Florida’s Highest Waterfall!!

Tweet

Or is it Florida’s only waterfall? A little contrast to explain things: Florida’s highest natural point is 345 feet above sea level, Britton Hill. My hometown of Louisville, Kentucky is 463 feet above sea level. Yeah, Florida is a little flat. However, in the panhandle area there actually are a few waterfalls. That includes Falling Waters, the highest waterfall in the state. It gets a little help, because it’s falling into a sinkhole, but still! Now, if you’ve stood in the awe-inspiring majesty of Niagara Falls, Falling Waters might make you laugh. No need. Every waterfall is different (take it from a waterfall geek). The state park was absolutely lovely this afternoon, with sunshine and mid-70s for the temperature to allow for a stroll along the boardwalk, mostly accessible paths that lead to a sinkhole overlook (I counted four sinkholes in the vicinity), views of the waterfall from “eye level” and “below” (not the bottom the way other waterfalls are accessible, but it was considerably cooler in the “lower falls overlook” area), and an unnamed lake. Along the way there are native trees and plants, well-marked and explained. One of the more interesting things is a sign explaining “controlled burns,” where dead foliage is destroyed by fire. Instead of the way a forest fire consumes everything, however, these are carefully and closely monitored. The sign said that the burns help the wildlife by destroying the things covering their feeding grounds, as well as reducing the available fuel for a fire started by lightning or careless humans. What a lesson! I enjoyed the walk and the wonderful smell of outdoors at the park. While there I also picked up a pass to get into other Florida state parks. I don’t think this’ll be the only one I visit. PHOTO COLLAGE: *Two views of the waterfall, at “moderate flow” *The lake in the park