Tim Driskell’s Adventures
Holmes Creek paddling scene
Holmes Creek paddling scene
Holmes Creek paddling scene
Holmes Creek paddling scene
Holmes Creek paddling scene
Holmes Creek paddling scene
Florida Panhandle · September 28, 2024

Holmes Creek

A RockADock paddle through spring-clear water, ancient cypress, sprawling live oaks, and one unforgettable stop at Cypress Spring.

RockADock 2024

One of the most memorable paddles of the gathering

In late September 2024, during the annual RockADock gathering in the Florida Panhandle, our group paddled Holmes Creek from Burnt Sock Launch downstream to Old Cypress Canoe. Jimi DaBeard, Sue Pitra, Walter, and several other experienced paddlers helped lead the trip. I had heard for years that Holmes Creek was one of the Panhandle’s special waterways, but the combination of clear spring water, giant trees, winding channels, wildlife, and a wonderful group made the day even better than I expected.

Holmes Creek does not overwhelm you with rapids or dramatic cliffs. Its beauty is quieter and more intimate. The creek winds beneath enormous live oaks and bald cypress, past hollow trunks and crowded cypress knees, while clear groundwater from nearby springs mixes with darker tannin-stained water. Around one bend the creek looked emerald green; around the next it reflected the forest like dark glass. It was the kind of paddle where nearly every turn made me reach for the camera.

DateSeptember 28, 2024
EventRockADock 2024
RouteBurnt Sock to Old Cypress Canoe
HighlightCypress Spring
The morning gathering

A parking lot full of boats and anticipation

One of the things I enjoy most about RockADock is the energy before a trip begins. The launch area fills with brightly colored kayaks and canoes, old friends reconnect, new paddlers introduce themselves, and everyone tries to remember where the shuttle vehicles are supposed to go. It can look chaotic from a distance, but good leaders gradually turn the crowd into a group.

Jimi DaBeard, Sue Pitra, Walter, and the other leaders worked through the route, safety details, and logistics before we launched. Jimi was easy to spot, with his beard, bright shirt, and relaxed way of moving among the paddlers. He is a professional river guide who takes a week off every year to paddle at RockADock. He generously gives his time and expertise during the gathering, and he graciously accepts gratuities from paddlers who appreciate his excellent guiding, local knowledge, and the work involved in keeping a large trip safe and enjoyable.

Once the boats were unloaded and everyone was ready, we launched at Burnt Sock and began working our way downstream toward Old Cypress Canoe. The creek quickly closed around us, and within a few minutes the road, vehicles, and morning bustle felt far away.

RockADock paddlers preparing to launch at Holmes Creek
Our RockADock group gathered at the ramp for introductions, route information, shuttle details, and a final briefing before launching at Burnt Sock.
The character of Holmes Creek

Clear water, dark reflections, and a constantly changing forest

Holmes Creek immediately felt different from many of the Florida rivers I have paddled. It is not simply a crystal-clear spring run, and it is not simply a dark blackwater creek. It is a mixture of both. Spring water entering from the limestone aquifer combines with tannin-stained surface water, creating an extraordinary range of colors. In one place we could see the sandy bottom and submerged logs beneath our boats; farther downstream the creek became darker and mirrored the trees overhead.

The forest was just as memorable as the water. Bald cypress rose from the floodplain with their knees packed tightly along the banks. Huge live-oak limbs reached across the creek and formed green tunnels. Some trees were hollow enough to look like rooms. Others had fallen across the channel and become part of the river itself, collecting ferns, vines, and new growth.

The paddle was never monotonous. We rounded bends, slipped beneath low limbs, passed root systems and deadfalls, and watched the creek repeatedly change shape. The route was generally gentle, but the trees and woody debris kept us paying attention and gave the day a wild, exploratory quality.

Large live oak arching over Holmes Creek
A sprawling live oak formed a cathedral-like canopy over the creek, one of many places where the forest seemed to close around us.
Holmes Creek was not merely a route to Cypress Spring. The entire paddle—the changing water, giant trees, wildlife, reflections, and people sharing the day—was the destination.
Paddling as a group

A long, colorful flotilla winding through the trees

Our group stretched out along the creek in a long procession of red, yellow, blue, orange, and green boats. At times we bunched together while someone chose a route around a fallen tree or through a narrow opening. At other times we spread out and each paddler had a quiet piece of river to enjoy.

