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Alexander Springs Recreation Area

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💧 Springs

Alexander Springs Recreation Area

Altoona, FL · North Central Florida

About

Alexander Springs sits deep in the Ocala National Forest, a first-magnitude spring that pushes about 70 million gallons a day up through a cluster of vents and into a wide, sand-bottomed pool that holds a steady 72 degrees all year. The southwest bank slopes in like a beach, so you can wade in from the shallows or snorkel out over the boil to watch fish hang in the current, and it is the one spot in the forest where divers can drop down to the vent. Rent a canoe and you can paddle Alexander Run downstream into the wilderness, past cypress knees and turtles, then work your way back to the swim beach.

Highlights

First-magnitude spring discharging about 70 million gallons a day at a constant 72 degreesGently sloping sand beach that wades into a wide, open swimming basinSnorkeling over the boil and the only scuba diving allowed in the Ocala National ForestCanoe and kayak rentals for paddling Alexander Run into the wildernessCamping, picnicking, and the Timucuan and Florida Trail hiking nearby

Getting there

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Florida Springs

Florida sits on top of one of the largest gatherings of freshwater springs on Earth, and they run a constant 68 to 74 degrees no matter the season. Some are first-magnitude giants pushing hundreds of millions of gallons a day, others are quiet blue sinkholes you can have to yourself at dawn. These are the ones worth the drive: the glass-bottom boat tours, the lazy-river tube runs, the cavern dives, and the winter springs where the manatees come in from the cold.