Home to one of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, or Wakulla Springs for short, is a sprawling 6,000-acre park atop a maze of underground caverns. Offering a glimpse of Old Florida, it’s here that visitors come to soak up the natural surroundings of a first-magnitude spring and wildlife sanctuary. The spring pool is a massive 315 feet in diameter. The vent is 82 feet wide, 50 feet high, and 185 feet deep.
Wakulla Springs is located in Florida’s Panhandle, just 20 minutes outside Tallahassee. Pack your swimsuit and head to the fresh springs to dip in the refreshing, roped-off swimming area when Florida’s weather heats up. An alluring attraction for many years, you’ll find an exciting two-story tower perfect for doing cannonballs off of and two sunbathing platforms amid the clear, calm spring waters.
Nature enthusiasts flock to this area to indulge in outdoor recreation and for its premier wildlife viewing, where it’s not uncommon to spot manatees in the winter season. It’s a bird lover’s paradise with many residents and migratory bird species seen year-round. At the same time, you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to see deer and turtles in their natural habitat.
With a long and fascinating history, the first documented native people inhabited the area during the Paleo period almost 20,000 years ago. Here, they hunted large land animals such as mastodons, mammoths, bison, and saber tooth tigers. As the water levels rose, humans moved to these inland springs. Meaning “river of the crying bird,” with an ancient Native American origin, Wakulla was purchased in 1934 by Edward Ball as an attraction to focus on wildlife preservation in Florida.
Offering a 45-minute boat tour of the spring and downriver ecosystem every day of the year (weather permitting), there is nothing quite like exploring the tranquil environment of the Wakulla River on a glass-bottom boat tour. If you’re visiting in fall or winter, this is the perfect time to go hiking, biking, or horseback riding along the 9 miles of nature trails scattered around the park.
Those looking for an overnight adventure will find that the Wakulla Lodge is a favorite for locals and visitors alike, with picnic areas and playgrounds perfect for families who come on a day trip. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Mediterranean Revival-style lodge has 27 rooms with period furnishings available.
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park Information:
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Address: 465 Wakulla Park Drive, Wakulla Springs, FL 32327
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Phone: (850) 561-7276