Sometimes you just know that it is going to be a great hike. That was the situation when I got out of the van at the South Trailhead parking lot at Garcon Point Water Management Area – I spent a few minutes looking up into the branching of a large Live Oak adjacent to the lot, as seen in the title photo, and knew that we were about to experience something special. The photographer obliged my request to capture the grandeur of this specimen, and did so expertly.

On our drive down to the Panhandle the photographer asked me about the places I had identified to hike, knowing full well that the planning would have been completed. As I discussed Garcon Point, I mentioned that we had hiked there previously, with our youngest daughter and her friend on a spring break, perhaps 15 years ago. I mentioned that we had waded through ankle deep water on parts of the trail and that there were an abundance of carnivorous plants – she got hung up on the ankle deep water. I reassured her that this time we were going to take the South Loop, the drier of the two routes.

Garcon Point is an over 3000 acre preserve bordered by Escambia and Blackwater Bays. In the past cattle grazing, turpentine production, and logging were the primary industries on the peninsula. The preserve consists of a variety of habitats including salt marshes, wet prairies, longleaf pine woodlands, and oak hammocks. The salt marshes and wet prairies function to filter storm runoff to protect the water quality and ecosystems of the surrounding bays. Home to over 200 species of plants, it is a haven of biodiversity. Twenty species of threatened or endangered plants have been identified here. It was the concentrated biodiversity that led to its preservation.

Leaving the parking area the trail weaves through a wooded thicket.

In the understory were Bracken Ferns. The variability of the shapes of the leaflets (pinnules) is unique amongst ferns.

After a short walk you reach the loop trail where the oaks give way to pines.

The loop ventures through this open pine woodland that hosts both Longleaf and Loblolly Pines. The two species are hard to differentiate as they both have long needles in groups of three. Loblolly needles are 5 to 9 inches in length, while Longleaf needles are 9 to 15 inches. With the needles 30 to 50 feet above the ground it can be hard to tell the difference. Structurally, Loblollies tend to have more of a rounded crown, while Longleaf crowns are irregular. For me, the easiest way to tell them apart are the cones that I might find beneath the trees. Loblolly cones are 3 to 5 inches and Longleaf cones are 6 to 10 inches.

In this area the understory was primarily composed of Inkberry Holly.

It was actively flowering across the landscape with numerous pollinators visiting the plants.

In some areas we would see plants currently flowering while also offering berries from last season. Numerous bird species feed on Inkberry fruit including Bobwhite Quail, Wild Turkey, and many songbirds.

We were impressed by the remarkable new growth noted on some of the pines. Once Longleaf Pines enter the sapling stage they can grow by 3 to 4 feet per year. These growth tips are referred to as “candles”.

There is fascinating detail when the candles are seen up close.

This photo demonstrates the “bottle brush” stage of a Longleaf Pine. While this specimen was only 4 foot tall, it may have been approaching 20 to 30 years in age. The bottle brush stage is a time of extensive root development. It is entering the sapling stage characterized by rapid growth.

While the trail seemed “flat” to us, small changes in elevation led to significant changes in habitat, as we went from Pine Upland to Wet Savanna ecosystem. Here the understory of Inkberry Holly, Palmetto, and fern were replaced with wetland grasses and sedges. These wetlands are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.

The soil in these wetlands is acidic and nutrient poor. Overtime many plants evolved to become carnivorous, no longer relying on the soil to provide needed nutrients. Garcon Point has the highest concentration of carnivorous plants in Florida, including pitcher plants, honeydews, butterdews, and bladderworts.

Because the ecosystem is fragile, we observed the wetlands from the margin, taking in views of the carnivorous White-topped Pitcher Plant. The rusty red structures to the left in the photo below are the flowers of the Pitcher Plant. The white and green structures, tinged with dark red, is the carnivorous part of the plant.

Insects are drawn to the lid of the Pitcher Plant by color and a sweet nectar. The nectar contains chemicals that impair the insect and they fall to the base of the tube. It is a one way journey as down growing hairs prevent the insect’s escape. Enzymes at the base of the tube then digest the insect to supply nutrients to the plant.

