We have been to Poe Springs before on our way home from visiting Ginnie Springs. We had stopped just to take a look, but didn't swim there. This week, we made it part of our annual spring hunting trip, so we took a dip!

Poe Springs was a free county park (as of summer 2019 they charge $5/car) located in High Springs, Florida. The park is well maintained, beautiful, and quickly became one of my favorite springs.

When you get to Poe Springs you have to take a nature walk back to the spring. It's a hidden gem back there! The walk is about 10 minutes on a boardwalk, going through a wooded area that has gorgeous cypress trees and shaded by the tree canopy. Then you reach the spring, which offers a large swimming area that leads out to the beautiful Santa Fe River. There are picnic tables, pavilions, and a restroom. Everything is well maintained and clean.

I loved Poe Springs! Most of it is shallow enough that the water comes up to my waist, but then it's deep over the vent, making for some great snorkeling. We snorkeled over the spring head quite a bit and there were five turtles swimming around gracefully in it. They were right near us, but nobody bothered them and they didn't bother anyone. It was awesome! 

While we were there it started to rain and a short storm moved in. We grabbed our things and waited it out about 20 minutes under one of the pavilions. Once it stopped we headed back in for more snorkeling. Lovely!

Poe Springs gorgeous, and there is a lot to see if you like to snorkel. I loved this place! I love how it's set back off the nature trail and how it's kind of hidden in the trees. Beautiful!

Minutes down the road there are springs that cost $10 per person to get into, but this one is far better. Save your money and head to Poe Springs instead of those other places. Great for kids and adults! We went on a Thursday morning and it was not busy at all. I think a lot of people probably don't want to do the 10 minute walk back to the spring, but I loved it. The dark spots in the picture are where the spring head is. The water is deep there, so it looks darker.

Here are pictures from our stop at Poe Springs Park: