This remote basin along the Apalachicola River of the Florida panhandle is a UNESCO protected biosphere and, along with Okefenokee in Georgia, is the main production area for Tupelo honey. The Peter Fonda movie Ulee’s Gold is set here, and beekeepers frequently boat around keeping track of their bees. Many of the stumps in the photo are white tupelo gum trees, while others are cypress. Tupelo means ‘swamp tree’ in Muskogee, and Elvis’ hometown of Tupelo Mississippi has black gum trees.

Technically the photo shows the Dead Lakes on the outskirts of the preserve, but a bit past the Chipola River Bridge is the Gaskin Park boat ramp, where you can access the core area. Due to the high density of large reptiles, I decided against kayaking. But the river, swamp, floodplains, estuary, mudflats, forest, seagrass beds and barrier islands here comprise a uniquely diverse, remote, and unpolluted ecosystem, supporting many unusual and endangered species, including more reptiles and amphibians than anywhere else in the country, black bear, manatee, hundreds of species of birds, and a critical nursery for fish and shellfish. ⭐

This post marks the end of my trip to Florida and the Southeast region of the contiguous US. Next Monday I’ll post about a world heritage site in the Mid Atlantic region.