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River sink at O'Leno State Park

O’Leno State Park

Once a pioneer community along the Old Bellamy Road connecting St. Augustine and Tallahassee in 1826, O’Leno State Park protects one of North Florida’s weirder geologic wonders, a disappearing river.

High Springs      ( 29.919707,-82.608359 )      

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River sink at O'Leno State Park
River sink at O’Leno State Park

Once a pioneer community along the Old Bellamy Road connecting St. Augustine and Tallahassee in 1826, O’Leno State Park protects one of North Florida’s weirder geologic wonders, a disappearing river.

Resources

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover50 Hikes in North Florida book cover

Overview

Location: High Springs
Lat-Lon: 29.919707,-82.608359
Fees: $4-5 per vehicle
Open: 8 AM until sunset daily
Leashed pets welcome

Reserve a campsite

Location

Details

Kayakers love the Santa Fe River for its gentle flow down to the Suwannee River, but this particular section of the Santa Fe simply disappears into a river sink. For several miles, it pops up to the surface briefly, creating a chain of cypress-lined lakes, before it finally re-emerges at a river rise.

Explore the trail system by foot, bicycle, or horseback, or just settle back and enjoy camping under the dogwood trees amid buildings constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (and a 1930s swinging suspension bridge!) at one of Florida’s oldest state parks.

More details from Friends of O’Leno

Explore the park

Visit their website

Category: Backpacking, Biking, Camping, Canoe & Kayak Rentals, Day Hikes, Equestrian, Florida State Parks, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, North Florida, Paddling, Parks, PlacesTag: Best Camping, Big Trees, Cabins, Car Camping, CCC, Developed Camping, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Favorites, Fishing, Florida State Parks, Geology, High Springs, Historic Sites, Lake City, Picnic, Playgrounds, Primitive Camping, Rivers, Santa Fe River, Sinkholes, Swimming

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