The Suwannee River
The Suwannee River is a federally designated wild river. It is the only major waterway in the southeastern United States that is still unspoiled. The Suwannee flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. It winds for almost 266 miles through swamps, high limestone banks, hammocks of hardwood, and salt marshes. It also has fifty-five springs along the way. The river’s limestone outcroppings and a drop in elevation create Florida’s only whitewater rapids at Little Shoals and Big Shoals located several miles upstream from the city of White Springs…
Stephen Foster wrote his famed song “Suwannee River” in the years before the Civil War, Florida’s Suwannee River has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world. Foster never actually saw the river that he immortalized in verse, but generations of other American have admired the beautiful and majestic river. Drawn by the composer’s melody, they have explored the natural beauty and rich history of the Suwannee River.
The Santa Fe River
The Santa Fe River has its origins in the Santa Fe swamp and wetlands of lakes Alto and Santa Fe in Bradford County. It disappears underground at O’Leno State Park passing through the limestone caverns of the Cody Scarp, reappearing three miles later at River Rise Sate Preserve just north of High Springs. The spring-fed Ichetucknee River joins the Santa Fe River near Fort White before its confluence with the Suwannee River just south of Branford. Because the lower Santa Fe River is fed by numerous springs, and its waters are crystal clear, it is popular with canoeists and swimmers and offers productive fishing for anglers.