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Aquamarine tinted water surrounded by cypress trees

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park

A top international destination for cave divers, Peacock Springs also offers a unique interpretive hike for non-divers to trace the watery passages beneath the surface.

Live Oak      ( 30.129057,-83.132175 )      

Bumping down the dirt road into deep forest, it’s hard to believe this park is all about diving.

But Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park – renamed in honor of Florida’s top underwater photographer, who died while open water diving in 2010 – is a top international destination for cave divers.

That’s thanks to its extensively mapped system of underwater tubes: more than six miles of passageways connecting two major springs, six sinkholes, and the Suwannee River.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in North Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: McAlpin
Address: 18532 180th St, Live Oak
Fees: $4 per vehicle
Restroom: Portable toilets
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-776-2194

Open 8 AM to sundown. Leashed dogs welcome but are not permitted in the springs. No potable water is available inside the park.

Special rules for diving apply, including proof of certification and sign-in / sign-out. No solo dives permitted. Divers must be out of the water at least one hour prior to sundown.

Limestone wall with green-covered water at base


Location


About the Park

You can’t see the river from the parking area, and indeed, the spring run itself simply vanishes into the ground.

Landlubbers have the option of walking marked and unmarked trails through the woods, tracing the trails that divers follow underground; in springtime, colorful wildflowers spice up the scenery.

Summer means you can splash in the two springs, and cool off in the run under the shade of ancient cypress trees with knees taller than yours.

Divers have a choice of open water diving in Orange Grove Sink or cave diving – certified divers only, in teams – through the maze of passageways.

Dive Outpost, an excellent dive shop, is just up the road and can help you find a buddy if you need one.


Trail Map

Peacock Springs Trail Map


Explore More!

Ichetucknee Springs

Springs of the Suwannee River Valley

It’s August. It’s Florida. Where do you go to cool off? The springs of the Suwannee River Valley. No matter the size, these natural swimming holes are a delight.

Open water and spring at Peacock Springs

Peacock Springs State Park renamed in honor of Wes Skiles

The late Wes Skiles, a High Springs resident whose Karst Productions brought a new dimension to the exploration of natural Florida – underground and underwater – shared with millions through PBS specials, will be honored today at a special ceremony at 11 am at Peacock Springs State Park, near Mayo. One of the little-known projects …

Peacock Springs cypress

Tip of the Nose

Cypress knees can grow much taller than you think. I was able to measure this particular one at Peacock Springs State Park by standing nose to nose with it.


Slideshow

See our photos of Peacock Springs


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Royal Springs

Royal Springs

Staring into Royal Springs, it feels like looking into a bottomless pit. Steep and broad, it drops 42 feet into shimmering waters of turquoise and royal blue

Troy Spring

Troy Spring State Park

A first-magnitude spring along the Suwannee River, Troy Spring State Park has the remains of a Civil War steamboat cradled in its rocky waters.

Lafayette Blue Springs

Lafayette Blue Springs State Park

Lafayette Blue Springs was an old swimming hole for folks in Mayo and the rural communities west of Live Oak, a hidden beauty spot along the Suwannee River that is now a state park.

Holton River Camp beach

Suwannee River Wilderness Trail

Showcasing springs, sandy beaches, waterfalls, and haunting swamp forests where manatees gather, the 170-mile Suwannee River Wilderness Trail is a paddling trip of a lifetime

Official Website

Category: Florida State Parks, Hikes, Nature Trails, North Florida, Parks, Places, SpringsTag: Big Trees, Botanical, Branford, Dog-friendly, Live Oak, Mayo, Peacock Springs State Park, Scuba, Sinkholes, Snorkeling, Springs, Suwannee River, Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, Swimming, Wildflowers

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Riverfront with picnic tables

Chastain-Seay Park

Chastain-Seay Park
Tannic stream sluicing through riverine forest

Santa Fe River Preserve Gracy Trail

Santa Fe River Preserve Gracy Trail
Pine forest with blue blazed pine tree

Buck Bay Flatwoods Preserve

Buck Bay Flatwoods Preserve
Teal blazes on footpath in sandhill habitat

Belmore State Forest

Belmore State Forest

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