Salt Spring CG half full, High Springs parks

[agesilaus]

Just a FYI, the Salt Springs CG in the Ocala NF (Florida) was about half full today. We went for a swim in the springs and swung thru the CG to see how full it was. Frankly the springs would fall low on our list of springs, but we are jaded having been to most of the public springs in the state. My wife's comment was that it was like swimming in a swimming pool with a sand bottom. I won't mention our favorites they are crowded enough as is.

Florida bought another commercially operated springs near High Springs and added it to the state park system ,. They are calling it Gilchrist Blue Springs SP, which is unfortunate since there are at least 3 or 4 other "Blue Springs" in the state. We visited the place maybe 20 years ago, it was popular for company picnics and were unimpressed then but I'm sure the state will upgrade the facilities in the next couple of years. I have some photos that I'll put up in another post in a day or two. They have a low quality cg with power/water only that will take a lot of work to bring it up to FSP standards.

High Springs has a number of excellent springs, most but not all public parks. There is this Gilcrist Blue Springs SP, Ichetucknee SP, O'Leno SP (not really a springs park but has a river), Peacock Springs SP (mainly for SCUBA), Ginnie Springs (commercial), Poe Springs (county) and Rum Island (County Park). All within a half hour of the town.

[jolooote]

Thanks mucho.

[agesilaus]

Yeah I left Troy off the list. We dove there a few times, you can get down below 70 feet but there is little room when you do. They have the remains of that Civil War steamer there too in shallow water. I don't think Troy has a cg.

There are still some other private and commercial springs off the Santa Fe and Suwanee Rivers. The state is buying them up one by one. I guess I could have added Fanning Springs SP to the list too, Manatee Springs SP is more than a half hour away from High Springs by a little, maybe 40 minutes.

[wanderingdawgs]

This post caught my attention because we recently camped at O'Leno and drove around the area to take a look at Troy Springs State Park, Ichetucknee Springs SP and Ginnie Springs.

The last time we were at Troy Springs was about 30 years ago when we were still scuba diving. Back then it was privately owned and you had to carry your tanks down to the water. The state has added a nice ramp down to the water and places to clean your dive gear. The water was high this March and it was closed for diving but we enjoyed seeing how much it has changed.

I posted about the springs at O'Leno State Park and three more Florida Springs

[agesilaus]

You are probably right, we passed 3 or 4 RV's heading toward Salt Springs on FL 316 on the way home.

[Dutch_12078]

If the same pattern holds that we saw when we stayed at Salt Springs for two weeks a few weeks ago, it'll fill up by the weekend. We're currently at Crooked River State Park in Georgia. If you drove through here around noon today, the park was maybe 50-60% full, but by tonight it was around 95% full. We're seeing a lot of short 1-2 night stays now, as the snowbirds are heading north.