Summer is heating up: Cool off with these springs and nature parks in and around Gainesville
As temperatures rise and summer begins, Gainesville offers a multitude of outdoor activities to do alone or with others. There’s no shortage of nature to experience here in North Central Florida.Here are some local springs and nature parks and what you can do at each one:
Boulware Springs Park
3300 SE 15th St., Gainesville
Boulware Springs acts as a trailhead for the 17-mile-long Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. There is an active restoration by the city to restore degraded sandhill and upland pine forest north of the park's parking lot.
Swimming: No.
Can you bring your dog? Yes (leashed).
Activities: Picnic facilities, grills, trails/paths (hiking, bicycling, horseback), wildlife/bird watching, pavilion, restrooms.
Fees: None.
Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens
4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston
Cedar Lakes is an abandoned limerock quarry, which was originally purchased by Dr. Raymond Webber in 1991 for private use, and eventually turned into a 20-acre botanical gardens. The gardens became a nonprofit in 2014 and opened to the public; the 64 acres of surrounding woodlands were donated to Conservation Florida.
Swimming: No.
Can you bring your dog? Yes (leashed).
Activities: Picnic tables, trails, benches, welcome center, restrooms.
Fees: Ages 13+, $12; 6-13, $7; 5 & under, free; military, $6.
Devil’s Den Spring
5390 NE 180th Ave., Williston
Devil's Den Spring is an underground spring with a maximum depth of 54 feet, which resides in a dry cave. It was bought in 1993 by its current owners and the water 72 degrees year-round. Many extinct fossils have been found here, which are on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Swimming: Scuba diving and snorkeling in spring only.
Can you bring your dog? No.
Activities: Tent/RV camping, lodging, picnic facilities, grills, lawn games, pavilions, cabanas, gift shop, restrooms, shower/changing area.
Fees: $7 per person entry fee. Additional fees for scuba and snorkeling. Reservations required.
Devil’s Milhopper Geological State Park
4732 Millhopper Road, Gainesville
Devil's Millhopper is a 120-foot deep, bowl-shaped cavity (sinkhole) with a miniature rainforest ecosystem. You can visit the sinkhole by descending a 132-step boardwalk surrounded by flowing water. The park became a designated National Natural Landmark in 1976 and has attracted visitors since the 1880s.
Swimming: No.
Can you bring your dog? Yes (leashed).
Activities: Hiking, guided ranger tours (Saturdays, 10 a.m.), picnic facilities, wildlife watching, visitor center, restrooms.
Fees: $4 per vehicle, $2 for pedestrians. bicyclists.
Rainbow Springs State Park
19158 SW 81st Place Road, Dunnellon
Rainbow Springs became a privately owned theme park in the 1930s, offering sub-boat rides with stairs that went below the waterline as well as a zoo, rodeo, gift shops and a monorail. However, the park closed in 1974 due to the development of the interstate highway system, which drew visitors to newer attractions.
It reopened as a state park in the 1990s with the help of the Friends of Rainbow Springs, the park's citizen support organization. The Rainbow River is now a designated a National Natural Landmark, a Florida aquatic preserve and an Outstanding Florida Water, and spans over 1,400 acres with three main entrances.
The town of Juliette, which no longer exists, was located on what is now park property and was founded in the 20th century along with the town of Dunnellon.
Swimming: Yes.
Can you bring your dog? Yes (leashed).
Activities: Tent/RV camping, snorkeling, paddling, canoes, kayaks, picnic facilities, grills, pavilion, hiking/trails, wildlife/bird watching, fishing, gardens/waterfalls, concession/restaurant, visitor center, interpretive exhibit, restrooms, shower/changing area.
Tubing is allowed at a separate entrance, located on Southwest 180th Avenue Road, Dunnellon. No inflatables are allowed in the park.
Fees: $2 per person, other fees vary.
Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
7450 NE 60th St., High Springs
Multiple natural springs make up Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, including a large, second-magnitude spring, Gilchrist Blue, which produces on average 44 million gallons of water a day and discharges water through a shallow spring to the Santa Fe River.
Swimming: Yes.
Can you bring your dog? Yes (leashed).
Activities: Tent/RV camping, paddling, snorkeling, canoes, kayaks, picnic facilities, grills, pavilion, hiking/trails, wildlife watching, restrooms/changing area.
Fees: $6 per vehicle (2-8 people), $4 per single occupant vehicle, $2 for pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers.
Silver Springs State Park
5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Silver Springs
Silver Springs dates back to the early 1900s when it became a local attraction known for its glass-bottom boats and multiple other attractions including a jungle cruise ride, replica Native American village, carousel and petting zoo. The park was discovered by Hollywood in the 1930s and scenes from at least 20 movies were filmed there — including "Creature from the Black Lagoon," and six Tarzan pictures (which was also the inspiration for the release of the wild monkeys occupying the park today).
In 1962, the park was purchased by ABC Paramount but couldn't compete with rising attractions, particularly in Orlando. The Florida Park Service took control of the property in 2013 and merged it with Silver River State Park, creating the park it is today.
Swimming: No.
Can you bring your dog? Yes (leashed).
Activities: RV/tent camping, lodging, glass-bottom boats, paddling, canoes, kayaks, trails/hiking, wildlife/bird watching, Silver River Museum & Environmental Center, Cracker Village (pioneer settlement replica), pavilion, café, restrooms.
Fees: $8 per vehicle, $5 per single occupant vehicle, motorcycle, $2 per pedestrian, bicyclist, $2 per person for museum. Additional costs for pavilion rental, camping and water activities.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Outdoor springs and parks in North Central Florida
