11650 N.W. 115th Street
Chiefland, Florida 32626
(352) 493-6072
8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year
$6.00 per vehicle. 2-8 people per vehicle; $4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle; $2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.
Diving: spring, open water and cave diving. All divers are required to register with the office prior to diving. All divers must be registered by 3:00 p.m. and out of the water and checked out (c-cards returned) by 5:00 p.m.
Pavilion Rental, Camping, Organized Youth and Adult Group Camping fees apply. See web-site.
(From the Web-site): The first-magnitude spring at this park produces an average of 100 million gallons of clear, cool water daily. In winter, West Indian manatees swim upriver to the warmer waters of the springs. Popular for snorkeling and scuba diving, the headwaters of the spring are also a great spot for swimming. The spring run forms a sparkling stream that meanders through hardwood wetlands to the Suwannee River. Canoe and kayaks can be rented May through September. Children enjoy the playground in the picnic area. Hiking and bicycling are available on the north end trail system. The full-facility campground is surrounded by red oak woods.
To continue our day's adventure with Don, Peg, Lynne, Steve and me, Steve's idea was to visit an altogether different state park. So, we followed the rural roads of Alachua and Levy Counties and meandered our way to Chiefland.
By this time, Don's and Peg's early morning McDonald's breakfast had worn off. Steve is not known for stopping. When he is focused on getting somewhere, that's it. Well, with four against one, we talked him into stopping. We went through Newberry.. There is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Lynne had been there before and did not really want to go back to it.
Our morning adventure continued. Miles and miles of trees, cattle and more trees, we finally came to outskirts of Trenton (no, not New Jersey…Trenton, Florida…the County Seat of Gilcrist County…yeah, I know y’all never heard of it). SUBWAY. Yeah! Food! Not terribly exciting, but it would do. Don treated all of us. Steve and I split a BLT sub (or as we call it in Southern New England—grinder) which was surprisingly quite good.Continuing on to Chiefland, we followed the signs to the springs. Well, actually Steve knew where it was, so the signs were not necessarily necessary.
Steve at times can be a conniver. First he told the man at the gate (this one is “manned”) that we had already been to a State Park. That did not matter. Then, Steve asked him if his volunteering at another State Park would help. The guy wanted proof. Well, as it were, he has a Silver River Museum volunteer placard on the dashboard. Voilé. That seemed to be good enough to get a complimentary pass.
A boardwalk follows the Suwanee River with several overlooks. It ends at a boat ramp. Normally, in the winter, there are many manatee. But, this has been a rather warm winter. So, they have not sought the warmth of shallow and temperate waters of the “springs.” We did not see any. Also, the day was hazy, so the blue sky did not show its unfailing beauty. The many examples of flora (most trees) had shade their leaves. This gives the landscape a much more dreary look than one might see any other season (yes, we do have seasonal changes, albeit not as dramatic as it is “up north.”).
We followed the boardwalk, spent quite some time taking in the quietness. We back tracked and went to the Springs portion of the park. The colors were not as vibrant as we have seen them, but everyone enjoyed the serene nature of the place. Fauna observed was a gazillion turkey buzzards in the trees and two snakes nestled around two branches in a bush in the River. And a bunch of squirrels.
Cypress trees and a bazillion knees were surrounded by some very pretty yellow flowers. I love the knees (how a cypress tree breathes when the water is high). Large groups of them remind me of a troop of soldiers standing at attention. A single sentinel here and there guards the entrance to the path.
Sometimes when we have visited, there have been many swimmers. This day, only two, using snorkels and masks.
We spent quite some time taking it in before we headed for home. Lynne helped me get supper on the table. As the old-fashioned soul that I am, I hang my clothes on the line to dry. Peg pulled them in for me. Nothing like having my friends and guests help me with housework.
Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the day, despite the lack of color. Peg and Don left somewhere around eight. It was a good day with a nice loop of a trip. They understand a bit more about rural Florida, which both commented that they enjoyed.
more pictures later
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