Troy Spring State Park

A 70-foot deep spring?

Turtles, fish and the possibility of an alligator?

The remains of a steamboat from the 1800s?  

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Troy Spring State Park

This was our second Florida spring and we were hooked. 

Troy Spring – so different than the first spring we visited – did not disappoint.

If anything, we were even more enthralled when we spotted the ‘beware of alligator’ signs. (I did send a little prayer to all the water-gods — let the free-diver with the mermaid fin look tastier than I do!)

A first-magnitude spring, it puts out 65 million gallons of water a day into the Suwannee River. That is enough water to fill almost 97 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day.

The spring itself is 70-foot deep. But, as you get closer to the Suwanee River, there are shallow spots where you can stand.  

You’ll find soft-shell turtles (maybe even a highway of them) as you swim out towards the river. The turtles and fish are probably in the spring too but we didn’t dive deep enough to find out. You might find some pretty big fish bumping into you if you stand up.

We shared the spring with a handful of other folks. A couple of teenagers testing for their open-water scuba diving certification. And some free-divers who proved they could hang with the scuba crew – they swam down to take photos of the scuba divers on the bottom. 

These folks pointed us to the remains of a civil war steamship. The Madison was used by the Confederate forces during the war until it was deliberately sunk to keep it out of the ‘enemies’ hands.

Swim out toward the river and you’ll see some planks and metal pieces on the bottom. If you didn’t know what it was, it might just look like trash. But gazing at it and imagining the boat running up and down the river in the 1860s, well – that’s pretty darn cool.

Tips

Troy Springs State Park is located almost equidistance (90 miles) from both Tallahassee and Jacksonville Florida. It sits about 30 miles south of I10.

There is a daily fee – at the time of our visit it was $5/car and credit cards were not an option.

If you enjoyed Troy Spring State Park, consider a visit to Madison Blue Hole Spring State Park.

Activities

Activities at the park include:

• Viewing the underwater remains of a civil war steamship
• Swimming (no lifeguard on duty)
• Snorkeling
• Scuba diving (open-water certification required)
• Canoe/Kayaking (in the river, not the spring)
• Fishing (in the river, not the spring)
• Picnicking

There are bathrooms with an outdoor shower and a spot to rinse off scuba gear. Drinkable water fountains are available on-site.

Fast Facts

• Trip date: May 2019
• Name: Troy Spring State Park
• Location: Branford, FL
• Cost: $
• Family-friendly: Absolutely!