When we arrived at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Although the ravine was close to dried up, the beauty of what was ‘under the water’ was a sight to see. My favorite was a tree that had fallen & nature just ran its course. Casey & I followed the ravine trail, not sure if it was an actual trail or not. Either way it was easy enough for us to follow & had lots of cool sights to see along the way.
Once we were done exploring the ravine, we drove to the top of the park and did a little meandering by Little Lake Johnson which lead us to Lake Johnson. The scenery reminded me of the movie Dirty Dancing. Very quaint & homey. Cute little picnic areas, some under pavilions and others under the trees. Down the hill led to a nice swimming hole where families were gathered, splashing around. That park looked like a wonderful place to camp as a family.
After watching the good times being had, it was time to wander off to a quiet place. We made one last stop to a mill site but we did not make it there. The heat was pretty intense at that point of the day and Casey’s breathing patterns were starting to change rapidly. I decided to throw in the towel on a great State Parking day & head to Jacksonville to visit my uncle & aunt.
Before you visit, make sure you check out the parks website for all of the up-to-date park information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/mike-roess-gold-head-branch-state-park
