Stephen Foster introduced Americans to the Suwannee River through his famous song. The state of Florida adopted Old Folks at Home as its official state song in 1935. Foster not only stumbled over the spelling of Suwannee, but also wrote his song about a river he had never seen. However, this popular tune heard around the United States spurred on a major tourist movement into Florida and especially around the Suwannee River.
The scenic river and its recreation area splits Florida between the panhandle region and peninsula. The river originates in Georgia's Okefenokee Wilderness Area and flows southward toward Florida's Gulf Coast and out into Suwannee Sound. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection teams up Suwannee River Water Management District, maintaining 170 miles of trail along the blackwater river. Today, the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail winds from Stephen Foster State Park to the Gulf of Mexico.