Wednesday – March 13, 2013
We departed the Clearwater Lake Campground in the Ocala National Forest at 10:30 a.m. Our destination is a campground somewhere within 100 miles of Panama City, Florida. We decided to take route US-98 to our destination. This route runs through dense forests and several small quaint towns along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. To reach US-98 our route took us west on FL-42 to north on I-75 to northwest on US-27 to Alt. US-27 to US-19/98 to west on US-98, that we picked up in Perry, Florida.
The towns showcase expansive beachfront homes, elevated above the beach about 20 feet on approximately 4-foot square concrete pillars. Several homes had wrap-around porches providing a panoramic view of the Gulf. Oyster bars abound along this route providing succulent delights for the oyster aficionado.
At 4:00 p.m. we were approaching the Apalachicola National Forest. There are two campgrounds within this forest we decided we would check out: Hickory Landing and Wright Lake. Both campgrounds are accessed on FL-65, 2.5 miles south of Sumatra, Florida or 23 miles north of US-98. Hickory Landing is located one mile and Wright Lake is located two miles west of FL-65 on Forest Road 101, a hard-packed sand road.
Hickory Landing Campground is a primitive campground surrounded by a pine tree forest, no hookups and vault toilets. This campground was not suitable for our camping lifestyle. Wright Lake was a pleasant surprise. Spacious campsites, water hookups at each site, restroom facilities with flush toilets and hot water showers and a dump station. Decision made! We selected site #15 that faced the lake and settled in for the night.
The Wright Lake Campground is a small campground containing 20 campsites and a picnic area. There is a small lake with a swimming beach adjacent to the campground that is bordered by a dense pine tree forest. This is an excellent choice for campers looking for a campground to spend one night or several days.
Camping Fee: $5.00 per night with our Golden Age Pass.
Campsite: 15
Total miles traveled: 291
Tomorrow another adventure begins.
