Ralph G. Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk

Along the Gulf Coast near Carrabelle, the Tate’s Hell State Forest is well-known for being a wild place. Its name is derived from the legend of a lost farmer who vanished in the wilderness. It’s also home to one of Florida’s most unusual nature wonders – a dwarf cypress swamp featuring 300 year old ancient cypress trees no taller than 15 feet!

This one-of-a-kind oddity is a bowl-shaped depression in the forest covering dozens of acres. For no known reason, the cypresses there never grow more than about 15’ tall. These trees are documented to be over 150 years old but only reach a stunted mature height, hence the name “dwarf cypress”. They are also referred to as “miniature” or “hat-rack” cypress.

The Ralph G. Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk is the best way to visit this natural phenomenon. The boardwalk, managed by the Forest Service, provides an overlook for safe and wheelchair-accessible viewing.  The park area features interpretive panels and observation platforms. There are also some picnic tables near the parking area.

Access to the Ralph G. Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk is from either Highway 98 or 65. The trail consists of a short quarter-mile elevated boardwalk. To reach the area, turn north into Tate’s Hell from SR 65 in Eastpoint. Signs will direct you to the High Bluff Tract. Watch for the Cash Creek Recreation area on the right — after you pass it be on the lookout for North Road. Turn right on North Road and follow it to Dry Bridge Road. Turn right and proceed until you see the signs for the Kendrick Boardwalk. Please note that once you leave the main state road, all forest roads are unpaved and should not be attempted in wet weather or after dark and phone reception is usually poor in the forest.

Once you reach the cypress area trail, the first observation area will be at a fork in the boardwalk. This observation area gives you your first view of some of these ancient cypress trees. Continue on the main elevated boardwalk to a sheltered observation deck that rises above the dwarf cypress swamp. Views across the dwarf cypress swamp stretch in every direction and give you a expansive view of  this unique strand of cypress trees often referred to as Bonsai or Hat-Rack Cypress. It is interesting that the dwarf cypress trees are found  throughout Tate’s Hell, but nowhere more pronounced than in the area of this boardwalk.

The boardwalk to the cypress swamp and Tate’s Hell trailheads are located less than 10 miles from several of Franklin County’s commercial RV and campgrounds as well as close to state and federal camping areas within the state and nearby federal forest lands.

If you’re looking for a bigger outdoor adventure, the Tate’s Hell State Forest encompasses more than 202,437 acres with designated camp areas, hiking trails, paddling trails, salt and freshwater fishing, five boat ramps and several canoe/kayak launches. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the diversity of ecological communities – here you’ll find a mixture of floodplain swamp, wet prairie and flatwoods, bottomland forest and sandhill ridges. The many species of wildlife that make their home here include such rare species as the bald eagle, Florida black bear, gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpecker. Rare plant species in the forest include thick-leaved water-willow, white birds-in-a-nest, Chapman’s butterwort and of course those curious carnivorus pitcher plants!

Tate’s Hell State Forest is located in Franklin County, between the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee rivers. The forest extends into the southeast corner of Liberty County, south of the Apalachicola National Forest and 1.5 miles northwest of the town of Carrabelle. Access Tate’s Hell State Forest from U.S. Hwy. 98, County Rd. 67 or State Hwy. 65.