We had a plan, but plans are not foolproof. Over the years, in our pre-Footpaths days, we had hiked this trail several times and each time we saw a diverse population of waterfowl on Western Lake. Our plan was to hike in a camera tripod and a super telephoto lens to get some nice images of the ducks on the lake. But no one told the ducks – they were all no-shows. Such is the fickle nature of wildlife observation.
Lakes in close proximity to salt water is an ecological rarity, occurring in only a few locations across the world. Grayton Beach State Park, in the Florida Panhandle, is home to 4 coastal dune lakes, with Western Lake being the largest. At times these lakes connect with the Gulf of Mexico leading to various degrees of brackish water. The confluence of the lakes, sand dunes, and the ocean results in a unique habitat in which to hike.
The Dune Lake Trail is a short trail with loops at each end that traverses a narrow strip of land between Western Lake and the Gulf of Mexico, and is marked with a #1 on the map below. Four unique habitats make up that strip: beach, sand dune, hind dune, and lakeshore.
When we started on the near loop we had the lake to our left, as seen below and in the title photo,
and knew that it was going to be a good outing when we saw Indian Blanket, also known as Blanket Flower, in bloom amongst the dune plants.
To our right were large dunes which prohibited us from seeing the Gulf of Mexico itself. The path wove through the hind dune area with a mixed botanical community that included Palmetto, Scrub Live Oak, grasses, flowering herbaceous plants, and some pines.
At times the trail was at the base of dunes that were blanketed with Sand Live Oak, which allowed us to examine the trees. You can tell that they are oaks by the presence of clustered terminal buds (circled) and acorns (only the caps were still on the tree when we visited).
We did find some of the small acorns, which were about the size of a cranberry, on the sand beneath the oaks.
Through evolution they have developed traits that help them survive in this inhospitable habitat. They are stout, lessening the risk of damage in storm winds.
Their leaves are small, thick, waxy, leathery, and curved under at the edge, all features that lessen moisture loss.
One somewhat unique feature of Sand Live Oak is the abundance and variety of lichen that is found on the bark of these trees.
Due to the fragility of the dune habitat, the trail is well marked and in some areas ropes are placed to restrict random wandering. They are not placed there for the safety of the visitor but rather for the protection of this rare ecosystem.
There is something about this ecosystem that brings me back. Certainly the plant diversity is part of it. But also, I think it is the harshness of this location that I find fascinating. Not harsh to a transient visitor like myself who chooses to visit on a pretty winter day, but rather harsh to the flora and fauna who call this place home. The closeness to the beach results in damaging winds that contain salt and sand, causing the shrubs and trees to take on contorted forms. This can be demonstrated by studying the exposed Sand Live Oak specimen in the photo below. It looked to be thriving on initial glance, but once we got to the side of the tree that was exposed to the prevailing winds of the Gulf, we could see exposed roots and branches bare of leaves. The challenging conditions results in stunted growth and a shortened lifespan. Seventy years is considered the upper range for Sand Live Oaks, while its cousin, the larger Live Oak, which lives further inshore, routinely lives for centuries and can live for one thousand years.
Another plant that showed signs of the struggle was this Youpon Holly with many bare branches and an overall paucity of leaves.
At times the dunes are massive, providing a windbreak, as noted in this image taken behind us on the trail.
To review, to our left was the tranquility of Western Lake with a shoreline pine forest in the distance,
and to our right were dunes and a windswept land of challenge.
Eventually the path heads into a mixed woodland where the far loop arises. Here the winds are less and the plants more protected.
The plant community is lush, with a more jungle feel, where ferns, vines and fruiting plants were noted:
Inkberry Holly – the dark berry is an important winter food source for wildlife. Historically the berries were also used to make a crude ink.
Dahoon Holly – its leaves contain caffeine and other stimulants and were used by Native Americans for a coffee like drink. It is an excellent landscaping plant as well. While it and the Youpon Holly share many qualities, its leaves are bigger and it grows much taller.
Sweet Sarsaparilla – historically its root was used to flavor sodas and root beer. Now, artificial flavorings are typically used.
Swamp Bay – its leaves host the larvae of several Swallowtail butterfly species and its fruit is eaten by many birds and small mammals.
With superficial effort we were able to identify three types of fern: Bracken, Log Fern, and Lady Fern.
This section of trail was not without its challenges as the lowlands held standing water from recent weeks of steady rain.
