A quick visit with my parents is always a great opportunity to invite/force them to enjoy a hike. On this visit, we had a Superbowl to get to that evening, so we couldn’t go far. I am completely unfamiliar with Florida’s hiking options, but I know a little more now. Basically, everything’s flat, and there are apparently alligators.
We had heard that Juniper Springs was a pretty place, so we headed into the Florida National Forest to check it out. The last “springs” I saw were in Yellowstone National Park; we don’t have them here in the northeast. But apparently, they are a given for Floridians (my folks had already been to several).
Anyway, this “hike” wound up being kind of a joke in terms of actual hiking – we just wandered a campground for less than 2 miles, and we saw everything there was to see. Well, except for the giant alligator called Big Daddy who apparently lives at the end of the river. We didn’t paddle or canoe the river, which we discovered is one of the main attractions of the campground. But yeah, we barely got beyond an amble on this one; even my dad remarked, “that was kind of a short hike.” For the record, The Nature Trail hike was closed due to damage to the trail, so a significant portion of the hike was off limits.
Still, there were lovely things to see and it was absolutely delightful for me and my pasty, sun-deprived skin to be outside in 70-degree weather. And the springs were really quite cool. Below are some photos for your enjoyment.
The campground was built during the era of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which began in 1933 and is described as a work-relief program for young men. This is is the spring that gave Juniper Springs its name. You can’t see where the spring actually bubbles up, but you can swim in the water, which maintains a steady temperature of 72 degrees. It must be a wonderful place to cool off in the heat of summer.
This wheel powered the electricity for the camp back in the day.
A short stroll through the woods and campsites will bring you to Fern Hammock Springs, which has a delightfully shabby look about it – there’s nothing more to do there than walk around in the woods and look at the springs. Isn’t that blue color marvelous?
My favorite photo of the day; this looks like something out of a fairy tale. Sprites should be flying about, don’t you think?
The Beznoskas give Juniper Springs the thumbs up.
Hike 4 of the 52 hike challenge (read more about the challenge here)
Location: Juniper Springs Recreation Area, Florida National Forest. About 35 minutes from the town of Summerfield, FL.
Date: February 4. 2018
Distance: 1.87 miles
Wildlife: Squirrels. No alligators were sighted.
Notes: There is a fee to get into this campground. $5 per person for a Day Use pass.
Everything and a Racehorse 