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

Shellcracker Springs

Washington County

Summary of Features

  • Scale -3rd magnitude 
  • Scenery - fair-good
  • How Pristine? - very pristine
  • Swimming - no
  • Protection - unknown
  • Crowds - none
  • Access - fair-difficult, by water then foot
  • Facilities - none
  • Safety - fair 
  • Scuba - no
  • Cost - free 

Small spring at back of Shellcracker main pool


Quick Directions

On Holmes Creek north of Vernon.  From center of Vernon, go 2-3 miles NE on State Road 277 to public boat ramp at Big Pine Landing. Put in boat and go about 1/4 mile upriver toward Cypress Springs. Look for two mouths of the short spring run on the right (east) where the river makes a big turn to the left.

Spring Description

This spring group consists of several small flows and seeps in an area of deep floodplain forest adjacent to Holmes Creek.  The main spring pool is roughly oval and about 300 by 60 feet.  Some sand boils are visible in the main pool, which has a muddy bottom and a depth that appears to be shallow but which was difficult to determine visually because the water was not very clear and was a brownish color.

Besides the boils in the main pool, the overall spring flow is supplemented by at least 2 additional springs. One is at the upper end of the spring pool and forms a small seep pool.  This pool is oval, perhaps 8 by 15 feet, about 1 foot deep, and had a mild sand boil.  Another is on the right side (as one walks along the spring pool from the river downstream) and forms a small creek that flows about 100 feet from a grassy-swampy area into the spring pool.  The whole springs area is set in heavily vegetated floodplain forest.

Note:  a short distance upriver of Shellcracker Springs, on the same (east) side of the river, are a number of small sand boils inthe shallow water near the bank in the riverbed of Holmes Creek.

Use/Access

Nearby Springs

Other Nearby Natural Features