santa fe
Paddle(Board) Natural North Florida’s Rivers and Lakes
If you’re a canoeist or a kayaker, you’ll certainly like paddling a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). In the past few years, SUPs have gained in popularity due to ease of operation and ease of transport. Also, they’re relatively inexpensive to purchase and can also be rented from many outfitters, like Rum 138 Outfitters or Santa Fe …
Poe Springs Park in Alachua County, FL—Recently Upgraded and More Fun Than Ever!
Poe Springs, one of the largest of the springs alongside the Santa Fe River, is located in a county park, just a short drive from Gainesville. And it’s Alachua County’s only park with an open, public spring suitable for swimming. Located on CR340 (Poe Springs Road), just a few miles from the town of High …
Catch A Suwannee Bass On The Santa Fe River
If you’ve already added largemouth, smallmouth and shoal bass to your “bass bucket list”, consider Suwannee bass. And why not? They’re local to much of Natural North Florida, and while they rarely exceed three pounds, they’re lots of fun to catch. Suwannee bass (Micropterus notius) are found mainly in the coastal rivers of the Big …
Natural North Florida’s Gilchrist Blue Springs is Now Florida’s Newest State Park, 11/1/17
Florida now has 175 State Parks, and everyone’s excited that the transition from private to public for Gilchrist Blue Springs is now a “done deal”. The property, which contains six natural springs and includes approximately one mile of frontage along the Santa Fe River, has been providing recreational opportunities as a private park since 1958. …
Three Natural North Florida Springs–Free For All!
Some of the best things in our Natural North Florida region are free, and that’s especially true when it comes to three of our smaller springs. While we have the largest concentration of first and second magnitude freshwater springs in the world, these county-maintained “swimming holes” in Jefferson, Columbia and Alachua counties are fun–and FREE! …
Natural North Florida Paddling Guides and Outfitters
Paddling kayaks and canoes on Natural North Florida’s Gulf coast, its rivers and its springs can be the highlight of your visit. In our 14 county region, we have several rivers, including the mighty Suwannee, as well as the largest concentration of first-magnitude springs in the world. And if those places don’t get you excited, …
Second To Only The MIghty Suwannee River–Natural North Florida’s “Minor” Rivers
It’s tough when you have to say that some of our Natural North Florida Rivers are “minor”, but the 240-mile-long Suwannee River is hard to keep out of first place. It’s long, it’s free-flowing with no dams or obstructions, and it’s beautiful. But there are others in our region that are smaller, but no less …
Way Down Upon The Santa Fe River–A Suwannee River Alternative!
Spring has “sprung” and while our Natural North Florida region is largely rural, crowds flock to our rivers to boat, fish, or simply float. The Suwannee River begins in south Georgia’s Okeefenokee Swamp and meanders downstream to the Gulf of Mexico for over 240 miles. About 170 of those final miles are in our region …
Your Guide to 55 Miles of Fun Along Natural North Florida’s Gilchrist Blueway
For a Natural North Florida county that has no Gulf of Mexico coastline, Gilchrist County sure has lots of waterfront! In fact, few of our area’s coastal counties have shoreline to match Gilchrist’s 55 miles along the Suwannee, Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers. The Suwannee River begins several hundred miles from the Gulf in Georgia’s …
Take A “Day-Cation” on Florida’s Santa Fe River at Ellie-Ray’s
If you’re boating on Natural North Florida’s Santa Fe River or just touring US129 in Gilchrist County, stop by Ellie Ray’s for lunch–or a fun weekend. With plenty of RV sites, a huge boat dock, a restaurant as well as a beautiful swimming pool, Ellie Ray’s is a must-see place on the Santa Fe River. …