Welcome to the Apalachicola!

Proclaimed as a National Forest in 1936, the Apalachicola National Forest is the largest forest in Florida at 571,088 acres, which includes 2,735 acres of water.

Six watersheds within the Apalachicola provide an abundance of fresh water streams, rivers, lakes, and natural springs.

In addition to numerous recreation opportunities on our waterways and trails - including 67 linear miles of the Florida Trail - the forest offers other attractions such as Leon Sinks, an unusual geological area of caverns and sinkholes, and the Apalachee Savannas, with its stunning displays of wildflowers in open prairies near the Apalachicola River.

For history buffs, a visit to Fort Gadsden, an outpost along the Apalachicola River dating back to the War of 1812, is a must. Although the fort vanished more than a century ago, interpretive information and artifacts present the colorful history of this strategic location along the Apalachicola River.

Located in Florida's Panhandle, southwest of Tallahassee, the Apalachicola National Forest is well-known for its spectacular botanical diversity, including colorful pitcher plant prairies and one of the last extensive longleaf pine and wiregrass communities still in existence. Two wilderness areas will give you an idea what Florida looked like before "civilization" arrived.