Florida State Parks – Geological

Description

 

Big Shoals State Park

Big Shoals State Park features the largest whitewater rapids in Florida. Limestone bluffs, towering 80 feet above the banks of the Suwannee River, afford outstanding vistas not found anywhere else in Florida.

Little Shoals Entrance: 11330 S.E. County Road 135 or Big Shoals Entrance: 18738 Southeast 94th St.
White Springs FL 32096

 

Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park

This National Natural Landmark has attracted curious visitors since the 1880s. This unique geological feature in the midst of the sandy North Florida terrain contains a miniature rainforest with gentle streams trickling down its 120-foot limestone walls.

4732 Millhopper Rd.
Gainesville FL 32653

 

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

Home of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs, the sapphire water of Wakulla Springs boasts manatees, alligators and a host of diverse wildlife that can be viewed from a riverboat or atop the diving platform.

465 Wakulla Park Dr.
Wakulla Springs FL 32327

 

Falling Waters State Park

Huge trees and fern-covered sinkholes line Sink Hole Trail, the boardwalk that leads visitors to Florida’s highest waterfall. Falling Waters Sink is a 100-foot deep, 20-foot wide cylindrical pit into which flows a small stream that drops 73 feet to the bottom of the sink.

1130 State Park Road
Chipley FL 32428

 

Florida Caverns State Park

One of Florida’s first state parks, the otherworldly Florida Caverns gives visitors the opportunity to go underground and experience a part of the state that few know exists.

3345 Caverns Rd.
Marianna FL 32446

 

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Cool off as you drift down the Ichetucknee, a unique spring-fed river where you can relax as you experience the real Florida. The crystalline Ichetucknee River flows six miles through shaded hammocks and wetlands before it joins the Santa Fe River.

12087 SW U.S. Highway 27
Fort White FL 32038

 

Lafayette Blue Springs State Park

Visitors can take a dip in the first magnitude spring, walk across the natural limestone bridge that crosses the spring run flowing into the iconic Suwannee River or picnic under the shade of the oak trees with their swaying Spanish moss.

799 NW Blue Spring Road
Mayo FL 32066

 

Madison Blue Spring State Park

This crystal clear, first magnitude spring is a popular spot for swimming and cave diving. Scenic woodlands of mixed hardwoods and pines create a picturesque setting for picnicking, paddling and wildlife viewing.

8300 NE State Road 6
Lee FL 32059

 

O’Leno State Park

One of Florida’s first state parks, O’Leno State Park was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. This historic park along a rustic north Florida river and offers the perfect escape into the wilderness.

410 SE O’Leno Park Road
High Springs FL 32643

 

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Paynes Prairie is an unpredictable Florida treasure, boasting herds of wild horses and bison, nearly 300 species of birds and a unique ecosystem that visitors will enjoy exploring.

100 Savannah Blvd.
Micanopy FL 32667

 

Ravine Gardens State Park

Two ancient ravines carved by a spring-fed creek have been transformed into a rustic tropical garden. The park has two ravines up to 120 feet deep with steep banks at 45 degree angles.

1600 Twigg Street
Palatka FL 32177

 

River Rise Preserve State Park

Surrounded by quiet woods and huge trees, anglers can spend a relaxing afternoon fishing on the river. The Santa Fe River goes underground in O’Leno State Park and reemerges over three miles away in River Rise Preserve State Park as a circular pool before resuming its journey to the Suwannee River.

373 Southwest US Highway 27
Fort White FL 32643

 

Torreya State Park

High bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River make Torreya one of Florida’s most scenic places. The park is named for an extremely rare species of Torreya tree that only grows on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River.

2576 NW Torreya Park Rd.
Bristol FL 32321

 

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park

Cave divers travel from all over the world to explore nearly 33,000 feet of surveyed underwater passages at Peacock Springs. This park features one of the longest underwater cave systems in the continental United States.

18532 180th Street
Live Oak FL 32060

 

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

Formed of Key Largo limestone, fossilized coral, this land was sold to the Florida East Coast Railroad, which used the stone to build Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad in the early 1900s.

84900 Overseas Highway
Islamorada FL 33036