Walton County Highpoint Trip Report

Exact Location of the Florida State Highpoint

Date: June 2, 2012
Author: Adam Helman

[webmaster comment]: Andy Martin posted a review to the cohp digest (#4173, topic 2). I have copied that article as this report, thence wordsmithed (including elimination of both extra syllables and the ubiquitous "up"). Contributors to the current state of knowledge also include Roy Schweiker, Tom Dunigan and Andy Hatzos.

Summary

The 1949 Laurel Hill 15 minute quadrangle shows a 345 foot spot elevation about 500 feet southwest of the Florida state highpoint monument. Current LiDAR work confirms this observation: The highest LiDAR point is 345.8 feet at WGS84 (30.98483° N, 86.28238° W).

Discussion

Roy Schweiker initiated this investigation with a comment about the old quadrangle covering the Florida state highpoint - the 1949 Laurel Hill quad.

The relevant part of this quadrangle is provided here where a 345 spot elevation is clearly shown several hundred feet west of the highway. Tom Dunigan's web site above also shows the HP area's LiDAR points which are at least 345 feet. The highest of these is 345.8 feet as cited above, and some 500 feet SSW of the HP monument shown here.

Andy Hatzos has prepared a nice web page reviewing LiDAR coverage of the FL HP. The monument is marked with "M" on the LiDAR DEM. An irregular area of 344 to 346 feet elevation is shown about 500 feet SSW of the monument. Andy has a useful DEM Opacity control at his map's lower left. The highest ground is tree-covered.

Pioneer Ascent

Frank Ashley has a trip report on page 11 of his book...

"Laurel Hill 1949 (7 1/2") (helpful)"

"Walk approximately 50 feet north of church to old dirt road. Follow road west for about 200 yards. Bushwhack into field to left and estimate correct location of high point. Not marked in any manner. In 1969 I hung a green pennant from tree at sighted highest point."

Plan of action

All true blue county highpointers are already preparing their GPS units anticipating a trip into Florida's jungles - perhaps even locating the fabled green pennant.

Be warned that other family members may not be as excited about swatting mosquitoes in a featureless expanse of brush. It might be prudent to deposit them at the Land of Cotton Antique Mall prior to actual field work.