Ichetucknee Springs State Park | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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Headspring
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Location | Columbia, Florida, USA |
Nearest city | Fort White, Florida |
Coordinates | 29°58′2.47″N 82°46′33.82″W / 29.9673528°N 82.7760611°WCoordinates: 29°58′2.47″N 82°46′33.82″W / 29.9673528°N 82.7760611°W |
Area | 2,241 acres (9.07 km2) |
Governing body | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Designated | October 1971 |
Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a 2,241-acre (9.07 km2) Florida State Park and National Natural Landmark located four miles (6 km) northwest of Fort White off State Road 47 and State Road 238. It centers around the six mile (10 km) long Ichetucknee River, which flows through shaded hammocks and wetlands into the Santa Fe River. The park contains hardwood hammock and limestone outcrops. Like many rivers in this part of North Florida, the Ichetucknee is fed by natural springs which boil up (in various holes) from the aquifer. The state of Florida purchased the property in 1970 from the Loncala Phosphate Corporation for $1,850,000.
Park wildlife includes white-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, wood ducks and great blue herons. There are also fish and reptiles: i.e. turtles, water snakes, American alligators, North American river otters, West Indian manatees in the winter months, crayfish, bream, bluegill, largemouth bass, alligator gar, mullet, catfish, and several types of minnows.