Springs Fever: A Field & Recreation Guide to 500 Florida Springs.
3rd Edition by Joe Follman and Richard Buchanan

Naked Spring

Gilchrist County

Summary of Features

  • Summary of Features
  • Scale - 2nd magnitude
  • Scenery - excellent
  • How Pristine? - dock at spring, exotics in water, otherwise fairlypristine
  • Swimming - excellent
  • Protection - very good/private
  • Crowds - heavy on warm weekends
  • Access - fine
  • Facilities - excellent
  • Safety - fine
  • Scuba - no
  • Cost - $5 per person

Directions

Address: 7450 NE 60th St, High Springs, FL 32643
386-454-1369
Bluespringspark.com

By land: From High Springs, drive south on U.S. 27/41 about 1 mile. Turn west (right) onto State Road 340 (Poe Springs Road) and drive about five miles to entrance to Blue Springs Campground turnoff (look for sign). Follow another two miles to Blue Springs. From parking area, walk east along dirt path/road to Naked Spring.

By boat, putting in at Rum Island (address: 1447 SW Rum Island Terrace, Fort White, FL 32038): Blue Springs is just downriver of the boat ramp at Rum Island on the opposite bank. From High Springs, drive NW on US 27/SR20 about four miles. Turn left (west) onto State Road 138 and drive about two miles to turnoff to the left (south) at sign for Rum Island. Follow dirt road about 1.5 miles to river. Put boat into the river. Just around the first bend downriver is the platform at the end of the Blue Springs run/Campground boardwalk. Paddle into Blue Springs run at the boardwalk platform, then under the boardwalk to the left where the Naked Spring run joins the Blue Springs run.

Spring Description

The springs lie in a low, swampy area.  The main spring pool is oval and about 45 by 70 feet in diameter.  Water issues from a limestone fissure on the west side of the pool, near a dock/platform that has been constructed to provide access to the spring. Water was very clear on dates of visit (summer 2000 and June 2002), and there was a slick on the surface from the upwelling water.  Water over the vent was a deep blue. The bottom of the spring was covered in exotic aquatic vegetation everywhere but at the vent, which appeared to be 12-15 feet deep and surrounded by limestone.

The second spring is about 40 feet from the main pool and forms a circular basin about 25 feet across.  The water is clear, but the bottom is covered in plants and algae and the vent is not as clear.  There was a mild bould on the surface when visited June >1, 2002, and the bottom appeared to be about 15 feet deep.  Fallen logs hampered access by canoe; the site can also be reached by land from the nearby dirt road.

The springs are canopied by hardwood, floodplain forest.  The spring run--about 3 feet deep--flows west from the springs approximately 300 feet to where it joins the run from Blue Springs under the Blue Springs Campground boardwalk.

Use/Access

Local Springiana

The springs supposedly derived their name from earlier days when it was a popular site for skinny-dipping.

Personal Impressions

Despite the exotic vegetation, Naked Springs retain a lot of clear water for swimming, and the main spring is an excellent swimming hole.  Of the many springs on the Santa Fe, Naked was the favorite of JF’s elder daughter for its natural beauty, relative seclusion, clear blue water, and cold temperature.

Nearby Springs

Other Nearby Natural Features