By: Gracie Swind, Contributing Writer
While social distancing and remaining at home is still highly recommended in most of the state of Florida, many of us are beginning to go stir-crazy. Although visitation is limited to some, Florida’s state parks offer unique places to stretch your legs and get outside, while remaining a safe distance from others.
Plenty of Space to Social Distance at Florida’s State Parks.
(Florida’s most scenic parks tend to be in places where human involvement is significantly less, so all of these parks will probably be a pretty long drive from wherever you live. If you’re someone who likes driving, make a day trip out of it!)
Rainbow Springs State Park is located in Dunnellon, Florida, and features gorgeous freshwater rivers and springs, waterfalls, hiking trails, and campsites. Canoe, kayak, and tubing rentals are currently available at the head springs and river, and while capacity is limited, the park is still largely open for visitation.
At any point along your trek down Rainbow River, there are a number of trees, banks, and ledges that could be used as jumping points or rest areas to stop and swim.
Madison Blue Springs State Park in Lee, Florida provides a large variety of activities for visitors to engage with, all of which are currently open to visitors with only social distancing restrictions in place. Madison Blue Springs’ main attraction comes in the form of its swimming hole, tucked inside a lush Florida forest; the swimming hole is a popular site for caving and scuba diving, the natural limestone and rock formations making for a beautiful dive.
The spring at Madison Blue, a popular site for caving, is twenty-five feet deep, about eighty-two feet wide, and runs about one-hundred and fifty along until it meets with the west bank of the Withlacoochee River.
Like most springs, Madison Blue holds an average temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes for a refreshing swim any time of the year. Tubing, fishing, paddling, birding, and picnic sites are also available and open, and the scenic views and flora will make the trip to north Florida well worth it.
The scenic watering hole at Madison Blue Springs, voted #1 in the country, attracts swimmers and hikers alike, with hiking paths and boardwalks leading to the main spring.
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, located in Wakulla Springs, Florida, enjoys 70 degree water all year round and offers visitors that chance to swim in the world’s largest and deepest freshwater spring. This state park also brings a little history with its natural beauty in the form of the onsite lodge, a vestige of old Florida, and historical boat tours (although, boat tours are currently not available); the springs are currently at a limited capacity, but the hiking, cycling, picnic areas, horse-back riding trails, and other natural areas of the park, as well as some of the indoor lodge facilities, are still fully open.
A unique experience offered at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs is geo-seeking, wherein visitors are given clues to the whereabouts of hidden caches or trinkets that have been placed by experienced Geo-cachers, and then must navigate to them using traditional forms of wayfinding and sleuthing.
The state of Florida boasts over one-hundred and eighty state parks that range from historical sites to rivers to forests to beaches. We all deserve a chance to get outside and breathe during these stressful times. Next time you feel the need to wander, check out floridastateparks.org to find a park that fits your fancy in (or far out of) your area.
The Lodge, located on the premise of Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, is a 24-hour full-service hotel that is still operational and accepting bookings.
