Indian Springs
Wakulla County
Summary of Features
- Scale - 3rd magnitude
- Scenery - good
- How Pristine? - modified recreation/swim area
- Swimming - very good
- Protection - very good
- Crowds - not crowded
- Access - private -must reserve space
- Facilities - excellent
- Safety - excellent
- Scuba - not allowed
- Cost - group rates
Directions
Address: 387 Bloxham Cutoff Road, Crawfordville, FL 32327, (850) 926-3361; website: www.campwarrior.com/. From downtown Tallahassee, drive south on South Adams until it becomes Crawfordville Highway (US 319 South). Continue past Capital Circle until the road forks to the left and becomes Wakulla Springs Road (State Road 61). Continue on through portions of the Apalachicola National Forest until you come to State Road 267. Turn right for about a quarter of a mile and then turn left into the entrance of Camp Indian Springs.
Spring Description
The spring pool is oblong, about 190 by 130 feet. The vent extends down more than 60 feet before narrowing to the point that divers cannot navigate it. The land slopes down steeply from the camp buildings to the water, where a small dock extends over the basin. As you stand on the dock overlooking the basin, the vent is just off the platform and creates a mild boil. The run is to the left or south, draining into a swampy area that flows under the small bridge on Wakulla Springs Road, just south of 267, and into the run from Sally Ward Spring in Wakulla Springs State Park. Water color ranges from deep blue to greenish and murky depending on the season, water level, and lighting conditions.
Use/Access
The land around the spring is owned by the YMCA and is operated as a camp, so is not open unless you are attending one of their camps or can make group arrangements for a special event. The spring has slides, hanging bridge, and dive platform, and a torpedo-shaped flotation device used for catapulting into the water.
- In the 1800s, Indian Springs was known as Barco Spring.
- According to staff at the spring, the water clarity at Indian Springs varies inversely with that of nearby Wakulla Springs. When Indian Springs is dry, the water of Wakulla is clearer. The water level in Indian Springs drops (20 feet during a recent drought) and the water turns a murky green. In times of heavy rain, the water in Wakulla is less clear, while Indian Springs clears up. It seems that more water flows into the spring. RB was told that the vent is like a "crack in the wall of a big pipe" and more rain means more water in the spring.
- In November 1991, a diver drowned in the cave at Indian Springs. While two divers were in the cavern, an ill-timed hydrological event caused the water level to drop several inches in an hour. A resulting sand slide "plugged" part of the passage, preventing diver Parker Turner from escaping before his air ran out (V. Ferris, e-mail communication, April 8, 2002).
Personal Impressions
JF wishes this attractive little spring were more open to the general public. Once, overcome by desire to see the site, he drove in and photographed it. Seeing no one around, he proceeded to jump into the spring pool but was immediately spotted and ejected from the property.
Nearby Springs
- Kini Spring
- McBride Slough Spring
- Newport Spring
- Riversink Spring
- Sally Ward Spring
- Wakulla Springs
Other Nearby Natural Features
- Wakulla Springs State Park
- Apalachicola National Forest
- Leon County Sinks