The Ichetucknee Springs, situated north of Gainesville near to Fort White in North Central Florida serve as source for the Ichetucknee River that flows into the Santa Fe River. The water is essentially crystal clear and is a regular 72 degrees all year round, making the springs a common weekend R & R location for multitudes of individuals during Florida's warm and hot months. The Ichetucknee Springs area, managed by the Florida State Parks system, has come to be a widely known destination for tubing, camping, snorkeling, and SCUBA diving, among many other activities. Both Ichetucknee Springs State Park and a variety of private vendors around the park offer up services for guests, throughout the year.
You will discover nine main springs in the area that rise up from the aquifer including Blue Hole Springs, Boiling Spring, Cedar Head Spring, Coffee Spring, Grassy Hole Springs, Ichetucknee Springs, Mill Pond Spring, Roaring Springs and Singing Springs. The headsprings, Ichetucknee Springs and Blue Hole Springs, have possibilities for cave & cavern trained divers during certain times of the year for a reasonable fee. Ichetucknee Springs includes a wide basin that can be snorkeled, and Blue Hole offers a more intriguing challenge to cave divers with a fairly large cave system. You should discuss with the park managers for details on which springs allow for snorkeling versus SCUBA or both.
The Ichetucknee River
The Ichetucknee River flows peacefully and wonderfully through approximately six miles of North Central Florida and is perhaps the most desired tubing getaway in the country. Almost the total length of the Ichetucknee River and its variety of springs are today owned and managed by the State of Florida. The Ichetucknee Springs State Park presents both leisure and ecotourism opportunities to thousands of Floridians yearly, as well as to people from all over the world.
Aside from tubing, the Ichetucknee River provides a wealth of fun-based activities including camping, hiking, picnicking, snorkeling, canoeing, and SCUBA diving for cavern & cave authorized divers. Numerous wildlife and plants can be observed in or along the Ichetucknee River, as well, including alligators, beavers, herons, river otters, water snakes, wild boars and wood storks. Manatees have also been identified as they migrate into warmer water while in the colder months of the year.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Spanning throughout two thousand acres, Ichetucknee Springs State Park appeals to hundreds of thousands of people annually. Hands down, tubing is the most famous attraction you can find at the park. Tubing is allowed throughout the summer months which begins around Memorial Day and finishes around Labor Day. Tubers can choose from three various river floats: a three-hour float, an hour and a half float, and a forty-five minute float. Tubes and rafts can be rented from a variety of vendors surrounding the Ichetucknee region, or you can certainly just bring your own. Other activities include those mentioned previously as well as canoeing, hiking, kayaking, picnicking and swimming. It is also worth observing that even though park does not offer up camping; people searching for a wonderful camping experience can camp only 12 miles away at gorgeous O'Leno State Park.
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If you are planning a vacation to North Central Florida some time very soon, make sure you check out the Ichetucknee area including Ichetucknee Springs State Park and the Ichetucknee River.
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