Photo Fiona Sunquist ©

Wakulla Springs State Park. Tel: (850) 922-3632

About 16 km (10 miles) south of Tallahassee, the state’s capital, Wakulla Springs State Park is a popular weekend destination. The central attraction of this park is one of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs. The spring produces about 1,5 million liters (400,000 gallons) per minute and forms the headwaters of the Wakulla River. The river flows through a good example of old growth cypress swamp. Over the years the spring has been a great source of fossils of Ice Age mammals.

The spring is a popular place for swimming and snorkeling; guided boat tours of the river and glass-bottomed boat tours the spring are available.

When the park is not too crowded, especially outside the summer vacation season, the boat tours offer a surprisingly good opportunity to get close to and to photograph water birds, turtles, and alligators. The right side of the boat provides the best view of birds and other wildlife on the shore, but the knowledgeable boat drivers are usually very accommodating about turning the boat so everyone gets a chance to look at the wildlife.

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More information on their web site

Wakulla Springs State Park web site

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