Canoeing Alexander Springs in the Ocala National Forest

You won’t be the first to discover the delightful swimming hole at Alexander Springs. People have been enjoying this idyllic and refreshing spring form at least 10,000 years. Its ancient residents, the Timucuan Indians, enjoyed the springs for the same reason people go today: “It was a place where they would go swimming and recreate,” said ranger Jim Thorsen.

Alexander is one of Florida’s 27 “first-magnitude” springs, each of which produce mor than 64.6 million gallons of water a day. (Nearby Silver Glen Springs is another, along with Manatee Springs near Chiefland.) Alexander Springs (ranked 23rd) discharges 80 million gallons a day, according to Thorsen.

Archaeologists have discovered numerous artifacts near the springs, including pottery, bows, even an ancient stew. Its ingredients included fresh water snails, mussels, gar fish, catfish, speckled perch, largemouth bass, turtle, bird, white-tailed deer and palmetto berries.

Hiking the Nature Trail at Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest

Today the picnic area is on the site of a “shell mitten,” Thorsen said. “It’s a large mound of shells and crayfish. That was the diet of the Timucuan Indians.”

How Alexander Springs got its name is a mystery. “Nobody really knows the answer,” Thorsen said. “It was probably named after a person when the forest was created in 1908.”

The nearby Billies Bay Wilderness, however, “was named after a person who was half Seminole Indian and half caucasian,” Thorsen said. “He used to be a renegade who went in there to hide. His name was Billy Bowleg something.”

Alexander’s 1-mile Timucuan Nature Trail loops through four distinct environments common to Ocala National Forest: aquatic, swamp, Oak Hammock and Sand Pine Scrub. Along the way, informational signs describe the plants as they were used by Timucuan Indians. Much of the trail is on elevated boardwalks, and two observation platforms offer fishing and a good view of Alexander Creek.

The large swimming area feels more natural than the developed site at Juniper Springs. There’s more water, too. Juniper Springs discharges only a fourth the amount of water as Alexander Springs. The 28-foot pool at the head of the spring is a favorite spot for scuba divers.

Alexander Springs Recreation Area Info:

From Ocala, take Highway 40 to Astor Park, then take Highway 445 south for five and a half miles. Canoes can be rented for a 7-mile run along Alexander Creek (with a free pickup) or for as little as two hours. The 67-unit campground, accessible to the handicapped, is open year-round. The park is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except for overnight campers. Features: Camping, picnicking, hiking, swimming, scuba diving, canoeing and kayaking.  Contact: (352) 669-3522

Silver Glen Springs in the Ocala National Forest

If you can manage to get the place to yourself — and it is possible, but not on busy weekends or holidays — there are few better places to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Ocala National Forest than Silver Glen Springs.

From the comfortable lawn surrounding the spring, under a gentle shade of Spanish moss, you can watch the spring boil up silently from the Florida Aquifer. Seventy-two million gallons a day erupt from the spring and spread out into a transparent underwater meadow teeming with fish. The limestone pool, about 200 feet across, is the color of pale emeralds, accented by abstract swaths of water grass.

Silver Glen, along with nearby Alexander Springs,  is one of Florida’s 33 first-magnitude springs. It is larger than both Juniper Springs and Salt Springs.

A little blue heron may patrol the hyacinth looking for a quick meal, while great blues stand sentry farther off in the shadows. Cormorants and anhingas stretch their wings on the buoys, soaking up the afternoon sun.

“People tend to think there isn’t much to see in the winter time,” said Jerry Clutts, back when he was Lake George District Ranger. “But there are quite a few fish seeking warm water, stripped bass even some saltwater species that come up from the St John’s–some rays and some groupers.” Bald eagles, as well as many other birds, are also seen at the park.

The site is surrounded by an Indian shell mound and has been a popular swimming hole for at least 7,000 years. A small collection of artifacts from the site is on display at the Ocala Public Library. “The whole area around the spring apparently at one time was a shell mound,” Clutts said. “But a lot of it was been excavated years ago. [The shells were] taken and used for road surfacing. A lot of the area has been disturbed.”

In recent years a hiking trail has been added that takes you along a three-mile round trip to a bluff along Lake George.  The trail begins near where a historic Timucuan village once existed and follows the spring run to one of Florida’s largest lakes. Watch for alligators along the way.

