Outdoors & Nature Insider

These days, folks mainly visit Steinhatchee Falls to see some fast moving, frothy water and to have a quick bite to eat (it really is a great place for a picnic). There's a smooth limerock road that leads to the falls area, covered picnic benches, and a nice multi-use recreational trail for your enjoyment. If you find yourself travelling down Hwy 19 between Cross City and Perry, make sure you stop and check it out.

This wasn't always a place for recreation, but people have been coming to Steinhatchee Falls for hundreds of years. The flat shelf of the falls was the only place that would make crossing the river an easy task -- any other place and the water was too deep and the banks too steep. Timucuan Indians, Spanish explorers, Seminole Indians, and Civil War troops passed through this area, crossing Steinhatchee Falls. Pretty cool, huh? When you visit, pause for a few moments and try to imagine this place in a different time.

Here's a video of Steinhatchee Falls from a recent trip through the area (again, it's a great place for a picnic)  - the water's high, but you can see the shelf of the falls. In lower water, the river cascades about three feet or so, and you can see ruts from the wheels of wagons from long ago on the shelf above the falls. Enjoy!