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