Summary of Features Scale -2nd magnitude (estimated) Scenery -outstanding How Pristine? -very pristine Swimming -no Protection -unknown/private Crowds -none Access -water only, private land Facilities -none Scuba -unknown

Directions
From the U.S. 27 bridge over the Suwannee River at Branford, head north on U.S. 129 for about 5½ miles, past the sign pointing to Little River Spring, until you reach the small community of O'Brien. A sign says "Royal Spring." That is the last sign you will see with the word "Royal" on it. Turn left on County Road 345 and go about 9 miles. If you see a Suwannee Farms sign on the right, you have gone too far. On your left you will see a graded road, 198 Trail (or Terrace), with a small yellow sign bearing a symbol that indicates a boat ramp. Go about 0.6 mile and turn left on 157th Lane. Go about 1/5th mile and you will dead-end into the park and boat ramp at the spring. Put in boat at Royal Spring, go downriver, and look for mouth of Suwannee Blue Springs run by a boulder on the left near the shore after about ¼ mile.

For maps, latitude/longitude data, driving directions, satellite imagery, and topographic representations as well as weather conditions at this spring, go to Greg Johnson's informative "Florida Springs Database" web site at the following address:  http://www.ThisWaytothe.Net/springs/floridasprings.htm#Florida

Spring Description
The features of this site are two springs/sink holes/karst windows and a spring pool that flows directly into the Suwannee River. The first spring/sinkhole/karst window is perhaps 250 feet back/east from the river. It is a steep-sided conical hole with a large trunk fallen across it. On the date of visit (spring 1998), the rim of the hole was perhaps 20 feet above the surface of the very clear blue water. The water was flowing both upward—like a spring boil—and west toward the next (lower) hole. The second and smaller spring/sinkhole/karst window was perhaps 65 feet below and SW of the first, down the natural slope of the land. It was similar in appearance to the first hole. Both holes had very clear blue water. Below the second hole, water rose again in an area of thick vegetation to form a shallow spring pool that was perhaps 25 feet across and 100-150 feet from the river. The pool was clear and very blue, and the bottom was sandy.

Use/Access

The spring is apparently on private property and there is no land access. However, it was not posted and the authors reached the site with no difficulty or trouble in the spring of 1998. There was very little evidence of human use; the only structure on the site was a broken bench placed next to the spring pool. The authors were told that, at previous times, there was a fence across the mouth of the spring run.

The site is not suited for swimming. It is primarily a scenic site.

Personal Impressions

The authors were amazed at this beautiful and remote geological/hydrological site that combined sinks, springs, karst windows, and a picturesque pool. The spring is a stunning sight. It seemed apparent that water rose into the first hole, then flowed to the second hole, and then to the spring pool and run to the Suwannee. How and why the plumbing worked and was formed in this way was beyond the faculties of the authors. Perhaps the two holes were sinkholes that opened above the site of the spring pool along the underground flow channel to the spring.

Nearby Springs

Bonnet

Peacock

Royal

Running

Telford

Hidden

Cow

Bathtub

Convict

Thomas

Perry