poe springs park

Just a little spot on the river with a tiny little spot to swim. Much better accommodations and parks within easy driving distance.

A white trash girl proudly strutted in with her white pit bull in tow today; she could barely maintain control over the leash as he pulled toward the water -- and small toddlers. Despite the big sign announcing that dogs aren't allowed, there is no enforcement. Very sad. The locale is gorgeous.

This beautiful spring is currently being mismanaged and the result is obnoxious and disrespectful behavior by certain visitors. I recently visited with my family and friends and we had to contend with large groups of people drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes throughout the park. Some were smoking and drinking in the spring. Additionally, a group of young men were chewing tobacco and spitting directly into the spring near swimming children. Currently, I can not recommend bringing children on the weekends due to the behavior of certain people. I imagine it is quiet on weekdays and during the fall/winter/spring. Alachua County needs to make the park non-smoking, alcohol free, and then, needs to enforce these policies. Maybe they need to start charging an entrance fee again to support caring for this beautiful spring and park.

The park is currently closed Monday-Wednesday. This park is definitely worth making plans to see. There is a large field in the front with pavilions and volleyball courts. A nice wooden boardwalk (5+ minute walk) leads you through the woods to the spring area which has a large pavilion and several grills. There are non-flushing commodes and changing stalls in the bath house (no hand soap either). The swim area is enclosed on one side by concrete steps leading to a shallow (2-3 feet deep) sandy area. It's a short swim out to the river if you want to warm up (springs average 72 degrees year-round.) While dogs are allowed in the main park, they may not head down the boardwalk to the spring area. The picnic areas are well maintained with trash receptacles available but no recycling.

Went out on the Santa Fe River with friends and had a great time. The atmosphere at Poe Springs is friendly and definitely a place for families. It is easy to get kayaks in and out of the area. Go enjoy our beautiful springs and this wonderful weather.

Beautifully tended county park. The day we visited, a Friday at 11 a.m., there was a sign saying 'Free entry, enjoy the park!" But I'd gladly pay the $5 entry fee to take to the crystal spring swimming hole. Pretty walking trails and boardwalk through woods. Bit of a hike to the springs, but just lovely old Florida fun, a swimmin' hole and picnicking in a well-run park. The facilities were clean and spacious pavilions had fireplaces in the center.I doubt, though, that I'd venture out on a weekend because I bet it's just mobbed. Very child friendly, and apparently a great place to launch or break from a kayak trip.Definitely go by if you're up in Alachua, en route to Ichetucknee, or on a Suwannee Santa-Fe River adventure.

This is a great park. Didn't see much wildlife but the water was filled with a lot of different fish. The manatees were not in the springs yet. Beautiful setting' next time I want to go canoeing.

I did a lot of research online and had decided to go to Ginnie Springs (10 minutes from Poe Springs), because there was such limited information about Poe Springs online. Turned out that Poe Springs was the place to be! Ginnie Springs is beautiful, but is so overcrowded and it's a partying weekend crowd that made it less of a family friendly place to enjoy. After spending hours at Ginnie we went over to check out Poe. Yes! That's what I had in mind! Quiet, beautiful nature surroundings, and it's free (costs like $12 per person to get into Ginnie). Poe was wonderful! I did a review on my blog here: http://www.floridafamilynature.com/2013/09/poe-springs-florida-review-high-springs.htmlSave your money and the headache of dealing with all the college kids at Ginnie. Instead, go to Poe Springs. You will not be disappointed! They have a beautiful clean swimming area, picnic tables, pavilions, very well kept grounds, a boardwalk, and more. It is a little bit of a walk back to the springs, so pack lightly or pull everything in a wagon or cart. The boardwalk and going back to the springs is all wheelchair accessible. Great place!

We took a family of 40 people including 18 children under 15 this past weekend. Its a great place to go especially with children because the swimming area is fairly shallow. Canoe rentals are available in HIgh Springs. I would highly recommend Poe Springs to families with young kids.

Poe Springs park is open again. It has much improved access to the spring and lots of nice shelters, but not much going on.

We stopped by Poe Springs Park after leaving Ginnie Springs. This is a county park so no admission fee (that we saw). The spring is down a long wooden boardwalk, about 200 yards or so. The spring is relatively small, maybe 25 yards around and just off the Santa Fe river. It was not crowded when we were there but it had been raining for a couple ours. The spring was not the typical blue and sand bottom like other springs in the area. It was rather muddy and not very clear - this could have been from the rain. It looks like this might be OK for a short stop but it not nearly as attractive as other springs nearby. But it is free.

Poe Springs is open again for swimming! We were able to go on July 6th and the place was packed. There is currently no admission fee. The spring has plenty of shallow areas for wading, so it is perfect for families with young kids. Besides the swimming hole, there is a kids play area with swings and slides near the parking lot, a multi-use field, a couple beach volleyball courts, and a boat ramp. There are several pavilions that can be reserved as well. Overall, I was impressed by the park's facilities and enjoyed wading in the springs.