We wanted to take a canoe trip down the Suwannee River and this place was conveniently located to…read morethe cabins in which we were staying. John and his son were super nice and helpful. We rented our canoe, we were taken to the launch site, the gentleman got the canoe down to the water, and we were on our way! We traveled about five miles down the river. It was very peaceful and an easy trip that's great even if you're not experienced with canoeing or kayaking. Once we got to our pickup point, we called John and he sent his son to come and pick us up. It made the whole trip easy and worry free. The equipment was in good shape and we felt at ease the entire time. I'd recommend getting rentals from this location if you want to enjoy a nice day on the river.

Love these guys! We took our scout troop down to the Suwannee River from Atlanta, and these guys…read morewere the best!. They were ready for us when we got there. they were ready for us when we got out of the river, and they are the nicest people on the planet. All of the equipment we rented (canoes, paddles, life jackets) were in good working order, and we had a great time. Over the past 6 years we have been there three times with great experiences, and we look forward to another decade of canoeing with them.

So beautiful here! If you plan to paddle or kayak I…read morerecommend starting at the south entrance and going upstream to start. This makes the ride back easy and enjoyable! I saw lots of fish, turtles and birds. And luckily no gators. The water is probably too cold and there are lots of people. Was a great day! There is a place to get food and gear at the south entrance if you want a souvenir or snack. Excited to come back!

Nice place to float down the river. Clear, beautiful water. Easy hiking trails. A great place for…read morefamilies.

Been going here since I was in college and came back for the first time in years. The staff is…read morefriendly and accommodating. The springs are absolutely gorgeous! There are about 8 boils/spring openings. Easily walkable to float and walk back to your start. You can also do a short float with small children that lasts about 10 minutes and is a 5 minute walk back to your start (Devils Spring to Ginnie Spring). Great memories and a great place to cool off in the summer. You can rent tubes, snorkel equipment, and life vests.

We came out Ginnie Springs with a large group over the course of 4 days. Some stayed the whole time…read moreand others came for a night or two. We were celebrating several birthdays while we were out here, which made the overall camping trip a blast. When compared to another campsite's this one is a bit more expensive that what is typical. It's $25 just to enter the park for the day and $40 to stay the night in a basic tent. Fortunately, our friends who planned the whole trip brought their modified truck turned camper; three enclosed 20' x 10' and two 10' x 10' enclosed tents; and three portable AC units with a multitude of other electronics including a huge blowup screen and projector so we could rock out through the evening. I have no idea what they paid for the water and power site for four days but I'm sure it wasn't cheap, plus they rented three camp sites and a golf cart so we could all get around with our tubes. Some of the downsides were: this is a privately owned park so there are more stringent rules/regulations. They shut us down at 12am and basically told us we couldn't have any lights on or music playing and we would need to keep our voices down. Not like we were getting out-of-hand, but it put a damper on our party. The restrooms are not super clean and are not maintained really well. They had toilet paper, soap, and running water, but the toilets were not cleaned for days, and the shower drains were backing up. There were also dirty clothes and towels left in the men's shower for days. Be sure to bring plenty of toiletries, sanitary wipes, disposable gloves, and wear sandals in the showers. The tubing experience was fun. We brought our own tubes and it takes about an hour to ride start to finish. The water had a lot of algae bloom's floating around which is weird. We were covered in it on the first day and because of it, I declined going a second time. Regardless, the water was nice and cold and very refreshing on a hot July day. It rained several times during our visit. If you do decide to stay, here be prepared to clean dirt out of every crevice for the next week. It took me about 4 hours to clean my vehicle, shoes, and other odds and ends when we got home. Staff were overall friendly. Even though we were told to tone things down a bit they did it in a kind way. I don't know if I would come out here again to camp because it's 3-hours away from home and it's a lot of stuff to take when staying for just a night or two. I would still recommend them if you're looking for a fun spot to camp where tubing is offered.

When we first started our trail I was very doubtful because you could see how flat the land is…read morealong the tree lines and not typically the type of area I like to hike in we almost turned around, one we got to where the trail turned into a loop that's when we started realizing we made the right decision. We followed the dunns fall trail and the shared dunns fall with the pioneer trail. Before we got to this trail we spent some time driving on the surrounding dirt roads looking for this short access parking look which we were closing but I would recommend going straight down Nolan road which will turn into a dirt road, if you can handle it, make a left and there will be Phillips branch crossing parking area and that would cut at least a half a mile off of your hike and honestly you would not be missing much. My health app tells me I did about 8,000 steps, the trail might have been three miles long but it also was not that taxing on my body. The trail was amazing, it's difficult to find interesting trails with such elevation and this one is kept up so nicely and is extremely beautiful. I usually would go just for the water feature but the star of this place is the trail its self because of how much it has to offer. It does get confusing out there so I recommend planning on where you're going to park and bring a little bag with some essentials just to make your trip More comfortable, or you could stay the night at their reservable camp grounds and I thought it was really cool that even thought the camp ground are a long the trail, they're very secluded and you are able to drive up to it where I thought you would have to park and walk . The following link is to an online map of the forest. Good luck! https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/27859/file/Jenningsstateforest-entireforest.pdf

Jennings State Forest is a gem in NE FL. I ventured out with a group yesterday to do the Dunn's…read moreFarm trail. I've also hiked much of the Pioneer Trail. The trails are well maintained and well marked with blazes. The trails take you through a wealth of biological diversity from pine forests to uplands that hug Black Creek and other smaller creeks. I haven't camped so can't speak to the campgrounds but the camp sites are well marked. Cost to visit is $2 pass that can be purchased online. The parking lot does not have good reception so better to purchase in advance. Parts of the trail is shaded but a lot of it is in the sun so be aware if visiting during the hotter months.

