A Weekend at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park

We spent the weekend at Florida’s newest state parks, Ruby B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs, located near the small town of High Springs. This over 400 acre park was once privately owned and operated from the 1960’s until it was sold to the state in 2017. It is truly a gem that is home to a several natural springs besides Gilchrist. You will have fun exploring the park and finding all of them.

Campground

According to the their website at Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park there are currently sixteen RV sites with water and electric and seven tent only sites. These are small spaces to back up into with a trailer. Our site, #5 was a tight squeeze and we gave our neighbors their entertainment for the night as we tried to fit our 17′ trailer into our spot. If you have a large camper I recommend site 18.

The water and electric at our site were on opposite sides of the campsite. We were lucky that our neighbor allowed us to use her water source that she wasn’t using. It worked out well for us. If you go, make sure to have an extra water hose and electrical cord just in case. Also note there is not a dump station in the park. We were allowed to dump at O’Leno State Park a few miles away. For us, it wasn’t that big of a hassle.

The campsites do come with a picnic table and a fire ring. The evenings were cool, and this was the perfect spot to roast marshmallows and relax around the campfire.

If there ever was a place to use Mystical Fire it was here. It made for such a pretty campfire.

This was the friendliest campground we have been to. I don’t know if it was because we were so close to our neighbors with no privacy, but everyone was so helpful and kind to each other.

Hiking

Definitely take a walk along the hiking trails at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park. The trails are well maintained and marked. The sights you will see are amazing from hidden springs to a giant cypress tree.

Geocaching

My youngest son and I love geocaching. We found a few at this state park on our hike and around the park area. If you want to learn about geocaching check out my post, Geocaching With Kids. This a great activity to get kids and adults outdoors and exploring.

Kayaking and Canoeing

If you love to kayak or canoe, this is the place to go. We had an amazing time out on the water. The spring was so clear you could see to the bottom. Be sure to drift over the blue hole, the views are fantastic, but watch out for those swimming and snorkeling.

The springs leads to the Santa Fe River. It was a calm day for us as we paddled the river.

We rented a kayak for my oldest son, he did awesome on it and my husband, youngest son and I were in a rented canoe. This worked out the best for us.

Kayak and canoe rentals are on site at the concession stand. It was $50 for the kayak and canoe for two hours. It was well worth it! The concession stand was also a favorite stop for my boys. Ice cream and cocoa after all the paddling they did.

Plan Your Visit

It you plan to going to Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, I highly recommend you do, keep a few things in mind. The state of Florida is still in the process of updating the park, be patient with them. Upgrades are coming, but it is still a beautiful park to visit. Bring your water shoes, I totally forgot mine. It makes getting into a kayak or a canoe so much easier. And finally just relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, it truly is amazing. Happy Camping!

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