Ochlockonee River State Park

Established in 1970, Ochlockonee River State Park is located on the Ochlockonee River where it joins with the Sopchoppy River and Dead River to form Ochlockonee Bay, approximately south of Sopchoppy, Florida, and is accessed from U.S. Route 319. The park covers an area of , while the Apalachicola National Forest and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge surround the park, producing a net contiguous area of of protected lands. The park was once populated by Native American peoples of the Weeden Island culture in the 300–1000 AD period. During the 1700s, the park area was home to an active turpentine industry, with "cat-faced" pine trees, marked by the turpentine harvesting process, still visible in many locations. ==Ecology==

Ochlockonee River State Park's primary ecologic biome is East Gulf coastal plain near-coast pine flatwoods, with some live oak thickets also present within the park boundaries; The park is considered to be one of the best remaining examples of a natural flatwoods environment in the state, and it contains a significant habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, which nests in longleaf pines. In addition to a large number of other birds, The park's location at the top of Ochlockonee Bay is within a tidal estuary, with fresh water from the Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy Rivers mixing with tidal salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to produce a brackish environment, inhabited by both fresh and saltwater fish. Largemouth bass, bream, catfish, speckled perch, and other fish are found in the brackish river waters, along with blue crabs. ==Recreational activities==

A number of recreational activities are accommodated at the park, including bicycling, birding, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, swimming, and wildlife viewing; there are also picnicking areas, and the park has full camping facilities available, ==Gallery==

File:Ochlockonee River SP entr01.jpg File:Ochlockonee River SP marker01a.jpg File:Ochlockonee River SP marker01b.jpg File:Ochlockonee River SP river02.jpg File:Ochlockonee River SP river04.jpg File:Ochlockonee River SP01.jpg File:Ochlockonee River SP04.jpg ==References==