Organized paddles work best when people look out for one another without making the trip feel regimented. That was the atmosphere on Holmes Creek. We regrouped often, shared stories, waited when needed, and took plenty of time for photographs. The experienced paddlers kept track of the group, while everyone else could relax and enjoy a river that many of us might not have attempted alone.

The wildlife was not dramatic, but it was always present. A great egret hunted in the shallows, turtles disappeared from logs, and the forest seemed alive with small movements and sounds. Even when the group was nearby, there were long stretches where the dominant sounds were paddle blades entering the water, conversations drifting between boats, and wind moving through the canopy.

Colorful RockADock flotilla on Holmes Creek
Our colorful flotilla spread across a broad, glassy section of Holmes Creek before narrowing into the trees again.
Cypress Spring

The famous side trip that lived up to the photographs

Cypress Spring was the most anticipated stop of the day. The spring is reached from Holmes Creek by water, which gives it a feeling of discovery even though it has become one of the best-known paddling destinations in the Panhandle. As we entered the spring run, the water became increasingly clear until the bottom, submerged wood, and swimmers were visible beneath us.

The spring basin opened beneath tall trees, glowing blue-green in the filtered light. Boats collected around the edges while people swam, climbed the ladder, tested the rope, or watched from their kayaks. The wooden platform and rope swing gave the stop an informal, playful atmosphere. Some members of the group jumped or dove into the spring while others were perfectly content to take pictures and enjoy the scene.

What I remember most is the clarity of the water and how tropical the spring looked, even though we were in the forested Florida Panhandle. It was easy to understand why Cypress Spring appears in so many photographs and paddling guides. Still, the spring was only one remarkable chapter in a day when the entire creek was worth seeing.

Paddler diving into Cypress Spring
A graceful launch from the platform into the astonishingly clear water of Cypress Spring while boats gathered around the basin.
Planning map

Holmes Creek and Cypress Spring

Our September 2024 route began at Burnt Sock Launch and continued downstream to Old Cypress Canoe, with the side trip to Cypress Spring as the best-known landmark. The embedded map shows the Holmes Creek corridor; the official RockADock brochure maps near the end of the page provide the clearest record of the route we followed.

Official Florida paddling guide Cotton Landing & Cypress Spring

The official guide is the best reference for access points, mileages, hazards, and trip planning. Conditions and access can change.

Why this paddle stayed with me

The kind of day RockADock is all about

By the time we reached Old Cypress Canoe, we had spent hours moving through one of the most beautiful creek corridors in northwest Florida. We had paddled beneath enormous trees, maneuvered around fallen limbs, watched the colors of the water change, visited Cypress Spring, and shared the whole experience with a terrific group.

The trip was memorable partly because Holmes Creek is so visually beautiful, but also because it combined everything I enjoy about group paddling. There was enough structure to keep everyone safe, enough freedom to explore and take photographs, and enough time to talk with people rather than simply hurry from launch to takeout.

Holmes Creek does not need roaring whitewater or dramatic mountain scenery. Its beauty is quieter: sunlight filtered through leaves, an egret waiting in the shallows, clear water sliding over sand, cypress knees standing like small sentinels, and colorful boats disappearing one by one around the next bend. Of all the paddles at RockADock 2024, this was definitely one of the days I knew I would remember for a long time.

Paddler celebrating on Holmes Creek
Arms wide and fully in the moment—exactly the spirit of a memorable RockADock paddle.
Official RockADock Maps

Route maps from the event brochure

Every year RockADock provides an excellent brochure with regional maps, access points, driving times, and suggested paddle routes. These two pages came directly from the official brochure for the event. They also document the route we chose for this paddle: Burnt Sock Launch downstream to Old Cypress Canoe, a scenic shuttle trip that passes Cypress Spring along the way.

Regional destination map from the official RockADock brochure that every participant receives during the event.
Official Holmes Creek route map from the RockADock brochure. Our group paddled from Burnt Sock Launch downstream to Old Cypress Canoe, with Cypress Spring as the highlight of the trip.
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