Ahhh, the great outdoors. It’s what Lake City, Florida’s Springlands is all about. Whether it’s a romp in a crystalline spring, a float down a spring-fed river, fishing in a lake, walking a trail or simply relaxing under the sun just about anywhere, you can do all of it and more in Lake City, Florida’s Springlands.
The generous array of parks in Florida’s Springlands offers a wide range of experiences, from a place that commemorates Florida’s largest Civil War battle, to a vast national forest, to several parks that are set amid freshwater springs and rivers. Basically, there’s a park for just about everyone.
With limestone bluffs that tower 80 feet above the Suwannee River, Big Shoals State Park provides vistas you won’t see anywhere else in Florida. It’s also the prime place in the Sunshine State for whitewater rafting.
One of Florida's first state parks, O'Leno is located along the banks of the scenic Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Suwannee River. The park features sinkholes, hardwood hammocks, river swamps and sandhills.
Camping Rock Fireplaces
Take a stroll down the shaded sidewalks through the historic town of White Springs, a town situated just across the Suwannee River from Columbia County. The White Sulphur Springs Springhouse was one of Florida’s original tourist destinations where visitors can see a piece of Florida history.
The Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park preserves Florida history on the banks of the river made famous by the song "Old Folks at Home" written by Stephen Foster. It features a colonial-style museum engulfed in a nature park, so you can go hiking, cycling, and canoeing before or after viewing the exhibits.