Ochlockonee River State Park, State park in Wakulla County, United States.
Ochlockonee River State Park covers 543 acres (220 ha) off U.S. 319, about 4 miles south of Sopchoppy in Wakulla County, where the Ochlockonee, Sopchoppy and Dead Rivers join to form Ochlockonee Bay. Its pine flatwoods, with live oak thickets and golden wiregrass, are among Florida's best remaining examples of that natural flatwoods environment.
The area was inhabited by Weeden Island peoples between 300 and 1000 AD, leaving archaeological evidence of their settlement. Later, the land was used for turpentine production from pine resin, an industry that lasted for centuries.
The grounds show traces of 18th-century turpentine production, with distinctive diagonal cuts on pine trees that mark this working past. Visitors can still observe these historical marks on the trees today and understand how people once made their living from the forest.
The park offers visitors thirty camping sites, boat ramps, hiking trails, and swimming areas spread throughout the grounds. Exploring the different zones on foot or by boat helps you experience the river landscapes and forest types fully.
White squirrels at the park are a genetic mutation of the eastern gray squirrel, not a separate species; the same park also shelters the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, which nests in longleaf pines. The park's 543 acres sit where the Ochlockonee, Sopchoppy and Dead Rivers form Ochlockonee Bay.
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