Another flower seen in the wet meadow was the vibrant Tall Pinebarren Milkwort. The rudimentary leaves on the flower stalk are characteristic of the plant. Its name arises from the false belief that it augmented lactation in women.

The highlights of the hike were two. First, we saw an increasingly rare Red-headed Woodpecker. Unfortunately his stay was fleeting. In addition, we saw a Pileated Woodpecker, and perhaps even a Red-cockaded Woodpecker as it entered a nest cavity in a pine snag.

Second, was seeing the Rose Pagonia, one of the native orchids found in the preserve. It is considered threatened in most of its native range due to habitat loss and competition from invasive species.

The scientific name is Pogonia ophioglossoides, with Pogonia meaning “bearded”, which is an appropriate descriptive.

In general, the hike was characterized by the presence of many species of wildflowers, most occurring as isolated specimens rather than in swathes or clusters. One exciting sighting was Boykin’s Lobelia, an inhabitant of coastal plains from Delaware to Florida. It is considered endangered throughout most of its range.

Orange Milkwort flowers from February through November. I had to laugh at one of its common names – “Swamp Cheetos”.

This Yellow-eyed Grass was noted in the wet meadow and benefits from prescribed burning.

Creeping across the forest floor was Water Dawnflower, another endangered species. As it names implies it is endemic to wetlands and the flower opens in the morning.

Yellow Star Grass is not to be confused with the earlier Yellow-eyed Grass. It is lower growing and in fact not a grass, but a member of the Amaryllis family which is not surprising given the shape of its flower.

Odds and Ends:

These photos of a Meadowhawk Dragonfly allow you to appreciate the detail of their anatomy. In the first photo, the wings and abdomen stand out. In the second, the face is easily seen and it suggests that you are making eye contact. With the entire series of photographs, it appeared that the dragonfly was studying the photographer as much as she was studying it.

One of the interesting finds on the hike was this Lined Orb Weaver spider web. They are unique in that they utilize a heavier thickness of silk at the center of the web, which is the thing you notice first. It just appears to be suspended in mid air.

If you look closely, you can just make out the thinner silk strands radiating out from the thicker silk, and you can also see the spider lurking on the opposite side of the center of the web.

Seek and Find – as we walked the trails we would repeatedly see whitish moths take flight and land a short distance away, but it was almost impossible to find them as their coloration blended in with the forest floor. Once, however, we were able to capture one perched on a fallen leaf stem. Can you see it?

This closeup allows one to appreciate the color pattern that helps the Eastern Grass-veneer Moth escape detection and predation.

In summary, the public wetland greenspaces in Florida are unique – an uncommon mix of vistas, birdsong, plant density, biodiversity, and water …. yes, a lot of water. Garcon Point is one of the best and I applaud Florida’s protection of this gem. Our outing here was everything that I was hoping for – a good walk in a Longleaf Pine woodland, excellent birding, some study of plants that we have not seen before, and the always interesting carnivorous plants. There is so much to see that it becomes challenging to take it all in – a good problem to have. To cap it all off, we saw several endangered and threatened species. The photographer and I will revisit Garcon Point on our next visit to the Panhandle to hike the Spur Trail from north trailhead which spends more time in the wetland. I also anticipate a trip here when our entire family next visits the Panhandle. Past hiking experiences tells me that our daughters will be as awed as we were, and the additional sets of eyes and ears will undoubtedly lead to even greater discovery.

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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.

Overview

Location – 972 Avalon Blvd., Milton, Florida. It is 20 miles from downtown Pensacola and 35 miles from Fort Walton Beach.

Parking – gravel lot for about 12 cars.

Facilities – none.

Trail Conditions – bare sand and mowed grass. Much of it is in the sun so sunscreen and water are musts. The trails are well marked.

Trail map link – none. Take a photo at the trailhead.

Benches – none noted.

Kids – should do fine.

Dogs – only with a permit.

Suggested Paired Hikes – none.

Links:

https://myfwc.com/recreation/cooperative/garcon-point/

https://floridahikes.com/garconpoint/