Hi, again! Winter has been hit and miss here in Northwest Florida. We've been having some really mild winter days this year, so my husband and I have been trying to get out in nature and enjoy some of the trails that our area has to offer. Just a short drive away is Camp Helen State Park. I'd love for you come along with us for a tour today and enjoy this beautiful place too....
You'd have to know how much I love a log cabin, to know how happy I was to find this on the grounds of the park.... what a wonderful surprise, and I am always loving some old moss draped trees....
And Rocking chairs on the porch....with views of Lake Powell, one of the rare coastal dune lakes of Florida....
Drift wood....
Board walks...
More lake views....
Paved pathways....there are several short trails throughout the park...
Wild rosemary....
Up the stairs is back to the log cabin....
Just past the log cabin are these little historic cottages (below), they were used from 1945 to 1987 when Camp Helen was a company resort for the employees of an Alabama textile mill, Avondale Mills. Some of them have been restored.
A place to rest under the trees...
Another trail called the Oak Canopy Trail...
Pathway to the Beaches....and the Gulf of Mexico....
A rustic grey salt weathered picket fence and sugar white sands....
And sand dunes....many of the dunes along the gulf coast have been destroyed by progress and building, but in my childhood memories, I can recall our beaches looking like this... and back in the day, I remember walking a long distance to get down to the beaches and ocean. I honestly do not miss that long trek on foot through the sand to the water, but I'm so thankful that the State Parks have preserved these very special places.
Pristine and beautiful...
looking back at the lake (photo above)
I hope you enjoyed the little tour and walk... thanks for coming along with us!
To find out more about Camp Helen State Park you can visit the website
HERE
