Manager's Message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTICE - Due to weather conditions access to the Ichetucknee River will be closed on Thursday, August 21st reopening on Friday, August 22. Ichetucknee State Park will remain open. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summer weather has arrived and so has the tubing season at Ichetucknee Springs! A trip down the river is an ideal activity for the whole family. From Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend, the whole river is open to tubing and the trams are running. Numerous vendors are located outside of the park to rent tubes or bring your own (under 5 feet in diameter and length, please). Remember to get your tubes before you enter the park. At the south entrance of the park, tubers have the opportunity to choose a 1.5 hour float or a 30 minute float on the cool, spring-fed, crystal clear waters of the Ichetucknee River. If you choose to tube the full length of the river for a 3 hour float, get to the north entrance early as only 750 tubers per day are permitted on the sensitive and beautiful upper section of the river. Also at the north entrance, enjoy swimming or snorkeling in two pristine springs or take a stroll along the river on the Trestle Point Trail. Be sure to pack a picnic lunch or visit the park concessionaires, you will work up an appetite, but please remember that food, drinks, and tobacco products are not permitted on the river to keep it beautiful. Whether you are tubing, boating, swimming, snorkeling, hiking or picnicking, you will see a multitude of fish, birds, and other wildlife. The quiet visitor may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a Limpkin, Otter, or Deer. Whatever you choose to do at Ichetucknee, it is sure to be an experience you will never forget. - Sherry McGowan, Park Manager Welcome to Ichetucknee Springs State Park The crystalline Ichetucknee River flows six miles through shaded hammocks and wetlands before it joins the Santa Fe River. In 1972, the head spring of the river was declared a National Natural Landmark by the U. S. Department of the Interior. From the end of May until early September, tubing down the river is the premier activity in the area. In addition to tubing, visitors can enjoy picnicking, snorkeling, canoeing, swimming, hiking, and wildlife viewing. October through March scuba diving is available in the Blue Hole only (you must be cave certified). White-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, wood ducks and great blue herons can be seen from the river. Picnic areas, equipped with tables and grills, are available throughout the park. A full-service concession offers food, refreshments, and outdoor products from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Tubes plus snorkeling and diving equipment can be rented from private vendors outside the park located four miles northwest of Fort White, off State Roads 47 and 238. Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries. For Information about Ichetucknee Springs State Park, please call 386-497-4690.