We had such good time perfect weather warm water beautiful views I am sure there is a second time…read morefee was $5 USD per car. They had portable restroom.

There's nothing wrong with the park as far as management, but we just went and the parking…read moreattendant let us know the spring has stopped flowing. The water was very low and it was green (maybe an algae bloom from stagnant water?). We drove quite far to visit the spring and the website said nothing about this issue so i wanted to spread the word.

I booked a shuttle online because I brought my own kayak. The folks at the shop were very nice and…read moreextremely knowledgeable about the river. The shuttle driver was also very professional and knowledgeable about the river, the accesses, and the ecosystem. Would 100% recommend this shuttle service to anyone wanting to float the Santa Fe, especially if you want to get away from the crowds.

Very accommodating. Friendly staff. Good information and…read morecommunication. The equipment is sturdy. Many options for

Had a great time kayaking with Lars, yes like Mars but with an L…read more I was apprehensive at first as to how it was going to go since I have a very limited experience with kayaking. A few times in the past two decades with a few friends who knew what they were doing. It was going to be 4 hours or so on the river. The weather was beautiful and it was so wonderful to soak in all the greens surrounding us. Quite a few herons, osprey, and some kind of warbler. Very nice distance to drive from Gainesville and everyone in there kayak trip today was from Gainesville and they were all very nice. The drive to kayak destination and back in itself was a nice trip with change of scenery and getting out of town on a weekend to avoid the hussles and bussles of every weekend stuff with groceries and errands. Some people saw some alligators and were trying to point them out hiding but we didn't see any on the same trip! We are told that they don't bother people much in general:) When I expreeesed the concern about not being able to keep up with all other kayakers, my husband said that he would leave me behind and if an alligator has not gotten to me on the way back, he will bring me back home if I fall behind. Yes, he is the perfect picture of support!!!! Lars is very laid back and knowledgeable and easy to talk to and we learned a lot during this trip and would love to come back for more. It was such a fun great nature trip!!!!!

The place is long gone and shut down, he was a nice person , then the guy got caught up with the…read morepeople causing overtourism on our river which has contributed to the decline of the river and the area, so good luck with the one guy.

Rum Island offers one of the only free entries into a spring in our state, and certainly the only…read morein the area. It is a county park managed by Columbia County, and is well taken care of. The porta potties are always relatively clean, and it is rare to find liter. The spring is not as deep, blue, or beautiful as other area springs, but you can't beat the free entry. It does offer a larger shallow area than most which is helpful on weekends, holidays, or summer days when it becomes overcrowded. The spring will "brown out" due to overflow of the Santa Fe river when it has rained a lot. It is still safe to swim in however it is not as attractive from the surface. The tanin does however create a neat effect when you free dive/look up. Rum Island Park is a great launch and pick up spot for those wanting to paddle the Santa Fe River. Many outfitters use it, as well as individuals. I personally frequently use it to launch with a paddle board. I like to paddle down to Blue Springs and back before work (in High Springs). Overall, Rum Island Park is a nice launch spot and free swimming hole.

Rum Island Springs County Park is located in the Fort White/High Springs area of North Central…read moreFlorida, 28-miles from Gainesville. It's $5 entry per vehicle and hours are 8am - 7pm daily. Rum Island is a tucked away natural springs pool that's catered towards younger crowds (imo) with mostly shallow waters. There's a row of buoys separating the springs from the Santa Fe River. Visits here can be real quick, under an hour unless you're launching kayaks or barbecuing with family for the day. The white sands of the springs are crystal-clear most times throughout the day and the waters showcase vibrant aquamarine colors when the sun breaks from the clouds. There's even a turquoise limestone cavity that pumps out the pool's 72-degree spring waters. There are some opportunistic moments for worthwhile picture takings and recordings, but...Rum Island is so small and shallow that it feels like standing in the center of the kiddie springs at a waterpark. As much as I enjoyed the views, I felt out of place. It wasn't my favorite Florida springs park to visit, but I still respect it for its scenic surroundings. Finally, there are plenty of kayakers and paddle boarders floating past the springs. Visitors can leave their belongings anywhere on the grass. Overall, I'm glad I got a glimpse into what Rum Island Springs Park is about, which has me motivated to visit the local gold standard benchmarks...Ichetucknee Springs, Ginnie Springs and Gilchrist Blue Springs.

Had a great time paddling the Sante Fe river. We chose the extended paddle and it didn't feel like…read more14 miles. Where as another company and a different river the last 4 miles alone of 9 plus felt more like 14 due to their late start for us and time constraint of when to get off river. ( Less then 4 hours ). But here we had 6 and didn't need it all or feel rushed. They were very helpful as well as nice and professional. Would recommend and use again. The springs are amazing. Make sure to check them all out! If u do the Santa Fe be prepared for all the shoals. We are experienced so not a problem. Ask questions if unsure. They will help advice you. Give your self enough time to enjoy It.

Called ahead and checked hours for rental operations, return time,etc. when we arrived we were told…read morethat whoever we spoke with was incorrect and that they stopped renting at 2pm!? This wasn't what we were told nor is that posted on any website or anywhere. Very random and wanton hours that must depend on the day or whims of operators.

GREAT place to take the family! This is our favorite springs…read moreto go to. We try not to go on days we know its going to be super crowded because we like to use our snorkels and a look in the little cave at the bottom and the water is just way less murky. There is a lot of spots to hang out and a have lunch or a little party. We had a small BBQ there for a graduation party.

One of our top 5 favorite springs to visit, perfect for the family and great spot to visit when you…read moretrying to cool down from the sun. You can rent kayaks here and go down the Santa Fe. Lots of parking but sometimes can reach capacity on the weekends. No inflatable floats in the spring is kind of lame but you can bring noodles.