Lafayette Blue Springs State Park

Seven miles northwest of Mayo, the Suwannee River bends past a cluster of limestone outcrops, and at one of those bends the river meets the spring run of Lafayette Blue. The water emerges from the Green Sink cave system below — over 12,000 feet of mapped underwater passages — and crosses under a natural limestone bridge before joining the dark, tannin-stained Suwannee. Five elevated cabins sit on stilts along the riverbank, no TVs, no phones, and the closest road is a quarter mile away. This is one of the quietest state parks in Florida.

It is also one of the most photographed.

• Location: Mayo (Lafayette County), 7 miles northwest of town
• Address: 799 NW Blue Spring Road, Mayo, FL 32066
• Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, 365 days a year
• Vehicle entry: $5 per vehicle (honor box, exact change)
• Cabin rental: $100/night + tax + $7 utility fee
• Water temperature: 72°F year-round
• Magnitude: First-magnitude system; main vent ~29.7M gal/day, peak system ~168M
• Cave system: Green Sink — 12,000+ feet of mapped underwater passages
• Phone: 386-294-3667

• Tallahassee: 1 hour 30 minutes (US-27 east to Mayo, then NW Blue Spring Road)
• Gainesville: 1 hour 15 minutes (US-129 north to Branford, then through Mayo)
• Jacksonville: 2 hours 30 minutes (I-10 west, then south)
• Tampa: 3 hours

From Mayo, follow signs west on NW Blue Spring Road approximately 7 miles. The north entrance (ranger station, cave-diver registration, equestrian access, Green Sink Trail) appears first; the south entrance (spring basin, cabins, boat ramp) is nearby. Cell service is limited — download offline maps.

Lafayette Blue's signature feature is a natural limestone bridge spanning the spring run. The spring water passes underneath the bridge from the main vent before flowing several hundred feet through the run to the Suwannee. It is unguarded, walkable, and inexplicably ignored by most travel guides. The bridge is the photo most people end up taking.

Below it, the Green Sink cave system extends more than two miles into the limestone — passages averaging 20 feet wide by 10 feet tall, with chambers up to 100 feet wide and 30 feet tall. This is one of North Florida's premier cave-diving sites.

• Swimming and snorkeling in 72°F spring water. The basin is deep — best for confident swimmers; no lifeguards. River flooding occasionally closes the swim area when tannin-stained water backs up the run.
• Cave diving at Blue Springs and Green Sink. Full cave certification required. Open-water divers may explore the cavern zone at the vent only. Solo diving prohibited. DPV/scooter use prohibited. Dives must conclude one hour before sunset.
• Walking the natural limestone bridge — the must-do experience.
• Paddling the Suwannee River from the south-entrance paved boat ramp. The park is a designated stop on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail.
• Green Sink Trail — a half-mile interpretive nature trail at the north entrance through hardwood forest and water-filled sinkholes.
• Equestrian riding on 5 miles of shared-use service roads at the north entrance.
• Wildlife viewing — deer, turtles, wading birds, hawks, eagles. Gulf sturgeon leap from the river in summer.
• Fishing in the river and along the spring run (not in the swim area; FL fishing license required).
• Stargazing from cabin porches — the park's remoteness delivers some of the darkest skies in Florida.

Lafayette Blue's five elevated cabins are among the most atmospheric overnight stays in any Florida state park. They sit on stilts in the tree canopy along the Suwannee, each with two bedrooms (three beds plus a pull-out sofa, sleeps six), a full kitchen, a screened porch with picnic table and swing, a ground-level fire ring and grill, and intentionally no TV or phone. Linens, dishes, and utensils are provided. One cabin is ADA-accessible with an elevator.

Rate: $100/night + tax + $6.70 reservation fee + $7/night utility fee. Pets are not permitted in cabins. Reserve up to 11 months ahead at reserve.floridastateparks.org or 800-326-3521 — they book months in advance for spring and fall weekends.

Primitive tent camping is pack-in (a wagon is available from the camp host), with picnic table, fire ring, grill, water, and electricity at each site — unusual for primitive camping. Primitive group camping (up to 30 people) overlooks the Suwannee. Through-paddlers on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail also use the park as a designated river camp.

No in-park rentals. The two nearest outfitters per Florida State Parks:

• Suwannee River Rendezvous — 386-294-2510 (closest, near Mayo)
• Camp Suwannee River Outfitters at the Advent Christian Village — 386-647-6624

Most experienced paddlers bring their own gear. The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail website (mysuwanneeriver.com) maintains a current outfitter directory.

Lafayette County is one of the most rural in Florida — accommodations are limited.

• Mayo (7 miles) — Small-town motels and a handful of local restaurants. Confirm hours before depending on any single place.
• Live Oak (~30 miles east) — Chain hotels and broader dining.
• Steinhatchee (~45 miles southwest) — Gulf coast fishing village with waterfront lodges.
• High Springs (~50 miles southeast) — Springs-oriented town near Ichetucknee and Gilchrist Blue, with B&Bs and rental cottages popular with the cave-diving community.
• Tallahassee (~80 miles west) — Full city options.

On-site picnicking is the standard approach for a day visit. Two reservable pavilions ($45/each) sit beneath ancient live oaks near the spring.

• Reserve cabins 11 months out. They're among the most coveted in the state parks system.
• Cave certification is non-negotiable for the Green Sink system. Open-water cert allows the cavern zone only. Park staff check certifications at the north entrance.
• River flooding closes the swim area periodically. Heavy Georgia rains push tannin-stained water up the spring run. Call 386-294-3667 before driving.
• Bring cash for the honor-box entry. Exact change required.
• No TV, no phone, limited cell service — by design. Bring books, board games, headlamps for after-dark cabin time.
• Mosquitos heavy May–September. DEET, long sleeves, screen porches.
• Alligators in the Suwannee (not typically in the spring). Stay in the designated swim area.
• Pack early in summer. The honor-box entry doesn't cap capacity, but the small parking lot at the swim area can fill on holiday weekends.

• Troy Spring State Park (~25 miles south on the Suwannee) — First-magnitude spring with the Civil War steamboat Madison visible on the spring bottom.
• Branford Spring (Ivey Memorial Park, ~35 miles south) — Free community spring and major Suwannee paddling hub.
• Fanning Springs State Park (downstream, Levy County) — Most developed family park in the corridor; manatees in winter.
• Suwanacoochee Spring (Suwannee River State Park, ~60 miles northwest) — Paddle-in or hike-in spring on the Withlacoochee.
• Suwannee River Wilderness Trail — 207 miles from Okefenokee Swamp to the Gulf; Lafayette Blue is a designated waypoint.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. Walk-in camping is currently listed as unavailable; cabins are open. River flooding can close the swim area on short notice. Verify cabin availability and current conditions at floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/lafayette-blue-springs-state-park or call 386-294-3667. Photos via Wikimedia Commons and Florida State Parks.