Madison Blue Spring State Park

In 2014, USA Today asked its readers to vote on the best swimming hole in America. Of the dozen finalists, Madison Blue Spring won. It is an 82-foot-wide, 25-foot-deep limestone basin on a rural stretch of the Withlacoochee River, about ten miles east of the small city of Madison and a long way from anywhere else. The water is the impossible blue you see in tourism photographs of Florida — 2,800 liters per second of it, year-round, at exactly 72°F. Below the surface, 26,000 feet of underwater cave passages branch through the limestone.

The state didn't even own the property until 2000. The park is 38 acres total, and on summer Saturdays it fills up by 10 a.m.

• Location: Lee (Madison County), 10 miles east of Madison
• Address: 8300 NE State Road 6, Lee, FL 32059
• Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, 365 days a year
• Vehicle entry: $4 to $5 per vehicle; $2 per person extra
• Water temperature: 72°F year-round
• Magnitude: First-magnitude (~46M gallons/day, 2,800+ L/sec)
• Spring dimensions: 82 ft wide, 25 ft deep, 150-ft run to Withlacoochee River
• Cave system: 26,000+ feet of mapped underwater passages
• Park size: 38 acres
• Camping: Not permitted on site

• Tallahassee: 90 minutes (I-10 east to Exit 225, US-19 south, then US-90 east through Madison, then SR-6 east)
• Valdosta, GA: 1 hour (I-75 south, Exit 460, US-90 west, then SR-6 east)
• Jacksonville: 2 hours (I-10 west to Exit 296 at Lake City, then US-90 west)
• Gainesville: 1.5 hours (US-129 north through Live Oak, then US-90 east)

SR-6 is a rural two-lane road. GPS can mislead in this area; note the street address carefully and download offline maps before leaving the highway. There are no large highway signs directing tourists to the park.

The basin is roughly circular, 82 feet across and 25 feet deep at its center, ringed by limestone ledges that step down into the water like a natural amphitheater. A 150-foot run carries the spring's outflow to the Withlacoochee River, where it contributes nearly a quarter of the river's total flow and creates a visible arc of crystalline water where blue meets tannin-stained brown.

Below the basin lies the Madison Cave System — over 26,000 feet of mapped passages running through Oligocene-age Suwannee Limestone, drawing technical divers from around the world.

• Swimming in the spring basin and the 150-foot run. The basin's depth (25 feet) suits confident swimmers; the spring run is shallower and family-friendly. Concrete steps and a railed ramp ease entry.
• Snorkeling with excellent visibility — catfish, freshwater turtles, sunfish, and the dramatic cave entrance below.
• Scuba diving in the basin for open-water certified divers (register with the ranger).
• Cave diving for fully cave-certified divers only. Not cavern, not advanced open-water — full cave certification (NSS-CDS, NAUI, IANTD, or equivalent). The Madison Cave System has claimed lives; rangers enforce certification rigorously.
• Seasonal tubing down the spring run and into the Withlacoochee.
• Kayaking on the Withlacoochee River — Madison Blue is a designated access point on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail system.
• Picnicking at the day-use pavilion with grills.

• Designated swim area with concrete and limestone entry
• Observation deck overlooking the spring
• Restrooms and changing facilities
• Picnic pavilion with grills
• Volleyball court
• Ranger station and interpretive exhibits
• Dive registration desk

No food concessions, no equipment rentals, no fuel nearby. Bring everything.

Madison Blue is a day-use-only park; no tent sites, no RV hookups, no primitive sites. All visitors must leave by sunset.

Nearest camping: Suwannee River State Park (~20 miles south near Live Oak) offers full-facility tent and RV camping plus its own spring access. Reserve at reserve.floridastateparks.org.

• Madison Outpost Adventures — closest outfitter, two blocks from the park entrance on SR-6. Tube rentals, kayak rentals, and shuttle services for downstream Withlacoochee floats. Confirm hours directly; small independent operation.
• Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort (Mayo, FL, ~30 miles southwest) — guided paddle trips and longer shuttle services for serious paddlers combining Madison Blue with multi-day Withlacoochee/Suwannee routes.
• No specialized dive shop in Lee. Cave divers arrange equipment, air fills, and guidance through shops in Gainesville (~70 miles south) or via the NSS-CDS directory.

Lodging within minutes of the park is extremely limited — Madison County is rural.

• Hampton Inn Madison (Madison, ~10 miles west) — the most reliable branded option nearby
• Live Oak (~25 miles west) — chain hotels and independent motels along US-129/US-90
• Lake City (~40 miles east) — full hotel inventory at the I-75/I-10 crossroads
• Valdosta, GA (~40 miles north) — full chain inventory along I-75 if approaching from Georgia
• Suwannee River State Park camping (~20 miles south) — the budget-friendly alternative

Book well ahead for summer weekends; Madison County has limited total room inventory.

Dining is minimal. Lee, FL has no sit-down restaurants near the park entrance.

• Bring a picnic. This is the standard approach. The pavilion and shaded picnic areas are well-set up for a full day-picnic.
• Madison (~10 miles west) — small-town diners, BBQ, and fast food along US-90. Hours can be limited, especially Sundays.
• Live Oak (~25 miles west) — broader casual dining selection on US-90.
• Lake City (~40 miles east) — full restaurant diversity near I-75.

Grocery stores in Madison (Winn-Dixie) can supply provisions the morning of your visit.

• Arrive before 9 a.m. on summer weekends. The park is 38 acres and capacity caps at roughly 150 cars. On summer Saturdays it closes to new arrivals around 10 a.m. and may not reopen until 3 p.m. No roadside waiting — law enforcement cites violators.
• No camping on site. Plan your overnight at Suwannee River State Park or a Madison-area hotel.
• Cave certification is mandatory for entering the underwater passages. No exceptions — divers without full cave certification have died here.
• Slippery limestone steps. Water shoes with grip soles for everyone, especially kids and seniors.
• Mosquitos heavy in summer. EPA-registered repellent applied before arrival and reapplied after swimming.
• No in-park rentals. Stop at Madison Outpost Adventures (two blocks from the gate) for tubes or kayaks.
• Large RVs not recommended. Limited turnaround space in the compact parking area.
• Cell service is poor. Download offline maps and save the ranger station number (850-815-0869).
• Shoulder season is the secret. October–April delivers the same 72°F water with a fraction of the summer crowd.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. Verify current fees, capacity status, and cave diving certification requirements at floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/madison-blue-spring-state-park before visiting. Photos via Wikimedia Commons, primarily by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0.