Blackwater River State Recreation Area

There are several recreation areas situated throughout the Blackwater River State Forest, which is one of the largest state forests in Florida and is located northeast of Pensacola. One such area is at Bear Lake, where visitors can go fishing and canoeing but swimming is not permitted given the presence of alligators here. This area has hiking and mountain bike trails and visitors can stay at the campground, which has a dining hall and kitchen.

Anyone wishing to swim can try Bone Creek which is a day use recreation area complete with a man made pond for swimming, canoeing and fishing. The five acre lake at Camp Paquette is also used by swimmers, canoeists and anglers, and there is a youth facility with bathrooms and an outdoor pavilion as well. The Coldwater Recreation Area offers many of the activities already mentioned including camping but also has woodland trails for horseback riding.

Hiking, fishing and camping are available at the Hurricane Lake, where visitors may bring pets so long as they are kept on a leash. Karick Lake is another area where visitors can enjoy hiking, picnics and fishing as well as having campsites. The 6.5 acre man-made lake at Krul is a popular area for swimming and features a 1.3 mile trail that takes hikers back to Bear Lake.