A recent expansion of Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park, the Horn Spring Addition tacked nearly 2,000 acres of land to the property in the late 2010s.
In addition to Horn Spring, several other named springs and sinkholes dot the geologically fascinating karst landscapes within the park.
The Natural Bridge over the St. Marks River was the site of a decisive Civil War battle in FloridaThis 8 mile round-trip starts at the main parking area, leading to an access point on the other side of the St. Marks River to follow it upriver.
Future plans may include a designated trailhead, primitive campsite, and a public access road to the springhead.
Horn Spring can also be reached by water, paddling upriver from the St. Marks River launch on Natural Bridge Road.
The St. Marks River at Natural BridgeResources
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Overview
Location: Woodville
Trailhead: 30.284667, -84.152982
Address: 7502 Natural Bridge Rd, Tallahassee
Fees: $3 per vehicle, $2 cyclist or pedestrian
Restroom: Yes
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-487-7989
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Picnic tables are provided. Fishing permitted.
Guided interpretive tours of the park are available. Call two weeks in advance of your visit to arrange.
Directions
From the intersection of Capital Circle East and Woodville Hwy (SR 363) in Tallahassee, drive south past the northern terminus of the St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail and continue 4.5 miles to Woodville. Turn left on Natural Bridge Rd and continue east 6 miles to the park entrance. From Newport along US 98, Old Plank Rd north 6.6 miles is the most direct route to the park but it isn’t paved. Use SR 267 (Bloxham Cutoff) to Woodville Hwy and continue north to Woodville to take Natural Bridge Rd east.
Hike
Beginning at the recreation area with covered picnic benches and an information kiosk, head eastward across a grassy lawn, following red arrows to Natural Bridge Road.
Turn right at the road, paralleling the pavement as a canopy of tall trees rises above the floodplain forest.
Trailhead pavilionThe dark, tannic waters of the St. Marks River edge the north side of the road.
Park signs explain the unique geology of how the waterway flows underground and reemerges, creating a natural bridge.
Use caution while crossing the road bridge that curves sharply to the right.
St. Marks RiverAt a half mile, red arrows indicate a departure from the road where the trail enters state park property.
After following a grassy fence line for 0.3 miles, the trail turns to the left, entering a mesic flatwoods environment.
Along the next few miles of trail, a series of map kiosks aid in navigation and are typically accompanied by a bench.
Entry pointClustered saw palmettos line the wide pathway as it weaves through an open forest of spotty pines in an area undergoing restoration from previous use as a tree farm.
Grasses, gallberry, and various wildflowers fill the patches between palmettos, covering the forest floor in a lush green carpet of mixed vegetation.
Pine flatwoodsAround the two-mile mark, exposed soils take on a yellowish tint as the landscape becomes slightly contoured while transitioning into a sandhill habitat.
Young turkey oaks stand on contoured edges of the sandy pathway, among a scattering of bracken ferns and slimleaf pawpaw.
Sandhill habitatShade is abundant while crossing a small bridge at the perimeter of a basin swamp at 2.6 miles, where American holly trees and switch cane thrive in the dark understory.
Continuing northward, the trail passes through dense fire-suppressed mesic flatwoods and sandhill habitats before reaching a bench alongside an access road at 3.7 miles.
Bench with kioskIn a quarter mile, the road opens to a wide clearing where crisp waters from Horn Spring swell up from the aquifer.
It fills a large blue-green pool before flowing down a clear spring run populated with long, wavy aquatic grasses.
From this scenic destination at the north end of the trail, retrace your footsteps along the red blazes for 4.1 miles back to the trailhead.
Horn SpringTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park
Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park Memorials and reenactments keep alive the spirits of the soldiers who perished at Natural Bridge during one of the last and largest battles of the Civil War in Florida.Video
Hiking the Horn Spring Trail
Nearby Adventures
San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park With a historic timeline dating back five centuries, San Marcos de Apalache protects layers of history accumulated at the confluence of the Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers
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