Re: [ft-l] New FT thru-trail in Green Swamp

Can't speak for GSE, but you will find GSW in very good shape from SR
471/Withlacoochee River bridge to Richloam.  We will be inventorying the
final 2-1/2 miles up to Richloam in there next week.  It is a beautifully
maintained trail thanks to the efforts of Bill Summers and his hard-working
trail crew.  Well blazed and signed with 4 nice bridges and 3 campsites with
picnic tables.  (Be sure to check for a funny little sign decorating each
bridge!) The trail passes through long-leaf pine forest, meadows, oaks and
some cypress near the Withlacoochee.  There is a bit of forest road walking
through the cypress area where portions of the forest are usually
underwater, but they are nice, shaded, rarely used roads and none of them
are very long.

The only problem right now is water.  There isn't any.  There is a campsite
within 100 yards of the Withlacoochee river where you can still get water,
but the other two sites are dry and there is no other water available right
now in this section.  Bill is working to put a pitcher pump into the middle
campsite (near Concession Stand Rd.) by January, but so far he has come up
dry.

For people who are planning to camp in this section - according to how I
read the SWFWMD camping reservation form (we have filled one out for a Jan
hike, but haven't gotten permission back yet) - your camping reservation can
include a key to the gates and vehicle permits.  For a overnight hike you
might consider a water drop near your campsite.

You are in for a nice treat when you hike GSW.  PS, the hiking map on the
SWFWMD site looks like the old one, too.  I may be reading it wrong, but I
don't see the route through Pasco County (GSW) on it.  You might contact
both Jim Pace (GSE) and Bill Summers (GSW) before you head out there.
SWFWMD has asked me to GPS the trail for them through GSW because something
happened when they tried to do it and they couldn't use the generated file.
I'll be doing that for them (and FTA) sometime in January.

Deb Blick
FTA Trail Inventory Coord.

>> FYI,
>> Jim Pace and I have moved our FY01 annual Kissimmee River Hike to this
section
>> this year (Feb 17-19,2001).  The Kissimmee River section is undergoing
some
>> changes and the south trailhead is currently inaccessible, so we had to
move the
>> hike, and Green Swamp looked like a good substitute.
>>
>> The hike details are in the Jan-Feb edition of the FOOTPRINT.
>>
>> Happy New Year,
>> Pam
>
>
>
> Just a heads-up, as Rich and I continue our journey on the
> Western Corridor, about the newly dedicated FT  through
> the Green Swamp. It's to be certified FNST within the next
> couple of weeks, and does a beeline from Rock Ridge Road
> to Richloam. It's NOT on the currect FT maps, but you
> can grab a map (with mileages and campsites) at:
>
> http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recguide/recguide.htm
>
> Scroll down to GREEN SWAMP HIKING TRAIL and
> click on it. The map downloads in PDF format.
>
> Happy New Year, and Happy Hiking!
> Cheers, Sandy



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