If quiet solitude isn’t your aim, you’ll have plenty of company on weekends and holidays. Boating traffic along the half-mile spring run might be the Ocala National Forest’s equivalent of Daytona Break during spring break. If you like a crowd, you’ll be in luck. If not, you’ll want to wait for the mid-week or off season to enjoy the tranquility of this scenic gem.

Silver Glen Springs from Jamie Hellmich on Vimeo.

Silver Glen Springs Info

Silver Glen Springs is located near Lake George on Highway 19, six miles north of SR 40 in Ocala National Forest. Activities include boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming and snorkeling. Camping is not permitted. (But read here for a list of Ocala National Forest Campgrounds.) The park is open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with canoe rentals available on site from $16 to $38 (full day).  Free kayak launching. Day use fee is $5.50 per person. Snorkeling, but not SCUBA, is permitted.

A single annual pass ($60 per person) gets you into several Ocala National Forest recreation areas, including Juniper Springs, Salt Springs, Clearwater Lake, Wildcat Lake, Alexander Springs and Silver Glen Springs. For information, call 352-236-0288

Pancake breakfast at DeLeon Springs' Old Spanish Mill.

Not sure if this is how it worked for Ponce De Leon, but here’s another refreshing and youthful way to enjoy a hot summer day in central Florida:

Start off the morning with hot pancakes at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill at DeLeon Springs State Park in Deland, Florida. The kids (and the kid in you) will love them, and it’s an adventure since you get to make them at your own table. For an old fashioned taste you won’t find at any IHOP, try the stone ground pancake mix and top it off with some thick black molasses. Or mix and match with an assortment of fruit and candy toppings to invent a pancake that’s uniquely your own.

This historic DeLeon Springs sugar mill dates back to the early 1800s plantation era. It was the site of skirmishes during the Second Seminole War and supplied confederate troops during the Civil War. Some of the historic mill machinery is located around back, along with some well designed historic panels.

In the late 1800′s the plantation turned to developing a good crop of tourists by billing itself as a health resort, and the architecture of the old inn and casino (now the bath house) dates from the 1920s. Promotional literature promised “a fountain of youth impregnated with a deliciously healthy combination of soda and sulphur.”

Historic DeLeon Springs was once a turn-of-the-century health spa.

Hard to imagine now, but the resort was once the winter home of the Clyde Beatty Circus and had hosted jungle cruises and a circus featuring an elephant on water skis. Some fascinating memorabilia is on view in the park museum.

Stuff yourself good, then take a nature walk through the nearby forest or rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboat and tour the Spring Garden Run into the Woodruff Federal Wildlife Refuge. This scenic area is full of wildlife, and it was inhabited by native Americans as long as 6,000 years ago. Make sure you work up a good sweat.

Then wait until the day heats up to about 95 degrees and the humidity becomes stifling. Hold on until you can’t stand it anymore.

Now change into your swimsuit and walk around to the deep end of the spring, which as been corralled into a large community swimming area. Don’t dip your toe in the water. Just dive in without a thought.

From the crushing midday heat you’ll crash into a wall of 72 degree water, and in an instant, a fraction of a second, you’ll have left the summer heat behind. If the heat had previously sapped your energy and enthusiasm, now you’ll find yourself alive and awake.

Fountain of Youth? You betcha!

DeLeon Springs State Park Info:

Directions: DeLeon Springs is located six miles north of DeLand, Florida on Highway 17. Google Map.

The park is open 8 a.m. until sundown year round. The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fees: Entrance fee is $6.00 per vehicle, with 2-8 people or $4.00 for single occupant vehicles and $2.00 for pedestrians and others.  Picnic pavilions can be rented for $45.00 per day (small) or $75.00 per day (large).

More Park Information:

601 Ponce DeLeon Blvd./PO Box 1338
DeLeon Springs, Florida 32130
Phone: 386-985-4212

Swimmers and manatees alike enjoy Blue Spring near Deland.

The earliest review of Blue Spring gave the place an 18th-century version of thumbs down. Naturalist John Bartram visited Blue Spring in January of 1766, and found a “surprising fountain … the colour of the sea, [that] smelled like bilge water, tasting sweetish and loathsome.”

