the river is formed on the state line between florida and georgia, near the town of chattahoochee, florida, approximately northeast of panama city, by the confluence of the flint and chattahoochee rivers. the actual confluence is contained within the lake seminole reservoir formed by the jim woodruff dam. it flows generally south through the forests of the florida panhandle, past bristol. in northern gulf county, it receives the chipola river from the west. it flows into apalachicola bay, an inlet of the gulf of mexico, at apalachicola. the lower 30 mi (48 km) of the river is surrounded by extensive swamps and wetlands, except at the coast.