Finally, the loop passes through the Slash Pine wood that we have been eyeing from a distance. Their name comes from the historical procedure of slashing the bark to obtain sap to make turpentine and naval stores, such as tar and pitch, which were used in the construction and maintenance of wooden ships. It is one of the species included in the Southern Yellow Pine Group and is considered an important timber tree.
These were medium sized specimens that were about 60 feet tall. They can reach 120 feet in height and the trunk can be up to 4 feet in diameter. Like most pine forests in the Panhandle, the understory was open and contained many grass species.
The trail in the pine wood was sand and seashell. We were intrigued when we noted that one visitor had taken upon themself to decorate the trees with some of the shells. Perhaps it was an extension of someone’s holiday tree decorating.
But nature may have gotten the last laugh as further study revealed that these shells were often entwined in Poison Ivy vine. Eighty-five percent of the population is allergic to Poison Ivy, and you can get the rash from leafless vines just as severely as from the leaves themselves.
As we returned, we took the part of the first loop that climbed and then entered the dunes.
This was a different type of landscape with the path passing through a tunnel of arching Sand Live Oaks. These were somewhat sheltered and larger than those we had seen on the open sand and got me pondering. Since we were in a collection of trees were we in a forest? While there are quite a number of definitions for forest, perhaps the simplest is “a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth”. But what entails “a large area”? Later, I found criteria for a forest outlined by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization – “Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares (about 1.2 acres), with tree heights greater than 5 meters (about 16 feet) at maturity, or trees with the potential to reach this height, and a crown cover of more than 10 percent”. Yes, we were in a forest – although an atypical one.
Then I asked myself, since these dunes have never been lumbered or significantly altered by man, were we in an old-growth forest? The definition of an old-growth forest lacks consensus even more so than that of a forest in general. While terms such as “tall trees”, “old trees”, “abundant dead wood”, “diversity of species”, “tree snags”, and “multiple canopy levels” are used, the only thing that this dune wood lacked was tall trees. It did however have trees that were tall for their species at about 15 to 18 feet. It also had trees that were old for their expected lifespan, dead wood, and certainly a diversity of species. I would indeed argue that we were standing in an Old-Growth Coastal Scrub Forest. Perhaps I will lobby the Old-Growth Forest Network about this.
Just as we were exiting the wood we found this sign. Clearly someone had pondered these questions as well, and thought enough of this little forest, to add this.
Odds and Ends:
On the Sand Live Oak tunnel path we noted Spanish Moss at eye level which is somewhat unusual and contributed to the diversity and uniqueness of the environment.
We were surprised to find a collection of mushrooms on the open sand. There were many noted, spread about a thirty foot circle. Surprising because mushrooms are generally found in areas with decaying organic debris. Science now knows that it is likely that all the mushrooms may actually have been the fruiting structures of one organism, all connected by a nearly microscopic underground mycelia network of tissues. The majority of the fungi’s mass lies underground, unseen.
As we were studying the Sand Live Oaks we noted these growing at the tip of a branch – galls caused by the Mealy Oak Gall Wasp. Basically, the small wasp lays its eggs in terminal buds like those seen in the earlier photo. The eggs secrete enzymes that pirate the tissues’ biochemistry to cause these galls to form rather than leaves. The gall is a nursery for the wasp larvae. They do not cause any long-term damage to the tree.
Lastly a gallery of textures and colors that we noted along the hike:
Reindeer Moss, Bush Goldenrod seedhead, deer print, Indian Blanket seedhead, Camphorweed, Tickseed, and an unidentified seedhead.
In summary, this was another outstanding foray into “the real Florida” – the catchphrase that the Florida State Parks use to encourage folks to enjoy the undeveloped, naturalized landscapes of the state. To be honest, these experiences are what draws us back to the Panhandle again and again. Though the waterfowl did not cooperate with our plans, the opportunity to stroll through varied habitats with a diversity of wildlife made for a great outing and enriched another winter visit to the region.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.
Overview
Location – 357 Main Park Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459.
Parking – large asphalt lot at Grayton Beach. The trailhead is at the eastern edge of the parking lot.
Facilities – formal restrooms at the beach house.
Trail Conditions – compacted and loose sand for the majority of the trail. In the woodland there are some shells. The Lake Trail was one mile long.
Benches – occasional on the trail overlooking the lake.
Kids – kids 4 and over should do fine.
Dogs – Welcomed on a leash but the sand can be very hot on their paws.
Suggested Paired Hikes – across the road from the park entry, on highway 30A, is the trailhead for the Flatwoods Trail which mainly goes through a dry upland forest. It is a 4 mile long in and out trail. We have done parts of that trail in the past and it is in good shape.
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