Floating Down from Dampier's Landing at Ichetucknee Springs State Park

72-degree year-round Springs

Park Overview

With over 700 Florida springs to choose from, why visit Ichetucknee Springs State Park? With its abundant source of wildlife and 72-degree year-round water temperatures, the park’s eight major crystalline springs offer park goers a place to snorkel, swim, tube, kayak, canoe, and scuba dive. Rentals and transportation services are available at the General Store on the south end. Only 20% of this park is open to the public, as the other 80% is preserved springs and sandhills, making the only accessible portions even more enticing.

Turtles at Dampier’s Landing

Dampier’s Landing

Launching at Dampier’s Landing, we float for an hour down the Ichetucknee River, admiring the miles of longleaf pines, hickory, sweetgum, and magnolia trees stretched to the sky and the masses of bright green moss covering the banks of the shoreline. We float under shaded hammocks and wild cypress roots protruding from the crystalline green waters, giving us a new vantage point of the magnitude of these branches out of soil. Tens of yellow-spotted river turtles are congregated on surfaced timber with all four legs spread out as if ready to fly, hoping to catch some sunlight on this overcast, rainy day. Some hang onto the logs by their legs until we approach closer on our tubes, then one-by-one, they kerplunk into the river and out of sight.

Coffee Spring

We meander past Coffee Spring, a fenced in habitat for the Ichetucknee SiltSnail, a creature about the size of a grain of sand. This area is the only population of this freshwater Florida native that still exists. Wood ducks, limpkin, and white egrets are residents of the springs as well, and they pleasantly welcome us into their home. Getting up close to some of these river residents in the slow and steady rain makes the float enjoyable even for just a short while.

Ichetucknee River

The main mission of the park is to protect and preserve Ichetucknee River and its eight springs by teaching park visitors about the recharge river basin.

Learn more about these efforts and discover how you can minimize your own wastewater impacts: 

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Take a closer look into the Education and Exhibit Visitor Center: