the axle.  WAY too much trouble to stay two nights in my opinion.  So I plugged in the electric so the horribly off level would not ruin the appliances by trying to use propane, and made the best of it.

The campground is small with 24 campsites which I usually really like.  The sites circle a single bathhouse  More about that later.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 26

Today was the day to hike to the waterfall.  When I’d checked in the guy seemed surprised that I wanted to hike there and told me there was a waterfall parking lot at the end of the road but there was no hiking map he could give me.  Luckily while walking the short campground road yesterday, I’d seen a trail head and a map which clearly showed that I could walk there.

The campground circle is at the top of the map, the green with the tiny loop at the end where the trailhead with this map is located.  As you can see the map takes you to the lake and then by the picnic area and ultimately to the waterfall there at the very bottom.  What it doesn’t tell you is that one branch of the yellow trail is a boardwalk and the other is a road.

On the trail I was happy to see the wild azaleas in bloom.   The trail took me to and around the lake as you can see on the map.  The two acre lake was created to provide a consistent water supply to the waterfall.  I guess the tourists don’t want to see it during the most of the year it would probably be dry without that.  

You can see the small beach on the opposite bank.  The lake looks deceptively big in this picture.

I walked around the side of the lake to the swimming beach.  There is a bathhouse up the hill. I read that fishing was allowed although I have no idea what kind of fish.   Apparently there are several streams which naturally feed the waterfall.   The lake overflow goes into one of them.  The stream I saw flowing into the lake was very small and the others must be as well to require the lake overflow.

Once at the lake (pond in my opinion) it wasn’t clear where I should go.  Along the trail there were no signs color coded like the map so I wandered around until I found this waterfall sign and followed it.  A nice boardwalk lead me to an upper overlook of the waterfall. 

More blooming Wild Azalea to enjoy at several spots along the way.  I felt very lucky to have arrived here while they were in bloom.  They were highlights of the hike.

Once I reached the upper deck, I could see there was a lower one.  There were steps that went down to a lower viewing area but about 10 feet of those were blocked off at both ends.  I could see folks down at the lower area but could see no way to get there from here. 

At this point I had no choice but to backtrack to the lake and see if I could find a way to the lower viewing deck from there.  So back I went up the steps this time.

When I got back to the lake there was a long partly covered bridge over one of the streams that assumedly create the waterfall.  It lead to a path to the parking lot for the “lake”.

A woman was coming down from the lot so I asked her if I could get to the lower viewing deck from here.  She said “oh yes honey just follow the road past the picnic area”  So I walked on down the road this time until I came to the picnic area where there were folks following a cement path.

So I did too and came to the lower viewing platform.  I now had a much closer view of the entire waterfall and could see the sinkhole below.

The sign at the lower viewing platform said this was the highest waterfall in Florida at 73 feet and was unique because it flows into a sinkhole.  Over years the water containing a weak natural acid seeped through cracks in the soft limestone. 
Eventually the rock collapsed resulting in the sinkhole.  I was told that during a summer thunderstorm the water may be a raging torrent cascading over the edge.  I wondered how much water from the lake was being used for what I see today.

I took a few more pictures but this short video is the best look at it and enables you to hear it as well.  Click the highlighted link to see it.

Part of the way back to the campground I was serenaded by this very happy sounding mockingbird who stayed right there and let me take his picture while he sang.

Back at the campground
I thought I would take a shower after my hike to the waterfall on my only full day at the campground.   I got undressed, turned the water on and waited for it to warm up and waited and waited.  There are two showers in the women’s bath house so I left #1 running to get warm water and went to #2 and turned it on.  When it started to get warm, I went back, turned off the other one and brought all my things in to #2.  Still it wasn’t as warm as I wanted but I got in assuming it would continue to warm.  I got my thick hair wet and soaped it up when the warm disappeared and I was in a cold shower with my hair fully soaped.  Thick hair is difficult to get thoroughly wet in the first place and just as difficult to get rinsed.   I was freezing when I jumped out of the water and threw my clothes on.  So much for a shower.  At least my hair is clean.

At that point all I wanted to do was get back on the road.  The next day I did just that and headed for Gulf Islands National Seashore where I have been now for 5 days and leave tomorrow for New Orleans.   Please leave tips in the comments for me about what not to miss in NOLA.

My take home messages about Falling Waters are:
1)  Nice day trip.  No need to stay overnight
2)  Really not set up to handle big rigs even big 5th wheels or airstreams although a couple of the back ins might handle the latter.  Not sure about the truck too.
3)  Beware the shower which I did report so maybe it will be better for you.

Last Visit to the Silver Springs for this Year

March 12-26, 2025                                      Most Recent Posts:
Silver Springs State Park                           Unique Thing on the Rainbow River
Silver Springs Florida                                 Rainbow River Headspring

Thanks to all of you who advised in your comments about my dilemma of posting in order or catching up.  With this post, I’m going to try to do both by only leaving this one up a couple of days.

