Real Florida State Parks

View from the springs to the Suwannee

My favorite kind of getaway weekend is one where electronic devices are uninvited. Leaving behind WIFI and television to spend time together in Florida’s natural bounty was exactly what my brother and I experienced at Fanning Springs State Park this spring. 

manatee

One of nineteen Florida State parks with cabins to rent, Fanning Springs is out of the way and abuts the Suwannee River, about an hour west of Gainesville, Florida. 

Located in Levy County in the Suwannee River Water Management District, Fanning Springs has a spring pool with crystal clear water and sand and limestone banks from which several small springs flow.  Surrounding the pool are ferns, mossy slopes, pine, cypress and other trees.  On our four-day, sometimes rainy getaway in mid-March, we saw fewer than a dozen people, including a diving class practicing in the deepest part of the spring where the temperature is 72 degrees year-round.

We saw hawks and woodpeckers and were entertained by a continuous symphony of songbirds and who-who-ing owls.  Manatees lurked near the springhead while the divers were in the water and gradually moved closer once the class dispersed.  We saw more manatees on the short run out to the Suwannee River.  The slow-moving giant vegetarians took quick noisy breaths at the surface then descended again, continuing their search for food and the warmest water.

The cabin was surrounded by trees and undergrowth with a generous front yard and plenty of parking. Out back was a picnic table, fire pit, and grill.

Our cabin

The porch was huge and so inviting. We ate our meals here.

The porch wrapped two sides of the cabin, and featured a two-person swing, rocking chairs, and a picnic table. Inside was a generous living room with an electric fireplace, dining area, and kitchen with the basic amenities.  Cabins have heat and air conditioning, and the linens are provided, as well.

We saw many downed trees that were toppled in last year’s hurricanes.  The rubble was moved out of the way, but the trees were left to decompose naturally as they did before humans took over the springs.  The early spring growth on the trees and tiny wildflowers were delightful to discover.

This is real!

Schools of mullet and other fish, including sturgeon, kept watch over the spring.  Late in the afternoon the mullet skipped across the water while the enormous sturgeon swam on by.  I learned that, out on the river, sturgeon can be quite dangerous because they, too, jump and have been known to gore boaters who get in the way of their games.

We never finished this puzzle but left it for the next guests.

We worked puzzles, played cards, read our books, discussed solutions to the world’s problems, and stole a few moments for peaceful snoozing during the rains.  We even had coffee with a ranger one morning and my brother bravely swam in the spring; the air temperature was too cool for me.

I’m looking forward to visiting many of the other Florida State Parks.  At only $100 per night, the cabins are quite the bargain.  Our weekend was delightfully quiet and nature-filled.  The air was cool, and we slept with doors and windows open. 

The Florida State Parks with cabins are located throughout the state, from Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key to Torreya State Park, developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s and overlooking the Apalachicola River in Bristol. There are parks with cabins at the beach, at numerous natural springs, on lakes, and in the shady woods.  For a complete list see this website:  FloridaStateParks.org/cabins. You can make a reservation online, for a minimum of two nights, and up to 11 months in advance. Because it is such a bargain, you’ll need to reserve early.

Aren’t we fortunate to have such amazing resources in the Sunshine State that give us a chance to experience the Real Florida! I've already reserved two spots in different parks in the coming months.

This blog was originally published in March, 2025, in the Fernandina Beach News-Leader.

diving lessons

cyprus knees

Spring growth

manatee

mistletoe

see the mullet?

the spring

manatee

trees and sky reflected

flowering moss fell from the tree into the swamp