The Yellow River (historically known as the Chester River or the Middle River) is a 118 mi river in the southern United States which runs through Alabama and Florida. It empties into Blackwater Bay, an arm of Pensacola Bay. In 1773 Thomas Hutchins reported to the American Philosophical Society on the river. 54 miles of the Yellow River are part of the Yellow River Paddling Trail, managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.