HOLMES CREEK

Since the oil invasion in the Gulf of Mexico, we have been widening our horizons by exploring the freshwater side of kayaking. Although saltwater kayaking is and always will be our true love, this summer has not been as favorable on the water as it was last summer. We have dealt with weird winds, storms, rough water and of course, the oil. So, we have taken several opportunities to explore the creeks and rivers in our area starting with the Wakulla River and then the Chipola River. A friend of my brother told us about Holmes Creek which is located in Washington County, just outside of Vernon on Hwy. 277. So, with Google Earth loaded on our computer, we researched our launch options and devised a plan of action.

We decided to launch at Cotton Landing, about a 45 minute drive from our house. All the launch sites along the creek are controlled by the Northwest Florida Water Management District. Cotton Landing is fairly easy to find and the road to the landing is well maintained. The area offers picnic tables and a portable restroom but the launch is not ideal for kayaks, canoes, or any other type of boat. There are aluminum canoes available for rent at this location and although we did not witness a canoe launch, we can only assume they are pushed off the one-foot drop off into the creek.

We managed to get our kayaks into the water and decided if we were ever going to do this again, we would bring our two smaller kayaks. They would be more manageable at this launch site. We prefer a sandy beach to launch from and this landing had no sand, a one-foot drop off into a boggy bottom and tree stumps to deal with. However, we were here and we were going down the creek. The morning fog was above the creek when we left the landing but quickly disappeared as the air warmed up.

There were three other kayakers from Santa Rosa that had come to paddle down the creek. The woman that was with the group had paddled Holmes Creek before and filled us in on some directions and destination spots, one of which was Cypress Springs. We had seen the spring on the map and knew about where it was so we were good to go.

Heading out, we thought the creek was running rather fast. The Wakulla and Chipola had been much slower compared to this so we would have to really pay attention in order to stay out of the banks. Shortly after leaving the landing, we came upon a downed tree across the creek. It appeared to us that you could not get around the tree so we prepared to pull the kayaks out of the water and walk them around the tree. The three kayakers behind us paddled up and the woman let us know that the tree was passable with a little maneuvering. Jr. already had his kayak on land and continued to walk it around the tree. I decided to paddle around it, following the three kayakers in front of me.

Once back on course we continued down the creek for about a third of a mile before we reached the spring run to Cypress Springs. Once you head up the run, the water becomes crystal clear and looks much more shallow than it actually is. The bottom is sandy with a zillion little freshwater snails on the bottom. And, no kidding, there are dollar weeds growing in the creek bottom! I could not believe it!

The run to the spring is not long and you can hear so clearly on the creek you know you are getting close when you hear the voices of those already there. The land around the spring is private and fenced off but the landowners allow boaters to pull up to the bank as long as the area is kept clean. I must say, we saw very little litter along the creek and around the spring.
Since we were here so early, there were only a couple other boats at the spring. We parked our kayaks and got out to look at the spring and enjoy the COLD water.

The spring is breathtaking in color and clarity. You can see straight down into it. We took a couple underwater shots with our waterproof camera and wished we had brought along a mask and snorkel so we could float over the spring and look down into it. The water comes out rather forcefully and as we tried to float over the top of the spring in our kayaks to get pictures, it was hard to stay in one spot for very long. This is a Magnitude 2 spring with a 89 million gallons per day flow. Nestle brand bottled water comes from this spring.

After leaving Cypress Springs, we continued our paddle downstream to another spring we had seen on the map. While paddling, we thought we heard traffic on a nearby highway but in fact, it was a swarm of hornets! We put the kayaks in overdrive to get past the swarm. We rounded the bend and found the spring run and could still hear the hornets. A short piece ahead we came to the spring. Although not as big as Cypress Springs, it is much deeper and many people dive in this spring. There is very little flow from this spring but it is indeed a major contributor to Holmes Creek. We are not sure, but we think this was Becton Springs.

We paddled out and downstream wondering what else we might come across. We had passed many small motor boats going upstream and didn't know where they were coming from except maybe the landing in Vernon. We then discovered they were launching from Culpepper Landing. This landing is much nicer than Cotton Landing and we have decided, next trip, we are launching here and paddling upstream to the springs.

Just a bit further downstream, we stopped for lunch on a flat bank. The three kayakers passed us on their way to the landing at Hwy. 79 in Vernon. They offered us a ride back to our truck if we wanted to paddle farther but we decided to paddle back upstream and visit Cypress Springs one more time before heading back to the landing. On the return trip, we came upon a German Shepherd sitting on a dock and as soon as we passed him, he began barking and crying as if he was asking to come along with us. I heard him hit the water but he thankfully did not follow us.

As we got closer to the springs again, the locals were out in full force. Aluminum rental canoes were everywhere along with many small motor boats. The springs were full and the party had begun. We did not paddle all the way to the springs but stopped along the shallows to rest a bit and enjoy the cool water before heading back to the landing. After a quick break, it was back to the creek and the short paddle upstream to the landing.

We have had great times on the rivers and creeks we have paddled this summer. We are going back to Wakulla River in a couple weeks and taking our daughter and my sister along. We are hoping to visit a few more places before our season ends. Tomorrow we will hit the saltwater, just to make things fair. We are so fortunate to live in an area where we can be in the Gulf one day and at the springs the next or see a sea turtle on one trip and a mantee the next. Such is the diversity of the Panhandle and I cannot think of a better place to live. I only wish we had discovered kayaking when we were younger but we are learning and experiencing as much as we can every weekend. As long as we have our health and our strength, we are going to be on the water, somewhere, come the weekend!