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Ochlockonee Bay Trail
Latest update: May 2022
There are two distinct sections to the Ochlockonee Bay Trail. (1) From Sopchoppy FL, the trail is mostly alongside Surf Road running southeast through a forested section of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge to US Hwy 98 (about 10 miles). Then across US 98, (2) it becomes Mashes Sands Road, running a short distance on-road before the bridge onto Mash Island. The trail resumes roadside to the boat ramp, then ends at Mashes Sands Beach (about 2.5 miles). It's on-road for a short distance between the boat ramp and beach, but very little if any traffic at this point. (Map link and photos below.)
Location: Panacea (Wakulla County)
End Points: Sopchoppy to Mashes Sands Beach
Mileage: 12.5 miles
Surface: Asphalt
Nearby points of interest: Sopchoppy Depot and
History Center, Bald Point State Park, Ochlockonee River State Park
Page Summary:
Starting in "downtown" Sopchoppy along US 319 from Clermont Ave. near the historic Sopchoppy Depot (1891), the Ochlockonee Bay Trail runs roadside about 0.1 mile east to Surf Road (CR 372). Turning southeast on Surf Road, it soon enters a section of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Although closer to the roadway than we prefer, the traffic here is very light and the ride is mostly quiet and scenic, including some boardwalk. At about 7 miles, the trail turns more eastward, parallel to Ochlockonee Bay, but with only an occasional glimpse of the water. The trail meets the Coastal Trail at the intersection of US 98, where a shared trailhead provides parking, picnic and portalet.
Crossing US 98, the trail goes on-road a short distance to the Tide Creek bridge, becoming a roadside trail again over the bridge on Mashes Island. The trail along Mash Sands Road is scenic with marsh views on one side and glimpses of the Bay on the other, a negative is that it's right along the roadway with little or no buffer. The trail then enters Mashes Sands Park and runs to the boat ramp, where there's a large sandy lot with paid parking. Empty when we visited, but surely busy on weekends. Past the boat ramp, the trail goes on-road a short distance to the trailhead. Going past the trailhead, check out Mashes Sands Beach - a hidden gem we really enjoyed on this beautiful day.
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