​A rare Florida waterfall beauty!…read more Falling Creek Falls is a stunning little park. The trail is a quick 0.6-mile loop that is mostly a beautifully maintained, elevated wooden boardwalk, making it highly accessible. You can hear the roar of the falls before you even see them! The water drops over a limestone ledge into a ravine, creating a beautiful contrast with the surrounding cypress and magnolia trees. ​Tip: The water volume depends heavily on recent rainfall, so it's especially impressive after a good storm! There's also a great playground and clean picnic areas at the trailhead. Just note that dogs aren't allowed on this trail.

Cute little stop on the road trip. It's a nice little park, with restrooms. The path is stroller…read morefriendly - thanks to whoever posted that before me! Good for a quick commune with nature.

While in Lake City on business, I found this cool little park in the "downtown" area. It was by no…read moremeans a big oark, but I can see it being an integral part of Lake City. I would recommend if you are in the area to come and check it out.

Great place to go for a walk and experience nature. Plenty of bird watching opportunities, can see…read moreturtles and other wildlife, but they call it Alligator Lake for a reason so be weary of gators along the water

Beautiful lake with a small pier for fishing or whatever. I saw a small gator luckily it kept its…read moredistance. I'd like to go back for a picnic.

Fantastic river experience. River guide Chloe was very knowledgeable about the plants, animals, and…read morehistory of the area. The two springs and the river between them are breathtakingly beautiful.

There are so many springs in Florida I've been wanting to visit. I finally made the time to check…read moreout Ichetucknee in Fort White, FL. This spring was one hour 45 minutes from Jacksonville. My friend and I traveled to Alachua Friday after work and stayed in a new Hampton Inn. I didn't want to get up early Saturday to drive nearly two hours and Alachua was roughly 20 minutes from the park. Lake City, the same distance as Alachua, had higher priced hotels. No thanks! I reserved our tubes and paid for the tram ride online a few days prior. We arrived at the park about 8:45 AM, with a 9 AM reservation for the tubes. There was a bit of a wait to enter the park. I suggest having $6 cash (park entry fee) ready as this will shorten your wait time. They do accept credit cards too. Parking was open so we found a shaded spot. We checked in at the wooden canapy and were given wrist bands and a key tag and advised to get in line to drop off my car key (they will hold for $3). You don't want to lose your key in the river;) We were also given a paper to pick up our tubes. Be sure to pick up a water proof pouch for your phone prior to arrival. I found one at Walmart for $5. And bring a metal cup if you want water while floating down the river or checking out any of the springs as they DO NOT allow plastic water bottles. Lastly we picked up our tubes which was pretty quick. Then we followed the path to the river entry. There was a park employee there checking bags including our water proof phone pouch (we had to show both sides). Check the website for items you are not permitted to take on the river. The tube ride was roughly 45 minutes to an hour. We saw birds, turtles and fish. Thankfully we saw no snakes or alligators, but they are around as it's a 2,000 acre park. The ride was relaxing as well as nature's sounds! Highly recommend! Once at the end, we hopped off our tubes and walked to the tram pickup spot. If you don't want to pay for the tram there is a walking trail leading back to the parking lot. No thanks lol! You can ride as many times as you want. We only did it once as we wanted to check out the Blue Hole. We had to leave the south entrance of the park and drive 10 minutes to the north entrance. One park entry fee allows you to access both park entrances. We walked a 10 minute shaded trail back to the Blue Hole. I slowly entered the 72 degree water via metal stairs. I swam for a short period as it was cold lol. But gorgeous blue water with a strong current due to the underwater caves. I suggest bringing snorkeling gear so you can see the caves below. There was also a bigger area of springs you could relax and swim a short walk from the parking lot. It was a fabulous day at the springs. I look forward to going back again!

Beautiful park! Definitely worth stopping in if you were in…read morethe area. This park is nice hiking trails in a good play area for kids. The bridge is closed down but it's still really pretty and a nice change from being in the city.

This is a historic CCC park! Lots of great trails and campgrounds. Close to many other springs and…read morewithin minutes to some places of interest outside the park!

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.

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.

Awesome place for hiking The sound of the Suwannee River…read morerapids are so suiting to the ears. No water falls. They did had some controlled fire going nothing to be scared of. Nature is a mast and I really enjoy my nature walk today. Be prepared the a lots of mosquitoes!

Great hidden place for locals off the main road. Great for families. Sliding rock, jump off rock,…read moreand small pool for swimming.

This review is for the park itself. We love this park and the serene tranquility that we experience…read moreeach time we come to spend the night it makes for a complete experience being close to the I-10 but far enough that makes it different than other stops with more traffic This time of the year the proximity to the Suwannee River does not have the same effect as in hotter months where mosquitoes can eat you good. March and April have always been our favorite months for a quick overnight stay and when the Museum was open we have stayed longer. Dog poop bag stations are well stocked unlike other State Parks, but I am still concerned about their budget. Almost sure it is the best State Park of Hamilton County Time to make reservations, there are months that bookings are almost impossible since kayaking and canoeing are popular sports on the River

Very informative and educational. Will be back to walk some of the trails in cooler weatherread more

I love this place. The change in temperature within the sinkhole is so fascinating, as is the…read morewildlife you find in the basin. A very beautiful place, I recommend it.

Such beautiful grounds hiding within Gainesville! We had a wonderful time taking advantage of the…read moretrails and stairs to the bottom of the sinkhole! It's a great spot for those who - Want a nice, but non strenuous walk (about a mile around in circle. The stairs are a bit more but there are stops between levels) Wonderful shading with a sweet bird filled environment. Non busy area out of the hustle of life