Fortunately for modern travelers, the chemistry of the spring has changed in the last 200 years. “It no longer has that sulfurous odor,” said Dr. Joe Kenner, during the time he served as park biologist in the early 90s. “It would be more appropriately called Green Spring.” One of Florida’s first- magnitude springs, it produces up to 100 million gallons of water a day.

Blue Springs State Park was established in 1972 to protect the  St. Johns River manatees. Before then it was a crowded fish camp  that was inhospitable to the animals. In the early 1970s, only six or eight manatees visited the spring, Kenner explained. Now about 75 manatees visit Blue Springs in the winter.

“When this was privately owned, half the spring run was covered over with boat houses, extending almost up to the spring,” he said. “The few manatees that did show up here were harassed. There was just so much commotion that manatees didn’t stay.”

Blue Spring is one of Florida's First Magnitude Springs

Now it’s hard to imagine the area as anything but wild. Raised boardwalks follow the spring run through primeval-looking hammocks. The spring itself is crystal clear and framed by lush vegetation. But the natural beauty of the area has only recently been reclaimed. “With people just wandering between the river and the spring you can imagine what it had done to the vegetation. It was crushed and beaten down. Erosion would wash dirt into the spring. All the trees had been cut down.  It was all bare.”

Park officials tore down the boathouses, moved a camping area away from the spring run and created a designated swimming area. Power boats were banned in the spring run, and canoes are prohibited in the winter.

“We made it more comfortable and pleasant for manatees to come in here,” Dr. Kenner said. “And we’ve had almost a steady increase in manatees using the area ever since.”

Blue Springs also has 350,000 human visitors a year, most of them during the manatee season. “It’s one of very few places you can depend on seeing manatees from the shore. You’re virtually right over them.” (It’s not a place you can swim with manatees, though. For that, try Crystal River instead.)

Blue Springs was originally a Timucuan Indian village. The east end of the spring run near the St. Johns River is an enormous mound of snail shells. “It’s believed that they intentionally piled shell up to make their houses safe from seasonal flooding. The shells were accumulated over 3,000 years.”

Obviously snails were a popular meal. “They had them at every meal,” Dr. Kenner said. “There was always a pot of snails cooking.” This part of the St. Johns River was colonized soon after the Seminole Indians were driven away, Dr. Kenner said. And after the Civil War, the region became an important source of lumber for rebuilding cities destroyed by the war. “Since cotton had never been a popular crop in Florida we still had a lot of virgin pine forests in the late 1800s,” Dr. Kenner said.

“So in came the lumber interests establishing the saw mills along the St. Johns.” The pine and cypress was hauled 150 miles to Jacksonville by steamboat. “This was a shipping point, a staging area. The whole place was pretty rowdy. In the steamboat era you’re talking about frontier Florida. This was pretty wild country down here at that time.”

The Thursby House at Blue Spring State Park preserves a chapter of Florida history.

When the lumber ran out, settlers planted citrus. That’s where the Thursby’s came in. The built a large frame home overlooking the St. Johns River in 1872. You can still get a peak inside the house, but the place has been closed to tours for three years because of
financial problems.

In addition to swimming, picnicking and canoeing, Blue Springs also has a four-mile hiking trail that meanders through flatwoods, scrub and hammock.

Alternate Trip: Rent a pontoon boat in Sanford, Florida and cruise up the St. John’s River to Blue Spring. For more information, visit Fun Maritime Academy on Lake Monroe.

***

Blue Spring State Park Info:

Directions: Take exit 114 off Interstate 4 and follow the signs. Go south on 17/92 to Orange City, about 2.5 miles. Make a right onto West French Avenue.

Admission: $5.00 per vehicle.
Camping: $20.00 per night.
Cabins: $85.00 per night

Contact:

Blue Spring State Park
2100 West French Avenue
Orange City, Florida 32763
Phone: 386-775-3663

More Information:

• Blue Spring State Park
• Friends of Blue Spring
• Uptake Vacation Blog: Blue Spring
• Cold Weather Brings Manatees in Record Numbers

At Wakulla Springs, Florida’s mysterious, primordial beauty has been preserved in a rustic, 1940s-era setting. The place has always been a tourist attraction, but commercialism is kept a minimum. Financier Edward Ball built a Spanish-style lodge and resort here in 1937, and the state took over control just a few years ago. All along, the emphasis has been on conservation.

