Florida is know for their springs, apparently. If this is news to you, you’re not the only one. I had no idea until I got here and started exploring their state parks. I think the parks system might be a little annoyed that everyone seems to come to Florida for one (or both) of two things - theme parks and beaches – because their motto is “. . . the Real Florida” (the underline is theirs). Can you feel the annoyance? I certainly can! As a park person (not theme parks, to be clear) I can appreciate their frustration. Like when Colorado were the first to legalize recreational marijuana, the residents were like, “Come on guys! Nature! We got it and it’s pretty amazing here! Please stop coming here just to get high!”
Because it’s the off-season (I think that might become one of my favorite words), many of the state parks are almost empty. Unless you want to camp in them, then you have to book at least three months out or you’re S.O.L. If this is what it’s like in the off-season, I can’t imagine the lead time if you want to camp in high season! My favorite part about how the parks are run this time of year is that they use the honor system for payment. There’s a little envelop with a tag you tear off and put on your rearview window. You could totally cheat the system because if you pay cash there isn’t even a place to write down your plate number and I never saw a ranger checking tags. There are a couple parks where you have to pay at the door, instead of at the entrance, but those were just the “fancy” ones. The whole thing feels “small town” to me which, considering how commercial Florida has become, is amazingly refreshing.
It should go without saying (but I’m saying it anyway), I got a state parks pass. I currently am the proud owner of four state parks passes (and a national parks pass!). Which ones you may ask? Oh, you didn’t ask? I’m going to pretend you asked. I got Texas last year (best investment ever! Well, at least a really good one), Wisconsin (it’s a car decal, so my friend in Minnesota technically has that one, but I paid for it!), Georgia, and now Florida. Ironic that I don’t have a Minnesota state parks pass. Maybe when I have a house there that doesn’t have wheels, I’ll consider it.
There are a lot of Florida State Parks. Most aren’t large, as they are either squeezed in the middle of developments, or are centered around a specific site. Both are usually the case with the Florida springs.
My first spring experience was at Ichetucknee Springs. There were two springs in which you could swim, so I had to go swimming. I initially decided I wanted to swim on my own, so I confidently trekked back to the more isolated spring. While beautiful, I was reminded why I hate swimming in most lakes – not seeing the bottom or what could potentially be swimming with me terrifies me! Especially when there are signs basically saying, “you’re kinda swimming with alligators and they see you as lunch.” No thank you, ma’am!
So I quickly abandoned my romantic notion of a private swim for a safer spring where I was not the only person (more eyes to spot alligators) and could see the bottom (easier to spot alligators!). This spring was astonishingly clear, though according to an old-timer it was actually a little cloudy!
I will say the swim was a little . . . um, brisk. These are not hot springs. According the everyone (I can’t count how many times I was told this tidbit), Florida spring water is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, year round. As anyone who works in aquatics will tell you (provided you actually know someone who works in aquatics), that’s cold. For comparison, leisure pools are typically kept at 84-86, and those really cold competitive pools are usually kept around 79.
That being said, my swim was refreshing.
The next spring I visited was called Rainbow Springs. It has waterfalls! However, I was told upon arrival that two of the waterfalls weren’t working. Um, what? How do waterfalls not work? Dry waterfalls, I get, but “not working” is a strange concept.
Apparently this park was completely manmade, except of the spring, of course (though, I guess that isn’t “of course” as I wouldn’t put it past people to try that too).
It was basically the mid-20th century’s version of a tourist trap. Hence, the broken waterfalls. The ranger told me that the motors used to run them were the original ones from the 1930s. That’s pretty impressive engineering, but even quality work eventually gives out!
If you guessed that I also went swimming at Rainbow Springs, you would be correct! (In the future, if there’s swimmable water, just assume I partook).
The Real Florida is beautiful and I am excited to see what else the state parks have in store, as I’m going to visit as many as possible while spending my winter in the state (I have to make it to at least 20 to break even on the pass).
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