Trail Overview
Prairie Trail is a short dead-end road that starts at Forest Road J 2. The trail takes you through the southwest part of the Blackwater River State Forest. It gives you access to the prairie in the forest. The road conditions are a mixture of packed sand, loose sand, and some deep holes that can turn into 1-foot-deep mud holes after rainy days. The road is not always wide enough for two vehicles to pass. 4WD and high clearance are recommended. All vehicles must be street legal. The cell phone reception is weak, and the next gas station may be far away. Blackwater River State Forest is one of the largest State Forests in Florida and is named for the Blackwater River. It is located in the Florida Panhandle northeast of Pensacola.
History
Blackwater River is one of the few shifting sand-bottom streams that remains in its natural state for nearly its entire length. The topography of the forest is gently rolling, and various natural communities are represented. Blackwater River State Forest is known for its longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem, which, in combination with the Conecuh National Forest to the north and Eglin Air Force Base to the south, is the largest contiguous ecological community of this type in the world. Longleaf pines once covered over 60 million acres in the Southeastern Coastal Plains of the United States. Less than 5 percent of the original acreage now remains. Longleaf pine communities are rich in plant and animal life, including many species classified as endangered, threatened or of special concern.