This is a fly through day by day of my second two weeks of the winter season at Silver Springs State Park.  Yes it is one of my very favorites in Florida.   This visit  I mostly was on the water or walking swamp trails.

This is a far cry from the daily posts, yes daily, really, that I did when David and I were traveling together for nearly a decade.  Talk about current.  How did I ever do that?  This is my longest time period in one post EVER.  2 weeks.

Warning:  Two weeks in one post=heavy in pictures.    Pictures unfortunately that you cannot see on a phone.  Works on a laptop and I think a table.

March 12 Wednesday – Moving In

This was the packing up, driving, checking, setting up day.  Amazingly enough I was  back in the same site I was in last time.  Site 6.  This picture is from my previous visit.  Seemed silly to take another one exactly a month later. 

March 13 Thursday – Dinner with Carol

Today, the thing of note, actually began yesterday as I was bringing my kayak up from the Rainbow River in the morning before moving and Carol was bringing hers down to go out on the water.  She graciously stopped to help me lift mine into the saddles and we got to talking and found that we had a seriously amazing amount in common and very similar interests.

I had to get checked out and   she had to get out on the water, so we agreed to meet in the middle between the two parks for dinner the next day.  Which we did.  It was fantastic and I hope we continue to keep in touch and make plans to meet down the road and go kayaking together.  Sorry the lights created a laser cutting the side of her face.  My phone camera AGAIN…

March 14  Friday – On The River

Today both the river and the Cypress Trees lining its banks were gorgeous.  I was lucky to see a number on manatee but limited this day’s pictures to three of them.

March 15 Saturday – On the River

Usually I do not go out on the river on  Saturday or Sunday morning to avoid the crowds of week-end warriors.  But this week I was feeling like it might be my last time on the water so I wanted to go every day.

I did see one non water feature on my way down the trail to the boat launch.  A wonderful Gopher Tortoise

Green Heron – here’s a short video of him.  You’ll hear the wind and experience my efforts to keep my camera on him as the river tries to send me away.

Great Blue Heron

Ms Wood Duck and her admirers

I’m wondering if his color is jazzed up for breeding season too.  He sure is bright.

Hiding along the bank.

Little Blue Heron – a 20 second video of him fishing in all his blueness

I usually only go all the way into the head spring area once during each visit because of the glass bottom boat activity.   Saturday was a ridiculous day to do it but I did and if you’ve never seen a glass bottom boat in action, here is your chance in this short video.

Breeding eyes and wet feathers that look to me like hair.

March 16 Sunday – Hiking the Swamp Trail

I decided one week-end day on the river was enough.  Hiking the swamp trail is not the only thing I did today but in an effort to do this post quickly, I did not consult my journal for the other things.   The goal is to get the blog to the present where what I’ve done is fresh in my memory.  Definitely one of the benefits of posting every day which I will never do again.  But once per week might work if I can keep from getting behind.

As you can see, the swamp trail is really beautiful and I end up at an overlook of the river up stream from the boat launch and can watch others paddling by.

March 17 Monday - Marshall Swamp in Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway

Too windy to get out on the river today but yesterday I met a man at the dock who told me about Marshall Swamp very nearby.  He said the trail was worth doing and he was right. 

I included the information about the preserved swamp being part of the Harris Carr Greenway because she deserves to be known for her unflagging dedication to defeating the brilliant idea to build a cross Florida canal to “boost Florida’s economy”.   Isn’t that always the story when folks want to line their construction pockets.  Construction was begun in 1964.  That sounds recent to me.  More recent than I would have thought.  Seems more like one of those stupid turn of the century ideas like logging the Great Smoky Mountains.  But I digress. 

The canal was to use the Ocklawaha River, also known as destroy it, to connect the Saint John’s River on the Atlantic Coast to the Withlacoochee River and the Gulf of Mexico.  Environmentalists, led by Marjorie Harris Carr, successfully campaigned to stop the canal's construction, arguing that the project would severely damage the Ocklawaha River and its ecosystem.  She was honored by the creation of the Greenway which bears her name and  is a protected green belt corridor, more than one and a half miles wide in places, that was the former route of the proposed Cross Florida Barge Canal.  The swamp trail goes through it and the swamp it protects.  I forget who Marshall is.

March 18 Tuesday – On the River and Mo Jo

Today was the day I began going out on the river at 3 or 4:00 in the afternoon in an effort to avoid the spring breakers who seem to be here in droves every day.  It worked pretty well and is the only thing I can say I like about the time change.  The sun now goes down late enough that I can come off the river by 6:30.

Little Blue Heron – the one you saw fishing, today with his mouth open.  Why?

Female Wood Duck.  She begins today’s story

Swimming Alligator who plays a part.  Check out the video of him swimming.
It’s important to the story.