The state park, located 12 miles south of Tallahassee, surrounds one of the world’s largest natural springs. The lodge overlooks an expansive lawn and swimming area, complete with a diving and observation platform.

The enormous spring covers three acres and fans out into a delightful garden of cypress trees that looks as though it was carefully planned at the beginning of time to serve a primarily decorative function.

The spring’s name comes from a Seminole word that most likely means, “Mysteries of Strange Water.” The place had been enjoyed by native Americans for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived.

Ponce De Leon twice visited the site, perhaps hoping it would prove to be the Fountain of Youth. On his second trip, in 1521, he discovered quite the opposite. A battle with the local Indians ensued, and De Leon was hit by an arrow that would cost him his life.

Two boat tours operate daily, and both are worthwhile. The 2-mile Wakulla River tour is far more scenic than comparable rides at Silver Springs or Weeki Wachee. You’ll see an abundance of wildlife, including a host of birds and alligators. During the winter, the spring becomes a prime spot for bird watching as thousands of migrating species pass through.

Some of the scenery here will probably look familiar, since it was the backdrop for several movies. Wakulla was the other-worldly setting for “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Tarzan and the Leopard Lady” and even part of “Airport ’77.”

The glass-bottom boat tour operates when the water is clear, and offers visitors a glimpse into the 185-foot depths of the spring. Wakulla is one of the world’s largest freshwater springs, and back in 1973 it produced more than a billion gallons of water a day.

The network of caves here have been explored to depths of 300 feet and to a distance of almost a mile. Many Ice Age fossils have been found in the cavern, and mastodon bones can be seen from the glass bottom boat.

After the boat ride, the park still offers many diversions. Though the water is a chilly 70 degrees, there is an excellent swimming area. If you’d like to wander the forest on foot, there’s a 6-mile hiking trail. There are also ample picnic grounds.

The formal Azalea Dining Room in the lodge is well known for its Deep South cuisine and seafood. Meals are moderately priced, and the dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Manatees at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

MANATEE NEWS: A friend in Ocala (and a wildlife expert) recently spotted a pod of manatees swimming in the Silver River. The wildlife photographer and filmmaker reported that manatees haven’t been seen in the Silver Springs area for years! The sighting occurred in April of this year. So add the Silver Springs attraction and the Silver River to your options for manatee viewing.

Florida’s manatees may be endangered, but they’re not difficult to find. Here are several ways to see a sea cow in central Florida:

Crystal River Manatee Swimming Tours

About 200 manatees (about 10 percent of the total manatee population) spend the winter in Crystal River. Here you will find the largest concentration of manatees in a natural setting, according to the Save the Manatee Club.

Between September and March, the manatees seek the warm, 72- degree springs of King’s Bay. Several companies offer snorkeling tours that allow people to swim with the manatees.

“People come from all over to see the manatees–from Europe, Alaska, Japan,”  according to the manager of American Pro Dive in Crystal River. But when the weather is warm, there are no guarantees that visitors will find what they’ve come to see. “We do our best to find them for folks,” he said, “but they’re wild animals.”

Dive shops require snorkelers to follow strict rules about manatee encounters. Nevertheless, Save the Manatee Club doesn’t recommend snorkeling with the manatees because too many people can stress the animals.

“We emphasize education. I tell folks if you don’t obey the rules, you’re out of the water. If the choice is between not seeing manatees and swimming after them (which is considered harassment), we’re not going to see them.”

“Manatees are the most important things in this bay,” the manager said. “We’re here to make money, but not at the expense of the thing that’s going to make us money.”

American Pro Dive offers snorkeling tours of King’s Bay as well as tours of Homosassa River. The trips include fins, snorkel, mask and wetsuit. Reservations are usually necessary.Call ahead to find out whether manatee sightings are likely: 1-800-291-DIVE (3483) or 1-352-563-0041.

The Crystal Lodge Dive Center offers manatee snorkel tours for $15 per person. Call (352) 795-6798.

Plantation Inn Dive Shop offers 3 hour snorkel tours for $30 per person, excluding equipment.  River tours are $15. Boat rentals also available. Call (352) 795-5797.

For a free look at the manatees at King’s Bay, stop at the Spring Run Bridge. From Highway 19 going south, turn right (west) on King’s Bay Drive at Barnett Bank. Follow King’s Bay Drive to the bridge.

