Parks and Outdoors

Ahhh, the great outdoors. It’s what Lake City, Florida’s Springlands is all about. Whether it’s a romp in a crystalline spring, a float down a spring-fed river, fishing in a lake, walking a trail or simply relaxing under the sun just about anywhere, you can do all of it and more in Lake City, Florida’s Springlands.

The generous array of parks in Florida’s Springlands offers a wide range of experiences, from a place that commemorates Florida’s largest Civil War battle, to a vast national forest, to several parks that are set amid freshwater springs and rivers. Basically, there’s a park for just about everyone.

Big Shoals State Park is home to the largest whitewater rapids in the state of Florida, with a Class III whitewater rapids classification.

Big Shoals State Park

Big Shoals State Park

Big Shoals State Park is home to the largest whitewater rapids in the state of Florida, with a Class III whitewater rapids classification.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park’s 2,669 acres provide wonderful swimming and river activities, a haven for wildlife, and eight crystalline natural springs.

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Ichetucknee Springs State Park’s 2,669 acres provide wonderful swimming and river activities, a haven for wildlife, and eight crystalline natural springs.

Lake Desoto
Located in historic downtown Lake City, Lake Desoto has been a gathering place for locals and visitors for many years. Fishing, biking, walking, and picnicking are available here. In addition, a variety of different birds, waterfowl, fish, and other wildlife make this an ideal place for wildlife watching.
Big Shoals State Park
With limestone bluffs that tower 80 feet above the Suwannee River, Big Shoals State Park provides vistas you won’t see anywhere else in Florida. It’s also the prime place in the Sunshine State for whitewater rafting.
O’Leno State Park
One of Florida's first state parks, O'Leno is located along the banks of the scenic Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Suwannee River. The park features sinkholes, hardwood hammocks, river swamps and sandhills.
Camping Rock Fireplaces
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
The Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park preserves Florida history on the banks of the river made famous by the song "Old Folks at Home" written by Stephen Foster. It features a colonial-style museum engulfed in a nature park, so you can go hiking, cycling, and canoeing before or after viewing the exhibits.