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Wakulla Springs is one of the crown
jewels of Florida’s state park system. The park is located about 15
miles south of Tallahassee, right in the heart of the panhandle. The
star attraction is the spring that forms the headwaters of the
Wakulla River.
 It
is one of the largest fresh water springs in the world with an
average discharge rate of 400,000 gallons per minute and a depth of
over 180 feet. The water flows out of the earth at a constant
temperature of 70 degrees. There is a designated swimming area with
a diving platform. A leap off the platform has served as a right of
passage for local kids for generations. The park operates a fleet of
tour boats that allow visitors to get a close up view of the flora
and fauna that live in and along the river. Animal life includes a
wide diversity of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
Because this has been a protected area for so long, the animals are
used to the boats passing by and know that they do not pose a
threat. As a result, this tour offers an excellent opportunity to
observe Florida wildlife in a natural environment. In fact, when I
was running ecotours and someone would call and ask specifically
about seeing alligators; I would recommend going to Wakulla Springs.
The other crowd pleasers at the spring are the manatees. In the past
the manatees would migrate out in the colder months; but for the
past couple of years, some of the manatees have made the spring a
year round residence. I saw two there at the end of January this
year. In addition to the activities at the spring, there are miles
of trails through flood plain and upland habitats. Wakulla Springs
is a place that you can visit many times and always discover
something new.Humans have been coming to Wakulla Springs for a long time. There is archeological evidence of Paleo Indians using the site almost 15,000 years ago. Later the Creeks and Seminoles also visited the spring. It has been a tourist attraction since as early as the 1820s. In 1934 Ed Ball purchased the land around the spring and opened the lodge in 1937. Several movies were filmed at the spring during Mr. Ball’s tenure including The Creature from the Black Lagoon. The state of Florida bought the land in 1986 and now the park entertains over 200,000 visitors a year.  Wakulla
Springs offers a unique opportunity for those who want to spend the
night at a state park, but are not into camping- the Lodge. The
Lodge was built by Ed Ball in the 1930s and still retains that old
fashioned feel. It offers 27 guest rooms and a dining room serving
three meals a day. The architecture is Mediterranean Revival with a
hand painted ceiling in the lobby.
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