Homosassa Springs Manatee Viewing

Homosassa Springs offers a great way to see manatees in a near natural setting. The underwater observatory floats above the main spring boil, and manatees frequently approach the glass to greet visitors.

“We call it the Peoplebowl,” said Susan Dougherty, the park spokesperson. “They’re looking at us just like we’re looking at them. It just depends on what side of the glass you’re on.”

The state park serves as a halfway home for sick and injured manatees, many of which will eventually be released into the wild. There are currently 12 manatees in the park.

Homosassa Springs also provides a home to a variety of native wildlife, including a variety of birds, black bears, alligators, crocodiles and snakes. Animal shows are scheduled throughout the day. Manatee programs are offered daily at 11:30, 1:45 and 4:15.

Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park is located at 9225 W. Fishbowl Drive, 3/4 mile west of U.S. 19 in Homosassa Springs. From Ocala, take Hwy. 200 south to 491 south to 490 west. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The entrance fee is $13 for adults, $5.00 for children ages 6-12. For information, call (352) 628-5343.

Manatee Springs State Park

Manatee Springs is the first feeding area for manatees coming up the Suwannee River from the Gulf of Mexico. More than 200 manatee sightings were recorded at the park last year, most of them during winter and spring.

When a manatee arrives, no one is allowed to swim in the spring run. “It turns into full sanctuary,” said Ranger Phillip Gerhardt. “We want to give them a calm, peaceful place. Because of that, some of the manatees that aren’t used to people come and visit us.”

Manatee Springs State Park is located just north of Chiefland on US 19. From Ocala, take Highway 27 north to Alt 27 north. 100 campsites are available. Ranger-led programs include hikes, wagon rides and video presentations. The park is open 8 a.m. until sundown. Entrance fees is $6.00 per vehicle, $4.00 for single occupant vehicles. Campsites cost $20 per site, including electricity.  For information, call (352) 493-6072.

Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park was established in 1972 to protect the St. Johns River manatees. In the early 1970s, only six or eight manatees visited the spring, according to park officials. Now about 75 manatees visit in the winter.

Blue Spring is one of Florida’s first-magnitude springs, and it produces up to 100 million gallons of water a day. Raised boardwalks follow the spring run and offer a good view of the animals. The spring itself is crystal clear and framed by lush vegetation.

Power boats are banned in the spring run, and canoes are also prohibited in the winter. Swimming with the manatees is not allowed.

Blue Spring State Park is located near Orange City. From Ocala, take Highway 40 to Barberville, then Highway 17 south to Orange City. The park is open 8 a.m. to sundown. Entrance fee is $3.25 per vehicle. Overnight cabins cost $55 a night. Forty-five campsites are also available. For information, call (904) 775-3663.

Sea World Manatee Exhibit

To years ago, Sea World opened a unique 3 1/2-acre manatee habitat called “Manatees: The Last Generation?” The educational program is probably the best in Florida, and it offers both above and below-the-water views of the manatees.

Seven animals are currently on display in the 300,000-gallon aquarium. The animals here are being rehabilitated, and the number varies as recuperated animals are released into the wild.

A “Behind the Scenes” tour (an additional $5.95 for adults and $4.95 for children) takes visitors through Sea World’s rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned manatees. More than a dozen manatees are usually in the program, including several calves. The tour also includes a look at rehabilitating birds, dolphins and sea turtles.

Sea World is located at the junction of I-4 and SR 528 in Orlando. General admission is $31.95, and $27.95 for children ages 3-9. For information, call (904) 351-3600

Other Manatee Sighting Options:

Manatees can be seen in both shallow and deep-water habitats at the Lowry Park Zoo. It’s located at 7530 North Blvd. in Tampa. Admission is $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for children ages 4-12.

Tampa Electric Company’s Big Bend Manatee Walk is a free boardwalk viewing area open to the public during the winter. It’s located south of Tampa off Interstate 75 and US 41 near Apollo Beach. For information, call (813) 228-4289.

Epcot Center’s Living Seas shows off manatees year-round. Tickets cost $35.90 for adults and $28.50 for children ages 3-9. For information, call (407) 560-6365.

Fern Hammock Springs is located at the end of the short Juniper Run Trail in the Ocala National Forest.

