Poe Spring: An Underrated Florida Spring

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While my parents were here in March 2023 we split our time between Gainesville and High Springs.

While we were in High Springs we decided to check out Poe Springs. II knew nothing about it other than it was close to town.

The beginning of the boardwalk at Poe Sprngs

I’m not sure what day of the week we went but it was absolutely empty. There were maybe three other cars there.

We hit the boardwalk and spent a lot of time admiring and identifying caterpillars and various bugs along the way.

And there were a lot of them. I love all the wild caterpillars but we also got to see a beautiful blue dragonfly! It sat so still for a surprisingly long time. I love it.

Eventually we came to the spring and while we didn’t swim in it (none of us are water people) we did enjoy the views of the spring and the Santa Fe River. We even saw a turtle swimming here! (He’s in the gallery at the end).

We walked along the shore just a bit then decided to finish the rest of the nature trail. We had no idea how long it was but figured we’d check it out.

Just before the next section of the trail though, I spotted something on a tree. SKINKS!! I was SO EXCITED to see skinks, it was easily the highlight of my week.

There were two of them on and in the tree. One had a red head and was, I think, a five-lined skink. The other one was probably the same but looked all brown, without the red head.

I took so many pictures of them and didn’t want to leave them but we eventually did. I loved them.

The rest of the trail winds through the woods with a bit of traffic noise thanks to its proximity to the road you came in on.

You’ll do a short climb uphill before going right back down. There are some benches along the way to enjoy the solitude and do some bird watching.

Before long the trail will have already brought you back to the main parking area. I’m so glad we decided to visit Poe Springs because I ended up loving it.

I haven’t been to all that many springs yet but this is definitely one of my favorites so far and would definitely recommend stopping by if you’re in the area!

Where is Poe Spring?

Poe Spring is west-ish of High Springs on Highway 236/State Highway 340/NW 182nd Ave/Poe Springs Road. Its just five minutes from downtown High Springs and 34 minutes from Gainesville.

It’s about 10 minutes from Ginnie Spring, 15 minutes from Rum Island, 3 minutes from Gilchrest Blue Spring, and 45 minutes from Devil’s Den.

Can you swim at Poe Spring?

Yes, you can swim at Poe Spring! The water is crystal clear and 72 degrees year-round. No one was swimming when we were there, though, in March. There was almost no one there in general.

How long is the trail at Poe Spring?

The Poe Spring Nature Trail is about 1.5 miles to the spring and through the woods. It’s a really nice trail.

Is the Poe Spring nature trail hard?

Nope! The first part of the hike is on a boardwalk then once you get to the spring, the trail will continue off on the right.

This section is a regular wooded dirt path. There is minimal elevation gain but it’s not completely flat.

Poe Spring opening hours

Poe Spring is open 8 to 8 from April to September and 8 to 5 from October to March. It’s close on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.

The park will close if it reaches capacity which is 100 people. Pets are allowed on leash but they are not allowed to swim in the spring.

Poe spring entrance fee

The entrance fee for Poe Springs Park is $6 per vehicle. It’s not a state park so your pass won’t work here. However, it is free from October to April!

You can also rent kayaks and tubes for an additional fee. Tubes are $10 per day in the park and kayaks are $30 for two hours.

There is also an 8-mile 8 spring tube trip (with pick up) that you can do for $85 if you want a whole day activity.