Florida is well known for its incredible wildlife diversity, with thousands of native and migratory species living within the state’s 14 distinct ecosystems. The Sunshine State is dotted with bodies of water almost throughout its entirety, intersected by rivers and creeks in all parts of the state. Springs abound in the central, north, and panhandle regions, and one of the most amazing of these is Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
The Ichetucknee River is fed by eight springs that make up this state park, winding through wetlands and shady hammocks for six miles before it converges with the Santa Fe River. The waters of the river and spring are astonishingly clear, and activities available within the park include swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, hiking, picnicking, geocaching, and of course, wildlife viewing!
While enjoying the average 72F waters, you may see a river otter or two, or perhaps even an American alligator basking on a bank. Fish fans can be on the lookout for lots of little minnows, catfish, alligator gar, largemouth bass, bluegill, mullet, and crayfish. From the water or one of the park’s three nature trails you may encounter raccoons, turtles, wild turkeys, beavers, wood ducks, limpkins, egrets, great blue herons, and white-tailed deer.
The Ichetucknee Springs State Park differs from other Florida parks in that it is open from 8AM to sunset every day of the year — even holidays! The entrance fee is also rather minimal, at $6 per vehicle of 2-8 people, $4 for single drivers and motorcycles, and $2 for cyclists, pedestrians, and individuals within a vehicle that have an Annual Individual Entrance Pass. This park even allows dogs on two of its three trails, so you can share the adventure with your best friend too!
Tubing is one of the more popular activities at Ichetucknee Springs, and an all-day shuttle and tram service is available to take you to various launching points on the route for $5. You’ll be able to float for up to two hours on each run, but you won’t be alone — during the summer peak, a daily limit of 750 people are allowed to launch. If the limit is reached, the launch will close before its regular time of 2PM, so be sure to get there early.
A full service concession stand is available onsite to grab snacks, beverages, and lunch, and an array of tables and grills make it easy to set up a picnic and enjoy the day. If this isn’t enough to convince you to check out Ichetucknee Springs for yourself, we don’t know what would be!
Featured Image from Amy Humphries/Unsplash
