Visiting Fanning Springs State Park in Florida
Where the Sturgeon and Mullet Jump
Fanning Springs and Manatee Springs State Parks in Florida can easily both be visited in the same day, which is what we did. Each one cost $6 per vehicle entrance fee.
These are two of the first-magnitude springs in the state of Florida. A first-magnitude spring discharges an average of 100 cubic feet of water per second. The crisp clear blue-green spring water of Fanning Springs is stunning. It can be viewed in its entirety on the overlook. The water is always 72 degrees. Scuba diving is offered here at Fanning Springs. They say it is a great place for beginners with a maximum depth of only 21 feet.
There is a long boardwalk through the old Florida cypress swamp that leads back to the Suwannee River where sturgeon and mullet can be see jumping if you are there at the right time. During winter months manatees sometimes drift down the river and can also be seen here. We did not see any on this particular day. We did see lots of gray squirrels scampering around in the brush and we heard a barred owl. The pileated woodpecker is more commonly seen in this area for some reason too and I am pretty sure I caught a glimpse of one.
Getting away from crowds and commercialism and seeing the real Florida is my kind of day. If you have never been there, and are in the area, I highly recommend stopping in for a visit.
