Fern Hammock Springs

A fifteen-minute walk from the Juniper Springs main area, past the CCC mill house and along the Juniper Creek Nature Trail, the forest opens briefly into a broad, shallow pool of aquamarine water surrounded by ferns. Royal ferns, sword ferns, marsh ferns, needle palms, and hickories close in from every side. A wooden footbridge crosses the center, and from it you can look straight down at twenty-five or more active sand boils — columns of white sand churned skyward by upwelling aquifer water, each one a small performance that changes every minute. The largest boil sits directly beneath the bridge.

This is one of the most photogenic spring formations in Florida. You cannot swim in it.

• Location: Within Juniper Springs Recreation Area, Ocala National Forest (Marion County)
• Access: ~0.5-mile walk from Juniper Springs main area via the nature trail
• Fee: Included in Juniper Springs day-use ($14.50/person)
• Water temperature: 72°F year-round
• Magnitude: Second-magnitude (~6.9M gallons/day)
• Pool dimensions: ~160 ft × 75 ft; depth 2–6 ft
• Swimming: Not permitted — ecological protection + resident alligators
• Hours: Same as Juniper Springs: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Fern Hammock Springs is ecologically protected under US Forest Service management. The spring supports sensitive aquatic vegetation, and alligators are resident in the pool. The USFS explicitly asks visitors not to wade in the spring or the spring run. This is a viewing and photography experience.

For swimming, the Juniper Springs CCC pool — a 72°F, crystal-clear oval basin — is a short walk back at the main recreation area and is one of the finest swim spots in any national forest in America.

Fern Hammock is inside Juniper Springs Recreation Area. You must enter through and pay at the Juniper Springs gate (26701 FL-40, Silver Springs, FL 34488).

From the main area, take the Juniper Springs Nature Trail (also called the Juniper Creek Nature Trail). The trail is about 0.8 miles round-trip, flat, and shaded — a mix of natural footpath and boardwalk threading through subtropical hammock alongside Juniper Creek.

Trail closure alert: As of the USFS's March 2025 update, the main boardwalk section is temporarily closed for public safety. Visitors have reported an alternate route through the campground (near sites 22 and 10) remains passable. Call the Lake George Ranger District at 352-625-2520 before your visit.

The footbridge is the destination. From it:

• 25+ active sand boils erupt through white sand on the pool floor — "sandstorms in miniature"
• The water is among the lowest in dissolved solids of any Florida spring, producing an otherworldly blue-green translucence
• Fish and turtles are visible through the shallow, clear water without snorkel gear
• The fern canopy overhead — royal ferns, sword ferns, marsh ferns — creates a cool, perpetually humid microclimate unlike anywhere else on the forest

Early morning visits, when angled light cuts through the tree canopy, produce the most dramatic photographs. Bring a polarizing filter.

No restrooms, no concession, no parking at the spring itself. All facilities are at the Juniper Springs main area. Use restrooms, fill water bottles, and buy snacks before walking the trail.

The Juniper Springs campground's Fern Hammock section (sites 61–79) is named for and closest to the spring. 79 total sites across three loops; $34/night; no hookups; reserve via Recreation.gov. See our Juniper Springs profile for full camping details.

• No swimming. The prohibition is ecological and safety-based (alligators). Respect it.
• Check trail status before visiting — the boardwalk section was temporarily closed as of March 2025.
• Bring water — no potable water along the trail.
• No pets or bicycles on the trail.
• The trail is not a loop — you return the same way you came.
• Best light for photography: Early morning, first hour after opening.
• Combine with a Juniper Springs swim. Walk to Fern Hammock, photograph the sand boils, then swim the CCC pool. That's a perfect morning.

• Juniper Springs (immediate — the parent recreation area) — CCC pool, 7-mile canoe run, 79-site campground.
• Salt Springs (~12 miles north) — Mineral-rich 74°F spring with full-hookup camping.
• Silver Glen Springs (~15 miles north) — First-magnitude, Timucuan archaeology, day-use only.
• Alexander Springs (~20 miles south) — Only first-magnitude spring in any US National Forest.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. The boardwalk trail to Fern Hammock was temporarily closed as of March 2025. Verify trail status with the Lake George Ranger District (352-625-2520) or fs.usda.gov/ocala before visiting. Swimming is prohibited at Fern Hammock Springs. Photos via Wikimedia Commons.