Ichetucknee Springs State Park

What to expect

Ichetucknee is not a hot spring. Its springs and the river they feed stay at about 72°F22°C all year, which is the whole point on a Florida summer day: you drift down a clear, cold river under cypress and hardwood shade. In winter that same water feels warm compared with the air. If you came looking for a hot soak, this is the wrong state, but it is one of the best cool-water days out in Florida.

The Ichetucknee River runs about 6 miles from its Headspring to the Santa Fe River, northwest of Fort White. The upper river inside the park is a National Natural Landmark. Tubing here became a summer habit in the 1950s and 1960s, when the land belonged to a phosphate company and students drove over from Gainesville. The state bought the property in 1970, and the park has spent the decades since limiting the damage that heavy tubing does to the river’s eelgrass and banks.

There are two very different halves to the park:

• North Entrance: the Headspring, where the river begins, and Blue Hole Spring, a half-mile walk away. This is where you swim and snorkel. Blue Hole is a deep, cold spring that the park recommends for snorkeling in any season.
• South Entrance: off US 27, with all tubing operations, the General Store, rentals, the tram, the visitor center and the Discovery Trail.

Getting there

• South Entrance (tubing): 12087 SW US Highway 27, Fort White, FL 32038, about 4 miles northwest of Fort White.
• North Entrance (swimming at the Headspring and Blue Hole, paddling put-in): 8294 SW Elim Church Road, Fort White, FL 32038.

From Gainesville, drive north on US 441 to High Springs, then west on US 27 through Fort White to the South Entrance, roughly 40 miles. From Lake City, take SR 47 south toward Fort White, then US 27 west. From I-75, the US 27 exit at High Springs is the usual route.

At the South Entrance, the walk from behind the concession building down to Dampier’s Landing is about a quarter mile. At the end of the float, you ride the concession tram back with a wristband from the General Store, or walk a trail of about 0.55 mile to the south parking lot.

Tubing: how it works in 2026

• Launch: Dampier’s Landing at the South Entrance, year-round. It closes at 5 p.m.
• Midpoint launch: closed for repairs since March 17, 2026, with no reopening date.
• North section: closed to tubing. It is shallow and sensitive.
• Float time: about 45 minutes to an hour to the last take-out.
• Off the river: everyone by 6 p.m.
• Rentals: tubes, life jackets, kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards from the concessionaire’s General Store (386-497-1500). Tube rentals end at 4:30 p.m. Prices vary by tube style. You can bring your own or rent from outside vendors, but no tube may be larger than 60 inches in length or width.
• Stay on your tube: swimming is not allowed on the river. You must stay on or in your flotation device.

Some older guides, and Wikipedia, still describe a summer tube run from the North Entrance starting the Friday before Memorial Day. The park’s current tubing page says the north section is closed to tubing, so do not plan around it.

When to go

Summer is peak season, and capacity is the main problem. On hot weekends and holidays, the North Entrance lot and the South Entrance and Midpoint lots often fill, and the gates close temporarily. Entry is first come, first served. Paying online in advance does not hold you a spot or skip the ranger station line. Get there at 8 a.m. or come on a weekday.

Spring and fall are the easy seasons for tubing, with warm air and fewer people.

Cooler months are when the park suggests paddling the upper river by canoe or kayak. The North Boat Launch is the furthest upstream access, with a ramp, fixed dock and kayak cradle. North-launch rentals stop at 2:30 p.m. and the launch closes at 3 p.m.

Rules and etiquette

• Fees: $6 per vehicle for 2 to 8 people, $4 for a single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle, $2 per pedestrian, cyclist or extra passenger.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year. Blue Hole and its trail close an hour before the park closes; the Headspring closes 30 minutes before, and you must have left the spring area by then.
• Banned on the river: disposables (bags, plastic bottles, sports drinks), food, glass, coolers including cooler backpacks, pets, lighters, tobacco, nicotine and vapes, radios and speakers, glitter or confetti tubes, pool noodles, toys and water guns, phone chargers and battery packs, fishing gear, inflatables over 60 inches and diver propulsion vehicles. Items may be inspected.
• Alcohol: banned on the river and everywhere in the park.
• Springs: tubes are not allowed in the Headspring or Blue Hole, but pool noodles and life jackets are fine there.
• Diving: the park asks divers to be cave or cavern certified.
• Pets: leashed pets are welcome on the Trestle Point and Pine Ridge trails at the North Entrance, but not on the river.

Where to stay nearby

The park’s amenity list has no campground, so plan to sleep elsewhere. Ginnie Springs, about 10 miles south on the Santa Fe River, is a large private campground with its own springs. Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park reopened its campground on October 1, 2026, though its day-use area remained closed for construction. High Springs, about 15 miles southeast on US 27, has inns and restaurants, and Lake City, about 16 miles north, has chain hotels off I-75.

Safety notes

• Cold water: 72°F22°C feels great for 10 minutes and chilly after an hour, especially for small kids. Rent or bring a life jacket and keep children in sight.
• Shallow spots and roots: the river is shallow in places, with logs and limestone. Keep your feet up and your shoes on.
• Heat and sun: you cannot bring food or drink on the river, so drink before you launch and wear sun protection.
• Weather: summer thunderstorms build fast. Get off the water if you hear thunder.
• Wildlife: turtles, fish and the occasional alligator or snake use the river. Leave them alone.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Santa Fe River below the Ichetucknee is lined with springs: Ginnie, Gilchrist Blue and others around High Springs. West on the Suwannee, Fanning Springs adds year-round swimming and winter manatee sightings. All of them are cool springs at about the same temperature, so one swimsuit and a light wetsuit cover the whole trip.