As the sun rises over the tall grass and scrub pines of Juniper Prairie Wilderness, lighting up the mist on Hidden Pond, the only sound is the gentle breeze in the trees and the occasional call of scrub jays or the echo of woodpeckers. Here in the nation’s southernmost wilderness, six miles by trail from the nearest road, dawn comes quietly and reveals a landscape barely changed by the passage of time.

Located in deep in the heart of Ocala National Forest, about half an hour east of Silver Springs, the wilderness if strictly off-limits to motor vehicles. So to experience this untouched corner of Florida, you’re limited to walking or paddling. Either way, it’s worth the effort.

Canoe or Kayak Juniper Springs

The seven-mile canoe run from Juniper Springs is one of the best canoeing opportunities in central Florida. The canopied creek winds through dense, primeval forests that seem untouched by man — on weekdays, anyway. Come early in the morning and you’ll paddle through dappled light that filters through the trees down into crystalline water.

At first glance, the run looks too narrow to navigate, but it grows in size steadily as it meanders past ancient cypress trees and lush semi-tropical forests. The narrow creek is filled with obstacles, and it takes some effort to avoid submerged snags and squeeze under overhanging branching. Whether you find it fun or frustrating may depend on your canoeing skills.

For the best experience, avoid the place on weekends and holidays. As many as 50 or 60 canoes and kayaks may crowd the creek during peak days, but during the week you may only have to share the run with the local wildlife.

Regardless of when you go, you’re bound to spot several species of wading birds during the last half of the canoe run, where the creek is wide and bounded by cattails. With a bit of luck, you may even spot a bald eagle. The creek is also home to a family of playful otters. These animals aren’t shy, and they boldly approach passing canoes. There are alligators too, which is one reason wading or tubing is not allowed on the creek.

The run takes between three and five hours, but it’s worth spending the whole day. The landing at the half-way point is a popular spot to stop for lunch. (Throwaway containers, such as bottles and cans, are prohibited on the run, and violators may be fined $25.)

A shuttle service for canoeists runs between Juniper Wayside Park (at the bridge on U.S. Highway 19) and Juniper Springs. The last shuttle leaves each day at 4:30 p.m. The shuttle is free if you rent a canoe, and $5 per person otherwise.

Hike Juniper Prairie Wilderness

If you’d rather walk into the heart of Juniper Prairie, the Florida Trail cuts through the center of the wilderness. The scenic trail stretches the entire length of the Ocala National Forest (and much of the state), but the prairie offers the best hiking in the area. It’s also the only section of the Florida trail that runs through a designated wilderness area. Eventually the Florida Trail, which was started in 1966, will include 1,300 miles of continuous trail from the Big Cypress National Preserve to the Gulf Island National Seashore.

From Juniper Springs, it’s a 12 mile round-trip hike to Hidden Pond, located in the center of the wilderness area. Here you can rest and enjoy lunch under the shade of the scrub pines, or fish for bass or panfish on one of the nearby ponds. If you bring a tent and a sleeping bag, Hidden Pond makes an ideal primitive campsite. Primitive means no toilets, and water is only available from the ponds — but it must be boiled or treated because of the presence of a parasite called Giardia, which causes diarrhea.

Although the trail itself sees a lot of human traffic, it’s easy to get away from people if that’s what you want. Just be sure you know how to use a map and compass (or GPS unit) because it’s easy to get lost in the network of side-trails.

Since only a few feet of elevation change can create a dramatic change in the landscape, the trail provides a good overview of the various biological communities in central Florida, from swamp to sand pine to prairie. And this variety of habitats also means a good chance of seeing many types of wildlife. The extensive wildfires in recent years have opened up the prairie in some areas and dramatically increased the bird life.

Save some time before or after your adventure to take the short (3/4 mile) nature trail along the beginning of Juniper Creek and Fern Hammock Springs. Together, Juniper and Fern Hammock Springs produce about 15 million gallons of water a day. (It’s significantly smaller than than the nearby First-Magnitude springs such as Silver Glen Springs, Alexander Springs and Silver Springs.) A bridge over Fern Hammock Springs provides a close look at the sandy boils where the water originates.

And don’t forget to bring a swimsuit, especially during summer. The 72-degree spring is one of the finest old-fashioned swimming holes you’ll find anywhere, and it makes a great place to cool off after a day of exploration.

If you go:

Call Juniper Springs Recreation Area for canoe rental and campground information: (352)625-0546