Overnight at Jonathan Dickinson SP

kimbur96

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
194
IMG_5179.jpg Well there's no big mountains here or amazing canyon formations but i will share a little of what i saw this weekend. JD park is about 10,000 acres in the northern part of Palm Beach county about an hour from where I live. It is a diverse ecosystem with miles of sugar sand trails. scrub pines and saw palmettos and wet marshlands. I didn't get on the trail until about 10:30 am. It was 75f with a nice cool breeze. My pack was heavy for a one night trip as i was carrying a galloon water because other trip reports said the pitcher pump at the primitive site isn't always working. The other reason is ,because you aren't allowed to gather firewood I actually packed in my own, you know those heavy 4 hour burn logs from the grocery store. I hated it on the way in, but once the sun dropped and the temps fell I was so glad to have it.

The hike in took me 2.5 hours. It's basically flat but the sand is a killer workout. Plus I have to guess my pack was at 35-40# with the water and the wood. I was also carrying a small DSLR and couldn't find a comfortable was to carry it. I will have to work on that. I wanted it accessible not in my pack, but it bothered my neck when i slung it, so most of the time i just carried it in my hand. By 1pm when i reached my site it was quite warm and I was glad for the little bit of shade provided by the scrub pines.

The ranger said there was a reports of a gator with babies before one of the water crossings, but i didn't see her. I did see bobcat tracks in the mud along with raccoon and evidence of hogs. They dig up the ground like a rototiller. Hogs are an invasive species here and i saw one large trap on the trail.

This was supposed to be my first solo overnighter. However, when i got to the ranger station I was informed there would be a BSA group at the other primitive site not 200 yards away. So much for solo. But it did provide a humorous moment. Once the sunset and i fired up my 5# log I had humped in I could hear one of the adults at the BSA camp say "how did she get fire?" The next morning I passed them as they were hiking out and the guy in front said "that was some fire you had last night" to which i explained i had packed in my own firewood. :)

The evening was very relaxing with a beautiful sunset that I failed to capture with my camera. I had planned on doing some star photography but there was way to much light from the surrounding city. So i enjoyed my fire, had dinner and climbed in my tent. I had a new Big Agnes insulated double z mattress I was trying out. Love that thing!! It is bigger and heavier than my NeoAir xlite, but i bought it because it is 5 inches wider. I sleep on my side and the xlite was so narrow i was always falling off the side or my arms were dangling awkwardly off it. With the BA i slept like a dream. She's definitely a keeper.

After my morning coffee, i made breakfast and broke camp. I stopped to some pictures of flowers and the different parts of the complex ecosystem at JD. About half way out a large doe bounced across the trail not 20 feet in front of me, she was a big girl and made my heart smile. It wasn't a big trip but i enjoyed getting away, even if for only one night.

IMG_5190.jpgIMG_5158.jpg IMG_5128.jpg IMG_5159.jpg IMG_5163.jpg IMG_5164.jpg IMG_5168.jpg IMG_5169.jpg IMG_5178.jpg
 
Last edited:
Florida backpacking looks amazing! Thanks for sharing something we don't see as often.
 
Florida backpacking is amazing! I live in the Rocky Mountains,but I still miss the Smokys,and being so close to Florida. One of my greatest trips was kayak/camping up at Eglin AFB in the panhandle.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for sharing. I recently bought a wider sleep pad. I am with you I hate my arms dangling off. I have only used it once but slept much better than on the regular sized pad.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Wanderlust073 A winter overnight Backpacking 4
P Overnight at Ice Lake, Yellowstone Backpacking 4
GramaNana Newbie Overnight with REI gear - Farmington, Utah May 2021 Hiking & Camping 12
M Overnight Backpacking Indian Peaks Wilderness or Similar Trip Planning 13
Outdoor_Fool Overnight in the Talkeetnas Backpacking 8
NECoastalHykur Ketchum Run Overnight - Loyalsock Trail - Pennsylvania - 2020 September 26 Hiking & Camping 6
NorthwestWanderer Overnight Backpack to Louis Lake, Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Backpacking 4
wsp_scott Overnight bike trip with a 7 year old Backpacking 1
Miya First Overnight Snow Trip...Finally Hiking & Camping 20
Perry My First Overnight Ski Touring Adventure Winter Sports 3
P June Lamar overnight Backpacking 1
Wanderlust073 McCurdy Mountain 6/29 overnight Meet Up (Members Only) 2
R First overnight backpacking trip in Utah in the next coupke of weeks Trip Planning 3
Yvonne Overnight Trip to Yant Flats Hiking & Camping 8
balzaccom Saddlebag Lake overnight Backpacking 0
Shirt357 Overnight to Odessa Lake - RMNP Backpacking 4
P Yellowstone Ice Lake overnight Backpacking 6
Wanderlust073 South Colony Lakes overnight Backpacking 9
P Quick Yellowstone overnight, Rescue Creek Backpacking 21
Outdoors24 Overnight in Capitol Reef: A trip that ended early Backpacking 12
Outdoors24 Overnight in Lower Spring Canyon Backpacking 5
Wanderlust073 Fish and Owl Canyons overnight Backpacking 24
Skiwi An overnight at Lake Blanche in fall Backpacking 2
Wanderlust073 Upper Willow Lake overnight - Eagles Nest Wilderness Backpacking 4
b.stark Sangre de Cristo Overnight Backpacking 4
Wanderlust073 Bison Peak overnight - Lost Creek Wilderness, CO Backpacking 5
N Which High Uintas overnight hike? Trip Planning 2
hamtron5000 Big Dominguez Canyon Overnight Backpacking 0
Craiger Overnight parking in Needles backcountry Trip Planning 1
kimbur96 First Solo overnight, Navigation Trail, Upper Priest River, Northern Idaho Backpacking 10
S Overnight camping trip in MD/VA/WV Trip Planning 3
muir_mountain Austin Peak Overnight: July 2015 Backpacking 8
kimbur96 Tell me about your first solo overnight trip General Discussion 2
N Need advice for a overnight trip Trip Planning 9
uintahiker Overnight in a Fire Lookout Tower Trip Planning 8
Duke GTNP: Climbers Stranded Overnight in Stettner Couloir Suffer Hypothermia, Prompt Rescue General Discussion 2
AllNightAz First official hike and overnight 3-4 day camp trip Noobs: Introduce yourself! 2
Sarah Quick Overnight Advice? Trip Planning 3
Outdoors24 Ashdown Gorge Overnight Hike Backpacking 5
F Short Overnight hikes near Salt Lake City Trip Planning 2
N Overnight or 2 night trip in New Orleans area (or any part of LA) Trip Planning 5
natylka Overnight Camping, Hiking and Climbing at Ruth Lake-August 2014 Hiking & Camping 2
Ben Sawtooths overnight, november 2013 Backpacking 2
F Overnight trip on AT, port Clinton to pinnacle Trip Planning 0
pixie1339 Invite Overnight backpack in Zion, May 3-4 Meet Up (Members Only) 114
kimbur96 Kitching Creek Trail at Jonathan Dickinson SP Hiking & Camping 0
Wolverine1875 Wind River Range: Llama Trekking from Dickinson Park to The Cirque of The Towers Trip Planning 19

Similar threads

Back
Top