“Top of the World, MA”. That is what us Floridians feel like when we visit this small but very nice state park. It is touted as the highest spot in Florida. I can tell you driving our old RV up the last hill before the campground you feel like you have climbed a mountain. When we went down to the beach/swimming/fishing area from the campground you are going downhill pretty far and don’t even get me started about coming back to the campground from there. I thought we would never get back to the top. But that could just be me in my old age. As with most state parks, the weekdays are very quiet and the weekends more noisy and crowded even in October. The camp Rangers hold a weekly campfire chat in the campfire ring area telling about the park and allows you to meet your fellow campers. The kids we saw were having a pretty good time. We stayed at the number 1 slot which is an open site for handicapped campers but with the site, we originally booked the ranger thought my mom and I would have a better time of it with a cement pull-through site. And we did. It was in front of the bathhouse and a few sites from the dump station. Which was pretty convenient being as we had to dump the black and gray water tanks every two or three days. The campground hosts were right next to each other and they keep the bathrooms clean, pick up trash in the camping area and around the park and some of them help man the Ranger Station at the front of the park. The playground area in the campsite was limited to a slide and a set of swings.
When you go to the Day Use Area there is a lot of picnic tables, a large playground area, a butterfly garden and an informational kiosk that the local boy scout troop built. This also leads to the various trails in the area including the Cave Sink trail, the Wiregrass Trail (leads to the swimming hole) and, of course, the Waterfalls Trail. This trail is cemented until you get to a boardwalk area that leads down to the Falls. They were running pretty good and we got some nice pictures of the area and even a little movie of the Waterfall itself. The entire park is well-kept, the facilities are very clean and it is mostly shady throughout. You can take your time walking along the trails or meander around the swimming area. The little pond was built as a supplement to try to keep the falls running year round and to hold water when there is too much. We did try to go fishing here first, however, novices that we are we couldn’t figure out how to put together the rod and reel thingy. The handle was bent down and I thought it was broken. Needless to say, I was pretty steamed about that and I had to go online to find out that is how they are shipped. To get it to work you have to roll the thing backward. We finally got them both together but by then we were leaving the next day.
Our first full day at the park it rained the entire day. But it was really nice to sit under the awning and enjoy the rain, reading, crocheting and making jewelry. This is also the first park we actually got any TV service at. It was mostly stations from Dothan, Alabama though. And we had internet and cell service as we were so close to I-10. If you get a chance to visit this park we know you will have a good time. People are very friendly but do not impinge on your privacy. That includes the Rangers, camp-hosts and other campers. We will definitely go back there again and if a camp-host position becomes available we will take it. As with any of the parks, you want to make your reservations to stay ahead of time and when you check in you can get some information about the area and more flyers as well. The ranger station does have some souvenirs. Sadly, we forgot to get any before we left.
Falling Waters State Park
1130 State Park Road
Chipley, Florida 32428
(850) 638-6130
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Falling-Waters
Admission Fee:
$5.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.
$4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle.
$2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in the vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.
Camping Fee:
$18.00 per night, plus tax. Includes water and electricity. Florida residents who are 65 years of age or older or who hold a social security disability award certificate or a 100 percent disability award certificate from the Federal Government are permitted to receive a 50 percent discount on current base campsite fees. Proof of eligibility
Picnic Pavilion Fees:
$50.00 per day, plus tax: large pavilion with 10 tables. Seats 60 people.
$30.00 per day, plus tax: medium pavilion with four tables. Seats 24 people.
NO SEWERS ON SITES (Dump Station) AND NO LAUNDRY FACILITIES
CAMPING SITES: (19-Sites)
24 Back-in Up to 50Amp – 2
30 Back-in Up to 50Amp – 1
30 Pull-through Up to 50Amp – 1
35 Back-in Up to 50Amp – 5
35 Pull-through Up to 50 Amp – 1
40 Back-in Up to 50Amp – 1
40 Pull-through Up to 50Amp – 3
45 Back-In Up to 50Amp – 5
GET WHAT YOU NEED:
GAS
Murphy USA – In Front of Walmarts
1623 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 415-4023
www.murphyusa.com
Express Lane – ExxonMobil
1698 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-2266
www.exxonmobil.com
Handi-Mart – BP
1230 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-1595
www.bp.com
Tom Thumb Convenience Store and Gas
1034 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-4816
www.tomthumb.com
PROPANE for RV
AmeriGas Propane
1422 South Blvd
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 415-1266
Call them to find a local RV LP Gas Refill Place
GROCERIES
Walmart Supercenter 24 Hours
1621 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-2243
LAUNDRY
The Clean Solution
605 Main St
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-1494
RESTAURANTS
Subway
www.subway.com/
1391 Brickyard Road
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-8014
Burger King
www.bk.com/
1698 Main St
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-7600
McDonald’s
www.mcdonalds.com/
1291 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-4544
KFC
www.kfc.com/
1594 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-1988
1901 Gallery & Cafe
803 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-8463
(No website found – Call for Service Days and Times)
Hungry Howie’s
hungryhowies.com/store/hungry-howies-209
1240 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-8382
Wendy’s
www.wendys.com/
1715 Main Street
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-5300
MEDICAL CARE
Northwest Florida Community Hospital
1360 Brickyard Rd
Chipley, FL 32428
(850) 638-1610
http://nfch.org/northwestfloridacommunityhospital/home/
MAP OF THE AREA:
Here is a little movie of the pictures we took while at Falling Waters State Park. We hope you enjoy them and the music too!