Ginnie Spring
Gilchrist County
Summary of Features
- Scale - 2nd magnitude
- Scenery - excellent
- How Pristine? - land cleared around spring, steps to water, some erosion, developed swim/dive/recreation/camp area, some exotics in water
- Swimming - excellent, outstanding snorkeling
- Protection - very good
- Crowds - overrun on warm weekends
- Access - excellent
- Facilities - excellent
- Safety - very good
- Scuba - yes
- Cost - free from river; $14 for adults and $4 for children age 6-12 to swim
Directions
Part of the Ginnie Springs complex at 5000 NE 60th Avenue, High Springs, FL 32643. Web link and map at http://ginniespringsoutdoors.com/park-info/. From High Springs, drive south on U.S. 27/41 about 1 mile. Turn west (right) onto State Road 340 (Poe Springs Road), drive about 6.5 miles, and then turn right onto graded road at sign for Ginnie Springs. Follow another mile to the entrance.
Spring Description
The spring lies in a circular pool that is 125 feet in diameter and slopes down from the bank to a depth of about 18 feet. The bottom is sandy with numerous limestone outcrops/boulders. Beneath a limestone shelf is a large cavern entrance perhaps 30 feet wide and from three to six feet high. The entrance opens to a large chamber and leads to underwater passages that have been measured to 1,100 feet.
Water in the spring is very clear and visibility is excellent most of the time. The water varies in color from blue to green (see photos). The spring forms a run that tapers from the wide pool to perhaps 50 feet in width and flows about 200 feet to the Santa Fe River at the upper end of the Ginnie Springs complex. In the run, bubbles from scuba divers may be bserved rising through small holes in the limestone. Land around the springis mostly cleared hardwood forest, and steps have been constructing from the bank into the spring to prevent erosion.
Use/Access
- Ginnie Springs is a full-facility recreation/dive site, with camping areas, a store, compressors for air tanks, scuba lessons, tubing, picnic areas, bathrooms, and other concessions. The complex is the most popular freshwater diving location in the world.
- It is best to visit anytime but on a warm summer weekend, when the spring will be very crowded and have reduced visibility due to too many swimmers and divers in the water.
- In the late 1990s, a friend of JF was camping at the Ginnie and saw an employee spraying for mosquitoes. When asked how frequently the spraying occurred, the employee said the area was sprayed every day. JF has not confirmed this with the site owners.
Personal Impressions
Equally popular with swimmers, tubers, and scuba divers, Ginnie Spring is one of Florida’s great springs.
Nearby Springs
- Poe Springs
- Darby Spring
- Hornsby Spring
- ALA112791
- ALA930971
- Lily Springs
- Pickard Springs
- COL101971
- Rum Island Springs
- Blue Spring
- Naked Spring
- Johnson Spring
- Ginnie Springs group
- Sawdust Spring
- COL1012972
- COL1012971
- GIL1012973
- Myrtle's Fissure
- GIL1012971
- GIL1012972
- 47 Boatramp Spring(or GIL1012974)
Other Nearby Natural Features
- Ichetucknee Springs State Park
- O’Leno State Park
- San Felasco Hammock State Preserve
- Devil’s Millhopper State Geologic Site
- River Rise State Preserve
- Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park