Author: Fred Lobdell
The HP is on the grounds of Archbold Biological Research Station, a private outfit not affiliated with any university. From the intersection of US 27 and FL 70, go west on 70 for 1 mile and turn left (south) on Old FL 8 just before the RR tracks. Go about 1.6 miles to the entrance to Archbold. The road to the HP goes left (east) but is gated and appears to be locked; it bears a sign saying "No Trespassing No Hunting". Turn right (west) and go a half mile or so to the visitor center. There I found a lady with a British accent and graying hair, maybe about 50 years old, who said when I explained what I was doing, "I give you permission." The director of the place? Anyway, permission didn't seem to be a problem, and maybe they just didn't want hunting in their wildlife preserve - and who can blame them? The road on the east side rises about 80 feet in a half mile to a loop just about at the summit. There's a lookout tower which I was told is at the high point, but it's not. There's a dirt track that goes over two of the highest contours, and a paved road over a third, and I wandered in the scrub growth looking for the fourth, but with a 5-foot contour interval, elevation changes and HPs are pretty subtle. I did the best I could. Literature put out by the station gives an elevation of 213 for this point, and says it is a high point (or was that the high point? - I can't remember) of peninsular Florida. Of course, it's certainly not the HP - there are a number of counties on the peninsula with higher HPs.