Spring Creek

Beginning at the Highway 90 East bridge / dam, Spring Creek flows south for approximately 1½ miles before joining up with the Chipola River. The crystal clear cool spring waters have long beckoned local folks to enjoy the spring for swimming, boating, tubing, fishing and just plain having fun. In recent years out of town folks from North Florida, Southeast Alabama and Southwest Georgia have come to descend on the spring on the weekends during the summer months (See Simply Put for more about this recent influx).

At Highway 90 Jackson County has established Spring Creek Park and have done a nice job of erecting boardwalks, enlarging the parking area and improving the launch area. Visitors can also grab a sandwhich at the Old Ice House Grill while taking in the creek’s scenic views. Leaving the launch area you’ll float about two bends down and then encounter Turner’s Landing. With its clear water and shallow sandy bottom, Turner’s Landing has also long beckoned folks as an excellent swimming spot, especially for the youngsters. The County also maintains the Turner’s Landing area, although it is generally not as well groomed as Spring Creek Park. Concrete barriers erected several years ago prevent vehicles from driving down to the creek (and in the creek for that matter), as was the case for the many previous years. There is a paved parking lot and visitors walk a short distance to a sandy beach area. The swimming spot also includes a cypress tree with a small swing that can be enjoyed by the kids.

Depending on the water levels, the creek is normally fairly shallow and this, along with the clarity of the water, makes it extremely popular for tubes, canoes and kayaks. There are a few houses along the way on the east side of the creek, but for the most part the banks of the creek remain undeveloped. An abundance of wildlife such as turtles, birds and fish can be seen along the way. If you keep your eyes zeroed in enough, you’ll probably spot an occasional snake and maybe even a small gator. For tree lovers, the many cypress trees offer some intriguing and interesting formations. About midway down the creek you’ll pass under the railroad bridge, complete with most recent proclamations of who loves who. A couple of bends below the bridge, especially during low water levels, you’ll hit a small rapid that makes for some excitement.

As the creek nears the river several nice sand bars offer visitors an opportunity to rest their water weary legs, arms and rear ends. But being so near the river, these sand bars are also frequented by boaters making their way up into the lower end of the creek. Speaking of those boaters, many of them call themselves “River Rats” and they like to anchor where the creek meets up with the river. On the weekends it is not uncommon to encounter 10 or more boats at this spot. If you are tubing, you’ll distinctly notice the difference when you move from the creek to the river. Besides the change in the color of the water, the Ole Chipola offers much colder waters than the creek.

As stated in Simply Put, Spring Creek is a precious jewel in our area that should be respectfully, and cleanly, enjoyed by all. If you are drawn to the party scene load up on the weekends and have a ball (but clean up after yourself). If the party scene is not your ticket, either go during the week or go early on the weekend mornings. Most of the party crowd is still sleeping off the night before and don’t make it out to the creek until around noon.

Rollin’ Down the River is a weekly summertime feature of the Jackson County Times that highlights the Chipola River through pictures, stories and articles.