Follow The Root Beer River On The Big Shoals Trail

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Last spring (2022) we made the trek up to Big Shoals State Park from Gainesville.

Now that we were all moved in, we wanted to get out and do some hiking! It was about time and the weather was still nice.

We went on a weekend but it still wasn’t very busy so it was nice and quiet, and thankfully not horribly hot yet.

The trail is pretty easy and easy to follow. It starts out fairly wide before eventually narrowing down to one person wide.

We got to see quite a few wildflowers along the trail, which I always love. It was really the perfect day for hiking.

The Big Shoals Trail is really straightforward and takes you right to a viewing area of the rapids that give the park it’s name.

It’s not a super great view, there were a lot of trees in the way, but it is what it is. It’s still a really nice hike.

We admired the rapids for a while then had to decide if we wanted to keep going for a bit or head back.

We decided to keep going and I’m so glad we did! Sometime not too far after the rapids we found a way down to a beautiful white sand beach along the river.

Who expects to see a white sand beach on a brown river!? Not me. It was really nice though and we spent some time relaxing down there.

We continued on and got a brief glimpse looking down at the river from the trail one more time before mostly being in the woods again.

This part wasn’t super scenic or anything but I’m so glad we kept going because we got to see blooming cactus (yes, cactus in Florida!) with bugs in the flowers!

I also saw a giant beetle (I love seeing all kinds of bugs and critters) AND an armadillo sneaking through the plants on the side of the trail!

(Looking back at my Instagram post from this day, I noted that we saw TWO armadillos! I have pictures of both but only remember one).

I love armadillos so much so this was very exciting. I don’t get to see them (alive) very often, much less that close.

My feet were starting to hurt and it was getting a bit warm so we decided to turn around.

It’s just an out and back trail so we went back the way we came, skipping another stop at the rapids as we went.

I’m so glad we decided to visit Big Shoals because not only was it beautiful, but I got to see so many fund things along the way.

Where is Big Shoals State Park?

Big Shoals State Park is near White Springs, Florida. It’s part of an area protected by the state park, Big Shoals State Forest, Big Shoals Conservation Area, and Deep Creek Conservation Area.

The trails pass through all of these areas except for Deep Creek. That’s on the opposite side of the Suwanee River, which runs through the park.

It’s about an hour and fifteen minutes from Gainesville, 10 minutes from White Springs, and an hour and fifteen minutes from Jacksonville.

How long is the Big Shoals Nature Trail?

The Big Shoals Trail is 1.1 miles each direction but you can continue following the Palmetto Trail for a bit if you want a longer hike.

That’s what we did and I enjoyed it. Continuing on just takes you through more woods, a bit higher above the river.

Is the Big Shoals Nature Trail hard?

I didn’t think the Big Shoals Trail was hard. My feet were tired by the time we got back but I blame that on my shoes not the trail.

We did continue past the shoals a bit on the Palmetto Trail, but not to the end of that. It was similar hiking the whole way.

Other hiking trails at Big Shoals State Park

With about 28 miles of trails, there are plenty of options for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

Woodpecker Trail – 6.7 miles round-trip – easy

This is a 3.4 mile (one way) paved trail connecting the Big Shoals and Little Shoals parking areas. It passes through the Big Shoals State forest.

There aren’t many views on this trail (you cannot see the rapids from here) but it’s a nice wooded trail.

Palmetto Trail – 15.2 miles round-trip – moderate (for distance)

This is a 7.6 mile (one-way) trail connecting the Big Shoals and Little Shoals parking areas, passing through the Big Shoals Conservation Area.

This takes you to a view of the rapids through the woods, not along the river like the Big Shoals Trail.

Long Branch Trail – 2.3 miles round-trip – easy

This is a 2.3 mile loop that leaves from the Big Shoals parking area. Part of it is along the river before looping through the woods. This does not take you to the rapids at all.

Are there rapids at Big Shoals?

Yes! There are rapids at Big Shoals State Park and they’re the biggest rapids in Florida!

Don’t expect like, really crazy rapids though. These are class III whitewater rapids but are still cool to see.

You cannot access Big Shoals rapids OR Little Shoals rapids by vehicle.

Is visiting Big Shoals worth it?

Yes! While it isn’t like, a super impressive waterfall or anything, I did enjoy our time at Big Shoals and liked seeing the biggest rapids in Florida!

It also wasn’t very busy so it was nice having the trail mostly to ourselves. I would avoid it in the summer though.