The Best Swimming Holes Near Jacksonville

Looking for a place to beat the warm Florida weather? Check out these must-visit swimming holes near Jacksonville! 

Watch This Video About the Best Swimming Holes Near Jacksonville!

Ginnie Springs

Ginnie Springs provides you with all the tools required to maximize your time in nature. Visitors frequently choose to go tubing along the Sante Fe River. However, there is a lot more to do at our park. Simply swimming and having fun with family and friends and family is another option. 

Grab a mask, snorkel, and fins if you’re up for a challenge. You will discover all the unique delights the springs have to give. Everyone may find something to enjoy at Ginnie Springs, from volleyball to paddle boarding. Explore the marvels of the seven springs while swimming. It’s enjoyable all year long to swim and snorkel in the 72-degree, crystal-clear water.   

Snorkeling in the Santa Fe River may allow you to see enormous gar, bass, mullet, catfish, turtles, and many other creatures when the river is clear. It is usually clearest in the summer and early fall. Bring a diver’s flag with you and float along if you decide to swim in the river while wearing snorkeling gear. 

Since Santa Fe River is a passable waterway, you are required by law to always carry a flag and raft with you. 

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Cruising the clear waters of the Ichetucknee River is the ultimate summer adventure. Providing fun whether you’re looking for a demanding venture or a relaxing day on the lake. Although it’s popular for its mellow tubing, Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a 2,669-acre natural haven. Badgers, weasels, carp, softshell turtles, wild turkeys, wood duck, and limpkin all call it home.

The six-mile Ichetucknee River, which is formed by the park’s biggest and clearest springs, is its main draw. The state park’s upper half is a National Natural Landmark and may be the nicest spring watercourse in the entire state. In the cooler months, it is best explored by canoe or kayak.

Multiple different nature trails allow people to wander through the lush park forests or the stunning sandhills with their tall longleaf pines.

Blue Spring State Park

The cool 72-degree waters of Blue Spring at this hidden gem along the St. Johns River in Orange City greet visitors. The results of conservation efforts can be remarkable. Two years prior to Blue Spring State Park’s creation, in 1970, researchers monitored 14 manatees during the spring run. After months of park upgrades and initiatives to safeguard manatees, the number of wintering manatees had surpassed 200 by 2005. By 2022, that number had soared to a record 724. 

In addition to “sea cows,” fish are in plentiful supply during the spring run and draw a wide range of waterfowl, ospreys, eagles, and kingfishers. Hikers can take the spring run or the 4.5-mile Pine Island Trail to explore the park’s marvels.

The park offers rentals for canoes and kayaks, and visitors can also embark on guided riverboat tours.

Bob’s River Place

In Branford, Florida, on the renowned Suwannee River, Bob’s River Place is a privately run famous swimming hole that is ranked as the sixth “Hidden Gem in Florida.”” The area is has everything you need for an unforgettable summer. 

You can swing from the rope swings, float on a raft, relax in a tree house, compete with friends on the log roll, and more. There’s a splash pad and waterslides too that locals love! On land, you’ll find karaoke and beach volleyball! Visitors love describing this place as “Swiss Family Robinson meets Wild Adventure.” You can bring food, beverages, and charcoal for grilling. Visitors may not bring alcohol.

Juniper Springs Recreation Area

Juniper Springs is one of the most established and well-known tourist destinations on the East Coast. This network of swimming and picnic spots, a campsite, and trails was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and is located along SR 40 near Ocala and Ormond Beach.

With dozens of tiny gurgling springs and big springs erupting out of the earth beneath a dense covering of palm and oak trees, this place is an oasis in the center of the scrub environment that resembles a desert. If you decide to paddle at all, Juniper Run is a narrow, winding river that is surrounded by old-growth forests.

There aren’t many spots where you may safely exit your canoe. The stream widens to contain wetlands rich with wading birds and other species shortly before the takeout point next to SR 19. This Jacksonville favorite is famous for its pristine spring outflow pool. It is deep enough to leap into at one end and shallow enough at the other. 

Along the spring’s base, natural tape grass grows. You shouldn’t be shocked to see an American eel among the vegetation.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Joann Dale/Shutterstock.com