Ichetucknee Springs State Park, State park at Ichetucknee Springs in Fort White, United States
Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a 2,241-acre Florida State Park centred on the 6-mile Ichetucknee River, which rises from springs boiling up from the aquifer and flows through shaded hammocks and wetlands into the Santa Fe River. Hardwood hammock and limestone outcrops line the run, whose water stays at 72 °F (22 °C) year-round.
The land belonged to a mining company until 1970, operating phosphate mines in the area. The State of Florida then converted the tract into a public park, preserving the springs and river stretches for visitors.
The name Ichetucknee comes from a Timucua word for "beaver pond." A 17th-century Spanish mission, provisionally identified as San Martín de Timucua, stood beside a short tributary linking Fig Springs to the river, about a mile downstream from the head. Tubing began in the 1950s and 1960s, when Loncala Phosphate owned the land and college students from Gainesville made the summer float a ritual.
Trails lead from parking areas to launch points on the riverbank, where many visitors start their trip. The best time is mornings on weekdays to avoid crowds in summer.
One of the spring outlets emerges into a deep basin known as Blue Hole, visited by divers for its underwater caves and stable visibility. The temperature stays the same year-round, offering a cool swim on hot summer days.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,955 contributors worldwide.