Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Hiking, biking, paddling, camping, and other outdoor recreation, public lands, and communities along the famed Suwannee River, a blackwater river fed by the outflow of Okeefenokee Swamp and hundreds of springs on its 246-mile meander to the Gulf of Mexico.
One of Florida’s more remote National Wildlife Refuges, the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge spans two counties, protecting a sweep of more than 53,000 acres and 30 miles of coastline along the Big Bend
Nestled against the Georgia border, the easternmost corner of Northwest Florida is Madison County, with its county line defined on one side by the Suwannee River.
Showcasing the lower Suwannee River, Manatee Springs State Park centers around a clear blue spring, one of Florida’s largest and most picturesque
The county seat of rural Lafayette County, Mayo is centrally located for explorations along the Suwannee River and its many springs
The Florida Nature and Heritage Tourism Center in White Springs has been closed permanently. You will still find historic White Sulphur Springs down the stairs from it.
West of Trenton along the Suwannee River, Otter Springs is a second magnitude spring surrounded by clusters of ancient oaks and towering cypress. It is a Gilchrist County Park.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park is a top international destination for cave divers 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.
Immerse in the massive floodplain forest surrounding the Suwannee River as it nears the Gulf of Mexico, on the the River Trail at Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, a boardwalk to the river’s edge
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
Between Madison and Marianna and across Wakulla County, explore a colorful collection of natural springs for swimming and snorkeling, all within an hour of Tallahassee.
Visits to four springs along the lower Suwannee River enlightens us as to the changes occurring in Florida’s springs, even in rural areas.
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.
