A passive preserve, River Rise Preserve State Park adjoins O’Leno State Park, taking up where O’Leno leaves off with the Santa Fe River flowing underground.
The river emerges all at once at River Rise, a significant geologic feature that bars paddlers from heading any farther upstream into O’Leno State Park.
River Rise (Chris Stevens)Resources
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Overview
Location: High Springs
Trailhead: 29.861088,-82.608487
Fees: $4-5 per vehicle
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-454-1853
Open 8 AM until sunset daily. Leashed dogs welcome. This park is managed by adjacent O’Leno State Park.
Directions
From High Springs drive north on US 41/441. Enter via the gate (with combination) or via the Bellamy Rd trailhead for O’Leno State Park.
About the Park
Like other folks who go to High Springs, we’ve driven by the gate with the sign for River Rise Preserve State Park and never seen it open.
Why? You can’t enter the park from here without having the combination to the gate, or via a paddle on the Santa Fe River, or by approaching by trail from O’Leno State Park, as we did.
The Sink to Rise Trail connects the trail systems between both state parks, with a backpacking campsite along the way.
O’Leno Sink to Rise Trail Starting where the waters of the Santa Fe River dive underground at O'Leno State Park, this scenic hike roughly follows the river's subterranean flow to its emergence at River Rise Preserve.The gate combination can be obtained after you pay the entrance fee at O’Leno State Park’s ranger station or by calling them in advance.
Cloaked in shady forests of sweetgum, cypress, tupelo, and red maple, River Rise Preserve State Park has numerous large ponds where the Santa Fe shows itself for a moment or two through karst windows along the trails.
Paddlers can paddle upstream from the put-in along US 441 at the Santa Fe River to the rise.
River RiseAccess 20 miles of equestrian / mountain biking trails and the backpacker’s loop at River Rise via the Bellamy Road entrance of O’Leno or from the main parking area of O’Leno State Park itself.
A 20-stall barn, bathhouse, and pavilion await equestrians for primitive camping. Reserve your spot through the ranger station at O’Leno (cannot be reserved online).
Historic marker at Bellamy RoadTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn about O’Leno State Park, which provides trail access to River Rise Preserve State Park
O’Leno State Park At the site of an 1826 pioneer community along the Old Bellamy Road connecting St. Augustine and Tallahassee, O'Leno State Park protects one of North Florida’s weirder geologic wonders, a disappearing river. Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Paddling the Santa Fe River On a mellow paddling trip down the Santa Fe River, John discovers several swimming springs, thousands of turtles, and miles of quiet waterway.
Mill Creek Preserve Slip through a curtain of pine plantation to discover a folded karst landscape with towering American beeches, spruce pines, swamp chestnut oaks, and a small waterfall on a 5.3 mile hike.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park A swimming hole as a work of natural art, the deep gash in the earth that is Ichetucknee Spring glows an unearthly robin's-egg blue, cradled in a limestone bowl within a leafy glen.
Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park Cradling a collection of spectacular springs in a forested glen along the Santa Fe River, Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is one of the finest places to experience springs up close
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- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026
- Tradewinds Park - October 27, 2026