Order of Visit: High Point #6
Date Visited: January 10, 2019
Route Taken: Walk from Lakewood Park parking lot (0.1 miles roundtrip)
Type of Terrain: Flat and grassy park
Elevation: 345 feet
Ancestral Home: Muscogee/Creek
What’s in a name?
Britton Hill was named by Hazel Slaughter Britton, the former postmistress for the town of Lakewood, Florida from 1966-1975.
In 1900, Britton’s father, William Henry Britton, purchased the Lake Lumber Company and established the town of Lakewood in Florida’s panhandle.
The settlement flourished until a series of fires in the 1920s caused the mill to burn down three different times. This bad luck was compounded by the onset of the Great Depression. And, by the end of World War II, the tiny town scarcely even warranted the post office that Hazel continued to operate.
Despite the town’s dwindling prospects, in 1956 a state geological survey in determined that Lakewood held the honor of highest elevation in the state. Hazel Britton seized upon this news and tried to lure investors back to the town once again.
Unfortunately, the town remained in obscurity until Hazel’s death in 1976. Britton’s daughter later took up her cause and donated 17 acres of land to Walton County. From there, the county secured a $17,000 grant to build Lakewood Park and a permanent monument to Britton Hill.
Trip Summary
You know you are starting to get serious about high pointing when you actively detour from your travels just to head to Florida’s highest natural point.
Britton Hill, at a whopping 345 feet above sea level, is barely noteworthy on the country’s elevation profile.
But, we happened to be driving between Orlando, Florida and Gulf Shores, Alabama in early January 2019, and we needed to make a stop in somewhere in Florida’s panhandle to break up the day’s drive.
It didn’t take much convincing to get Keith to stop for lunch in DeFuniak Springs, and from there it was just a short 23-mile detour up to Florida’s high point. We could zip up to Britton Hill and be back on the road in less than an hour, right?
As we approached Lakewood Park, I expected to see a hill or mound or some noticeable terrain feature protruding upward. But there was none. There was just a typical park with small parking lot, a bathroom, and the stone marker indicating that we’d arrived at Florida’s high point.
We took our photos near the monument and posted something snarky on instagram about making it to the “summit” without the assistance of trekking poles or even extra water. I guess you have to poke fun of a highpoint that’s so scant.
In fact, the most entertaining aspect of our journey though wasn’t our goofy photos of Britton Hill’s stone monument. No, it was another park sign that caught our attention.
Apparently, the local authorities had some previous issue with people using the park to…ahem…engage in improper adult activities for money!
And with that – we were on our way. Thanks Florida for all the laughs!
Details
When to Visit: Year-round.
Getting There: Britton Hill is located in Lakewood Park, approximately 80 miles northeast of Pensacola, FL and a mere ¾ mile from the Alabama border.
Entrance Fees/Permits: None.
Parking: There are about a dozen parking spots in this small county park.
Accessibility: Easy. Anyone who can walk across 50 meters of grass can reach it.
Bonus Fact: Britton Hill is the lowest of the 50 state high points