Hike at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park

Gold head branch state park has been called the grand canyon of Florida. It hangs on the north central ridge of Florida as some of the first land that came out of the sea, which is the reason for all of the Sandhill ecosystem. The ravine was created by the headspring and flow of the Gold Head Branch creek which meanders through all the way to Little Lake Johnson. The park has 4 major trails boasting almost 8 miles of trails, and is surrounded by lakes. There are 3 different sinkhole lakes that can be found in the lake including Deer Lake, Sheeler Lake, and Pebble Lake; Sheeler lake being one of the oldest sinkhole lakes at 24000 years old. The Florida trail takes you through a golden sea of dry wire grasses and past one of these sink hole lakes, and eventually merges with the Ridge Trail which the Ravine is located on. This park has camping through reserve america, a primitive youth camp, and even 2 primitive sites further away from the campgrounds near Big Lake Johnson.