| Blackwater River State Forest | |
| Map: | Florida |
| Map Alt: | A map of Florida showing the location of Blackwater River State Forest |
| Location: | Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, Florida, United States |
| Nearest City: | Milton |
| Coords: | 30.7329°N -86.8748°W |
| Area: | 206900acres |
| Other Info: | Hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, camping, boating |
Blackwater River State Forest is a State Forest in the western panhandle of Florida. It is administered by the Florida Forest Service, part of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Blackwater River State Forest is completely contained within Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties. The forest is managed from a common headquarters in Munson, Florida. There are local ranger offices in Molino (Escambia County), Milton, (Santa Rosa County), and Baker (Okaloosa County).[1]
The forest shares its name with the Blackwater River, which rises in southern Alabama and flows south dividing Okaloosa and Santa Rosa before emptying into the Blackwater Bay.
Otahite was one of the settlements that preceded the forest. It is now a ghost town but its post office was relocated and is part of a museum.[2] State legislator John Wilkinson Jr. was documented as being from Otahite.[3] Otahite means damp place.[4] It was described in a newspaper 1934 publication as a hamlet near the western boundary of Okaloosa County.[5]
Federal Forest and Department of Defense land was originally donated to the state of Florida in the 1950s to manage for timber and recreation. These tracts of land comprised close to 50,000 acres of primarily Longleaf, Slash, and Loblolly pine plantations with scattered scrub resulting from years of mismanagement. Over time multiple acquisitions have been made to extend the size of the forests. Most of the additions have been from purchasing private timber company land while others have come from smaller private land owners.
The forest offers many recreational opportunities. Multiple camping areas, both developed and primitive are located throughout the forest. Krul Campground has two camp grounds and a day use area. Bear Lake Campground has a campground with water and power and a second campground with only water for tent campers. There is also a pavilion available for use at Bear Lake. To the North is Hurricane Lake with a campground on the north and south shores. The south campground does not have electricity at its campsites. All lakes, excluding Krul lake, are open for fishing and are managed and stocked by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.