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UPPER PELLICER CREEK (Faver-Dykes to US-1 and beyond) by Brad Miller |
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In the Spring issue I wrote about Pellicer Creek from Faver-Dykes State Park to the Princess Estate, a section that
takes you out to the creek's mouth. This installment will take you in the opposite direction, inland. What makes this
section so different from the first is its diversity in foliage and wildlife. The farther you paddle upstream the more
fresh the water becomes, having a drastic affect on everything that lives there. It is pretty interesting to watch the
change take place.
The put-in is the same as for the lower section of the creek, the boat ramp at Faver-Dykes State Park (a very nice facility). My fellow paddlers and I did this section on a Monday and didn't see another boat the whole trip. But, unlike the section that leads out to the mouth, this one is more developed. There are some houses on the north side of the creek up until you reach the I-95 bridge, about a two mile stretch. The plant life and wildlife that you see along this stretch is much like what you see paddling out to the Princess Estate. There is a lot of saltmarsh cordgrass, wading birds and the occasional alligator. In fact, I have to admit, this first section is somewhat boring. The really good stuff comes later. The creek beyond the I-95 bridge is essentially undeveloped. That is the first plus! The second is that the water starts to become much more fresh. The saltmarsh cordgrass starts to get replaced by other, less salt-tolerant plants. From this point on, you will start to see more gators, fewer wading birds, more ducks and sometimes river otters. Even the fish species start to change; we actually saw some Florida Gar. I never would have expected that. Not too far past the I-95 bridge is the US-1 bridge. Between the two lives a beautiful gator that I would estimate at nine to ten feet long. He lives right on a sharp point of land that the creek bends around. We kept to the far side as we glided past, but it did not matter. He made quite a ruckus when he hit the water like a freight train. As you pass the US-1 bridge, the scenery changes completely. You begin to feel like you are in a jungle. The creek gets narrow and a canopy starts to form overhead. Palm trees hang out over the river forcing paddlers to ma ke some tight boat maneuvers. The water color changes to a tannic black from the salty grey that is seen at the put-in. This is where the trip really gets good! About two miles past the US-1 bridge, the creek splits into the Stevens Branch and the Pringle Branch. The Stevens Branch is really the only one that goes anywhere. The Pringle Branch becomes choked with downfall as it fades out into the Pringle Swamp. So, stay to the right at the big fork in the road and the Stevens Branch will carry you all the way to SR-204 and beyond. Another option for paddling this section of Pellicer Creek is to put in at the SR-204 bridge and paddle downstream. This way you can cut out the part between I-95 and Faver-Dykes State Park. As always, be prepared for the unexpected, take a paddling partner and have fun. See you on the water! |
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