Look closely to see him swimming and she’s behind him.  Also in the background is the dock where the phone obsessed people you’ll see in a minute would have missed this entire thing.

She’s gaining on him.  Is she crazy?

She’s pretty nearly swimming over his body and he never paid any attention to her.   Did she know this?   Why isn’t she worried?  I would never swim over him.
Nature is SO interesting.

And now for something COMPLETLY different.

Here’s picture I took on this day and I have no idea why but it’s a good one of the bedroom in this RV and the piles of books I keep on the bed side shelves.  For my memory and those who have never seen a queen sized bed in a Class A RV.

Before going kayaking, I had a very late lunch or early dinner at Mo Jo’s a place the ranger had said she liked.  And I did too.

It is a fun place and you can occupy a great deal of time just looking at the things on the walls and ceilings and everywhere.

All the booth tables have something to say.

Plus the food is good….beans and rice, pulled pork, fried plantains.

I took half of the above home so that I could have the warm jumbo chocolate chip cookie with ice cream AND whipped cream for dessert.  Talk about over kill.

March 19 Wednesday – On the River with Manatee and Monkeys

In addition to the too many people early in the day, I am going out on the river in the later afternoon because the mornings are TOO COLD.   This is Florida for goodness sake in MID March.  39 degrees really?

Many manatee today.  So wonderful!

Swamp Lily.

Imagine my surprise to this thing coming down the river

And going back.  It does have wheels on it so I guess it is an amphibious vehicle, an amphicar.  What a hoot.

Of course today was the ONLY day I did not bring my 35mm camera and also the only day in my entire two stays at Silver Springs this year that I saw the infamous monkeys.  So the pictures are nothing like they might have been.  But then, had I had the right camera, I might not have seen them today either.

They are great fun to watch as they leap around and run up and down.  The best pictures of course are when they stop.  My other camera could have gotten them leaping in mid air but of course I don’t have it today.

March 20 Thursday Swamp Trail

A better look at the dock where the upcoming phone folks will be sitting, off to the left, and in front of which the female wood duck seemed to chase the alligator.

I’ve been able to be out on the river nearly every day because it has not rained.  The swamp shows the low water level but if you were to try to walk out to those cypress knees, you’d be up to your own knees in muck.

March 21 Friday – On the River, Alligator Day

Yes two pictures because I think he’s so beautifully decorated.  What an outfit!

Not sure what the Limpkin is eating but you don’t want to hear her call.  Sounds like someone yelling for help.

I chose two of the amazing number of alligators I saw today.  This one was high and dry.

This one was sunk in the muck.  Looks like he might be sleeping.  Or???

Not sure I’ve ever seen a gator with his eyes closed.  It worried me.  Could he have died.  What about that algae?

Apparently I hung around long enough that he opened his eyes to see what was going on. 

One of my very rare shots of a sitting Eastern Kingfisher.  Love it when his feathers are ruffled.  Look at the length of that bill compared to his size.

I know I have some readers who like to know what I’m reading and this is one of the books on my bedside.   It’s a seasonal book about the natural places of Florida that I bought at the Oscar Scherer Nature Center and I’m glad I did.  It’s excellent if you are enjoying the natural world of Florida.  I’ve gotten some new ideas of places I want to visit.  Maybe next year.

March 22 Saturday – On the River With the Cypress

Hope you can see that this cypress which is still alive has a very healthy fern growing out of its middle.

Some roots

Let’s call him Smiley.  Pam Sprouse will love him.

Obviously I find the Cypress beautiful.

Another reminder to me of how cold it was in Silver Springs this year.

March 23 Saturday – On the Swamp Trail

 

And here they are.  There is a beautiful view and interesting things going on but they were doing this when I arrived and the entire time I stayed and then they left without ever glancing around.  Perhaps they had been here for a half an hour enjoying before I arrived, who knows.  But it so reminds me of people I see sitting at the table in restaurants with spouse or friend or family and they all have their eyes glued on their phones.

The highlight of today was the arrival of my friends Mary and Pete for one night in the site right next to me.  

I’m sure he and I would remind those old enough of  Mutt and Jeff although there may not be anyone still alive who actually remembers them.  I remember my parents talking about them.  I guess I’m Mutt.

Yes he’s very tall and I’m very short.

March 24 Monday – Packing up to Leave

 

Mary and Pete left this morning before I began my pack up to leave tomorrow and before I went on my last trip on the river.   We barely saw each other while they were here but we’ll meet up again soon when we are both at Davis Bayou in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

I’ll end with some fun on the water……it seems I did not have a good picture of a Double Crested Cormorant to post but this video is too cute to omit.   Is he just having a good time or doing what?   Take a look here.  

Hope you don’t mind so many videos or the length of this post but now off I go to head west.  And I’m still in order.   Falling Waters is next and soon.