Bradwell Bay Wilderness
A swamp thick with titi trees, distinguished by their leathery leaves and fragrant white flowers, dominates the second largest Wilderness in Florida. Here, you'll also find a swampland of hardwoods or pine-titi mixtures and small ponds that are either open or covered with aquatic plants. The climate is subtropical, and rainfall averages 55 inches per year. Summers are hot and sticky with humidity, but temperatures have been known to drop into the teens come winter. Bradwell Bay's low areas are generally submerged beneath one to four inches of standing water. The water table lies close to, if not above, ground surface over most of this flat Wilderness. Drier islands of longleaf pine and wire grass border parts of the swamp.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Florida |
| Size | 24,222 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 30.17° N, 84.56° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 1 federal campground within ten miles sits inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 viewing Wildlife, 1 paddling access. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- under 1 miBradwell Bay Wilderness ↗Viewing Wildlife
- 3 miSopchoppy River ↗Paddling access
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 33 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| FNST - Wakulla Section ↗ | 31.9 | |
| FNST - Bradwell Bay Spur | 0.7 | |
| FNST - Monkey Creek South Spur | 0.1 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedAnf Bu 50 Queens Bay Rx 0121
13 mi from the center point · 4,413 acres
- Wildfire105
27 mi from the center point · 215 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 2.4 miMount Beasor Primitive Baptist Church ↗Sopchoppy, FL
- 5 miSopchoppy Depot ↗Sopchoppy, FL
- 5.1 miSopchoppy School ↗Sopchoppy, FL
- 5.1 miSopchoppy High School Gymnasium, Old ↗Sopchoppy, FL
- 7.2 miOld Wakulla County Courthouse ↗Crawfordville, FL
- 11 miPanacea Mineral Springs ↗Panacea, FL
- 13.3 miFort Braden School, Old ↗Tallahassee, FL
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Florida
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
24,222 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Bradwell Bay Wilderness in?
Florida.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Bradwell Bay Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 30.174° N, 84.564° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Bradwell Bay Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Anf Bu 50 Queens Bay Rx 0121 at 13 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
The National Register has 7 listings within 15 miles, including Mount Beasor Primitive Baptist Church and Sopchoppy Depot.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.