Wakulla Spring
No recreational scuba diving: Florida State Parks diving rules [1] (Swimming and snorkelling allowed only in the designated swimming area.). These categories are the named scheme's own; they describe the training a site calls for.
One of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the US and the outlet of the Wakulla-Leon Sinks cave system; recreational scuba diving is not allowed, and exploration is done by the Woodville Karst Plain Project.
Wakulla Spring is the centrepiece of Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, a historic 1930s lodge, boat tours and a swimming area with an observation and diving platform over the spring. The spring basin leads down into the main tunnels of the Wakulla-Leon Sinks system, where Ice Age mammal bones have been recovered.
Florida State Parks does not allow recreational scuba diving in Wakulla Spring or the swimming area. Diving inside the spring cave has been carried out by organised exploration teams: the US Deep Caving Team in 1987 and 1998-99, and the Woodville Karst Plain Project, which received a Special Use Permit in 1994. Visitors can swim and snorkel in the designated area.
The environment
A very large spring basin (about 21°C, 70°F) opening into deep conduits; discharge varies widely with rainfall across a large watershed.
Conditions
The park describes the water as about 70°F. Wakulla has one of the widest observed ranges of discharge of any Florida spring, because fast-moving surface water from distant swallets reaches it.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
Facilities
Swimming area with observation and diving platform, lodge, restaurant, boat tours, visitor centre, shower station and restrooms, as listed by the park.
Other entrances to Wakulla-Leon Sinks cave system
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (10)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational scuba diving is not allowed in Wakulla Spring or the swimming area.Read 2026-10-14. | Verified | [1] |
| Swimming is allowed only in the designated swimming area near the spring, which has an observation and diving platform; snorkelling is allowed inside that area. | Verified | [1] |
| The park describes Wakulla's water as 70 degrees.70°F is about 21°C. | Verified | [2] |
| Wakulla Spring has one of the largest observed ranges in discharge of any spring in Florida. | Verified | [6] |
| WKPP was granted a Special Use Permit to explore Wakulla Springs in early 1994, and the US Deep Caving Team ran Wakulla projects in 1987 and 1998-99. | Verified | [4] [5] |
| Admission is $6 per vehicle with two to eight occupants, $4 for a single-occupant vehicle and $2 per extra occupant, pedestrian or cyclist.Read 2026-10-14. | Verified | [3] |
| The park is open from 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year. | Verified | [3] |
| USGS lists Wakulla Spring at about latitude 30.235; rounded to area level.Area precision because closed to recreational diving. | Verified | [7] |
| USGS lists Wakulla Spring at about longitude -84.301; rounded to area level. | Verified | [7] |
| Recreational scuba diving is not allowed in Wakulla Spring or the swimming area. | Verified | [1] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction