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Madison Blue Spring
How many first magnitude springs in Florida are simply called “blue spring”? The best way to distinguish between them all is to put the location in front – hence, “Madison Blue Spring”. Madison offers a neighborhood pool party atmosphere at a natural spring setting; beautiful scenery, a $4 entrance fee, and an openly mocked no-alcohol…
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Blue Spring
Blue Spring is an aquatic cave connecting the Florida aquifer with the surface, with an old fallen tree guarding the entrance. The cave has been mapped down 125 feet into the earth, and an average of 87 million gallons of fresh water flows out from the spring and into the St. John’s river, daily. In…
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Troy Springs
Troy Springs is a box checker for spring enthusiasts. This middle-of-no-where gem features a natural arena for apnea diving, an oasis of cool water alongside the mystic Suwannee River, and… a shipwreck. The Shipwreck In the midst of the Civil War, a group of Southerners worked to stymie the gains of their Northern brothers. A…
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Lafayette Blue
Some places have the power to transport you back in time. It is a feeling that gives you a sense of peace. A sort of grounding moment, in contrast to the ever shifting landscape of our cities and neighborhoods. “Old Florida” not only refers to past conditions of the state, it also describes areas which…
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Devil’s Spring System (Ginnie Springs)
The Devil’s Spring System may be the state’s most hidden gem. Hidden in plain sight. Thousands of alcohol-induced locals and college students float by this large spring system weekly, losing GoPros, sandals, and cigarette lighters along the way as they jam out to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Perhaps distracted by the ever-smaller bikini tops and freshly-swole biceps,…
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Silver Glen
Water is life. Without it, there wouldn’t be anything on Earth worth talking about. You yourself are mostly made up of water, and you spent the first nine months of your life in a pool of it. At Silver Glen Spring in Florida, the beauty of this natural pool, in a strange way, makes you…
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Wacissa
Ideally, you never get close enough to an American alligator to be teased by any temptation to pet it. On a blistering but beautiful spring day canoeing along the Wacissa River, that opportunity was presented and vehemently rejected by my front-end rowing partner. The jury is still somewhat out as to whether or not she…
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Wakulla
The Big Mama. Wakulla Springs is the largest, deepest freshwater spring in the world. She is the pinnacle of first magnitude springs, and a state gem. Located in the panhandle of Florida, the spring reaches miles into the earth and releases the cool, clean water of the aquifer. Approximately 400 million gallons worth, daily. There…
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Weeki Wachee
Week Wachee forms a part of the spirit of Hernando County residents. It is where my mother learned to swim, where I experienced my first sunburn as a child, and where countless other boys and girls marveled at manatees, watched mullet jump, splashed away the summer heat, and boated out to the marshes of the…
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Fanning & Manatee
In 1851, Stephen Foster wrote a song romanticizing the life of a slave. The song was written for the purpose of a minstrel show, and became known as “Swanee River”. In 1913, it was designated as Florida’s state song (with some revised lyrics in 2008). Some governors have refused to play it during inauguration, but…
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Alexander
The alligators here at Alexander Spring give the vibe that they would love to be featured on the nightly news for a human attack. These guys neither appear nor act tame, and wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt about eating your puppy. Out here, you are in their space and treading carefully is advised. By…
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Crystal River & King’s Bay
Crystal River is the crown jewel of the Nature Coast. Deep and cold, blue and clear, wild yet domesticated, the beautiful and alluring waterways of Crystal River offer the best opportunity to show off Florida’s west coast springs. Weeki Wachee, Chassahowitzca, and Homosassa are certainly no slouches – and my opinion may be hotly contested…
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First Magnitude Florida 