Gully Branch Road

Trail Overview

Gully Branch Road is the only trail that takes you all the way through the west part of Tate's Hell State Forest. The road runs from SR 67, crossing the New River to the West Boundary Rd. It gives you access to the Pine Branch OHV Trailhead and staging area, which offers a restroom and a picnic area. You'll find the Gully Branch Day-Use Area at the New River with a boat ramp, restrooms, and a picnic area. There are three primitive campsites close to the Day-Use Area. The road conditions are a mixture of packed sand, loose sand, and some deep holes that can turn into 2-foot-deep mud holes after rainy days. Some sections might require 4WD. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) are only permitted in designated areas and require proper titling and a State Forest OHV Permit. Tate's Hell is a large patchwork of flatwoods and savannahs with an intricate web of creeks and wetlands. The forest features the unique dwarf cypress that only reaches a mature height of about 15 feet, with some trees estimated at over a century old. Pitcher plant prairies hold a diverse mixture of carnivorous plants, wildflowers, and grasses. The carnivorous plants include glistening sundews, butterworts, bladderworts, and several species of pitcher plants that trap insects in their erect trumpet-shaped leaves. Tate's Hell is home to a rich array of wildlife including deer, turkey, black bear, alligators, and many resident and migratory birds. The forest offers space, solitude, and unique natural beauty to the visitor.

Photos of Gully Branch Road

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Difficulty

The trail is easy between SR 67 and the Gully Branch Day-Use Area. The creek crossings on the west part of the trail can be up to three feet deep and several hundred feet wide.

History

Local legend has it that in 1875, a farmer by the name of Cebe Tate, armed with only a shotgun and accompanied by his hunting dogs, journeyed into the swamp in search of a panther that was killing his livestock. Tate became lost in the swamp for several days, was bitten by a snake, and was drinking from the murky waters. Finally, he came to a clearing near Carrabelle, living only long enough to murmur the words, "My name is Cebe Tate, and I just came from Hell!" Since then the area has been known as Tate's Hell. In the early 1950s, under the ownership of private forest production companies, attempts were made to drain Tate's Hell swamp in order to grow trees. They later learned that draining the freshwater from the swamp into East Bay seriously affected the marine condition of the bay and its estuaries. In 1994, the first land was purchased by the state to help protect the aquatic and estuarine resources of East Bay by securing the watersheds and upland buffers of the Tate's Hell Swamp.

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