In the heart of the lush north Florida countryside, hidden away in the rolling hills west of Ocala and Gainesville, three inviting state parks compel savvy RVers, camping enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers to return year after year. At each park, visitors unearth timeless secrets, explore natural wonders and discover a new definition of good, clean fun. Expect to see shaded hiking trails lined with intriguing flora, a crystal-clear headspring alive with activity, kids of all ages splashing in 72 degree water, and a backdrop of kayaks plying the gentle current of the river.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Florida’s river recreation epicenter is a true back-to-nature park. There may be little in the way of amenities, but that hardly matters to the thousands of swimmers, hikers, tubers and kayakers who gather at the park each year to walk the trails and float down the river. They come for the endless natural beauty, crystal-clear water, shady hiking trails, birds singing in the longleaf pines — and to explore Florida “the way it used to be.”
Native settlements on the Ichetucknee date back millennia. European settlements go back as far as 1608, when the Spanish built Mission de San Martin de Timucua. The village remained an important interior settlement until the early 1800s, when Florida became a
U.S. territory. When the original settlers departed, the area around the headspring became an important waypoint for Florida cattlemen
and pioneers, a shady place to stop and quench their thirst. As traffic grew, a gristmill and general store were established.
The discovery of large quantities of limestone under the surface brought the area to the attention of Florida’s phosphate industry. Small surface mines are still visible in the park, as are the tram beds of abandoned railroads. The phosphate companies shared the land with locals, and it was not uncommon to see a Sunday baptism or Saturday family picnic along the river. Kids splashed in the shallows while watermelons cooled in the feeder springs. College kids from the nearby University of Florida would sneak down between terms to swim in or float down the river. The state purchased the area in 1970.
Today, tubing is the activity of choice for most Ichetucknee visitors. Thousands come each year – most in the summertime – following in the footsteps of the weekend picnickers and college kids. Tube rental facilities are scattered just off the highway near each of the park entrances. Visitors may also hike the shaded boardwalk and trails and have a picnic, or snorkel, scuba dive and ply the river by kayak or canoe. Despite all this activity, the waterway remains pristine, a translucent blue-green that promises refreshing respite from the summer sun.
Travel Tips: Ichetucknee Springs State Park has two entrances, and these spaces are NOT connected in the middle – except by the river. The south entrance is at 12087 SW US Hwy 27 Fort White, Fla. The north entrance is about six miles away and can be accessed via Highway 238. Visit www.floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings.
Rainbow Springs State Park People have been returning to what is now Rainbow Springs for 10,000 years. One trip and it’s easy to see why. You could put a picture of the park in the dictionary next to “idyllic” and no one could argue. To say this nearly 1,500-acre park is unique and unexpected is to indulge in understatement. Sure, you anticipate the springs and the ubiquitous natural surround, but the mixture of natural headspring, meandering river and gently cultivated gardens contains surprises at every turn.
The hiking trails lead to misty waterfalls, where you can pause for portraits that will end up in frames. An easy sidewalk ramp to the observation tower offers guests an ideal vantage point to view wildlife and two of the park’s three waterfalls. That handicap-friendly ramp is an especially nice touch, offering views typically reserved for the younger or more ambulatory. Watch flashes of color as native and migrating birds flit from branch to branch and listen as the shouts of happy children bring out the kid in you. Up the hill at the café, families snack on cheeseburgers and kids excitedly lick ice cream from fingers that look like prunes after a refreshing swim in the 72 degree spring.
History
When Europeans first discovered the headspring in the 1500s, the native Timucua were already established here. The nearby city of Ocala is named for a chief of this tribe, Ocale. Over the next three centuries the armies and pioneers of three nations claimed ownership. By the late 1800s there were only 75 permanent residents. In the 1920s the springs were converted into a natural theme park that lured tourists and locals alike. A zoo, rodeo, monorail and gondolas were added. Eventually, when larger theme parks enticed the clientele, Rainbow Springs was closed. It reopened in the 1990s – absent the contrived attractions – as a state park.
Nature The park is a Florida naturalist’s dream. One can expect to see otters, turtles, fish, alligators and wading birds in and along the river. On hikes, you may encounter gopher tortoises, pine snakes and fox squirrels. It’s a good idea to carry a good pocket-sized field guide. It will help you identify which animals are safe and which may be potentially dangerous.
Tucked in along a wide spot in the Hillsborough River, a stone’s throw from the epicenter of the RV lifestyle, this back-to-nature playground is a hidden gem in the center of the Sunshine State.
Lettuce Lake is a shallow, finger-like body of water connected on one end to the Hillsborough River, an inland waterway that flows out of the Green Swamp 25 miles to the northeast. The surrounding park is an inviting collage of hardwood swamp, cypress hammocks, pinewoods and grassy clearings.
Visitors have been enjoying peaceful, scenic Lettuce Lake Park since 1982. The 240-acre county park is located just off I-75 near Tampa, a quiet spot hidden in the midst of a bustling tourist destination. Locals and visitors lucky enough to discover this verdant spot on the map come to ply the gentle river in kayaks or canoes, picnic or watch their kids run in the wide open spaces. They join in games of pickup volleyball or cast a line in the designated fishing areas. Others walk or jog along the hiking trails, cycle the bike paths or stroll along the boardwalk to the three-story observation tower.
An interpretive center, maintained in part by volunteers from the Tampa Audubon Society, offers information, displays and dioramas that explain the unique nature of a Florida cypress swamp. The boardwalk that begins just outside puts you right in the middle of everything, safely elevated above the alligators sunning lazily on logs. Bird watchers are treated to a “who’s who” of Florida waterbirds: roseate spoonbills, herons, egrets, ibis and others make their home here. The boardwalk offers a fairly easy walk with very little slope.
The observation tower provides a spectacular view, whether you are just enjoying the scene or looking through a camera lens.
A gorgeous 5,000-acre state park with shady hiking trails, clean restrooms and fully equipped picnic pavilions, Silver River is also something of a theme park about Florida’s heritage. Here, you can enjoy a nature walk or river cruise. You can have a picnic and watch your kids conquer the park playground. But you can also fully immerse yourself in Sunshine State history spanning 12,000 years.
History & Culture
The Timucua who were here at the time of European discovery and the later Seminole tribes considered the headwaters of the Silver River to be sacred. In the 1820s Gad Humphries named the headwaters “Silver Springs” and put the area on the map as a tourist attraction. Plantations in and around Ocala used the river to transport vegetables, tobacco and oranges. In the 1870s Phillip Morell built the watercraft Silver Springs is famous for: the glass bottom rowboat. More than a century later, guests still come to ride the river on boats that reveal the waterway in this unique way.
Traveler Tips: When you are out on the water, watch out for the monkeys. Yes, monkeys. The woods around the Silver River are home to hundreds of Rhesus monkeys. They generally stay away from boats, but do NOT feed them. If you upset their pecking order, bad things can happen.