Cave system
Little River Springs cave
Suwannee County describes the cave as 'more than 1,200 feet in length'; Extreme Exposure puts the Florida Room alone about 1,050 feet in, so the county figure is best read as a minimum. No current survey total was found. Extreme Exposure gives about 100 feet (30 m) for the main passage below the chimney; no surveyed maximum depth was found.
A high-flow cave entered from a small spring pool beside the Suwannee River in a Suwannee County park; the passage drops steeply to about 30 metres, and river water can siphon into the cave when the Suwannee is high.
Little River Springs is a county park of about 125 acres on the Suwannee River north of Branford, run by Suwannee County Parks and Recreation. The spring pool lies less than a hundred yards from the river and drains down a short run of about 45 metres. It is a popular swimming and snorkelling spot as well as a cave-diving site.
The cavern begins at about 4.5 metres at normal water levels and slopes down; dive centre Extreme Exposure describes the main passage dropping steeply through a chimney to about 30 metres, with the large Florida Room roughly 320 metres in. The flow is strong, and it increases where the passage narrows beyond the cavern zone.
The cave is closely tied to the river. DAN's Alert Diver warns that river water occasionally siphons into the cave (flows backwards into it) and that this is not the time to dive, and that tannins stain the walls reddish-orange after the river drops. The NSS Cave Diving Section credits Sheck Exley with first using tank staging, leaving spare cylinders along the line, during exploration here.
Water, flow and flooding
A high-flow spring next to the Suwannee River. When the river is high, tannic river water can reverse into the cave (a siphon), after which the walls are stained reddish-orange as the river recedes.
Why it matters
The NSS Cave Diving Section's history credits Sheck Exley with the first use of tank staging during the Little River exploration.
Conditions
Spring water is about 22°C year-round. Diving conditions depend on the Suwannee River: high river stages can siphon tannic water into the cave. The park can be busy with swimmers.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
Entrances and dive sites
One public entrance, in the spring pool of the county park.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (11)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Suwannee County describes the underwater cave system as measuring more than 1,200 feet in length.Minimum figure; Extreme Exposure (s2) places the Florida Room about 1,050 feet in with passage beyond, so the true surveyed length is likely greater. | Sources conflict | [1] |
| The cavern starts in about 15 feet of water at normal levels and slopes to 65 feet, and the main passage drops through a chimney to approximately 100 feet.Provider description. DAN (s3) gives the cavern as 15 to 55 feet (4.6 to 16.8 m). | Reported | [2] |
| River water occasionally siphons into the Little River cave, which is not the right time to dive, and tannins stain the cave walls reddish-orange once the river recedes.DAN Alert Diver, 2026-03-11. | Reported | [3] |
| The park covers 125 acres along the Suwannee River and is operated by Suwannee Parks and Recreation. | Verified | [7] |
| The spring run is nearly 150 feet long and flows into the Suwannee River. | Verified | [1] |
| Sheck Exley is credited with first using tank staging during the Little River exploration.Organisation's own history; no date given. | Verified | [6] |
| Suwannee County describes the spring water as 72 degrees.About 22°C. | Verified | [1] |
| There is a $5 per vehicle entrance fee; park hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to October and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November to March; no pets or alcohol.Dive Outpost (s5) lists 7 a.m. opening, closure on Tuesday mornings for maintenance, and the $5 fee only on Fridays to Sundays. | Sources conflict | [1] |
| Dive Outpost reports that DPVs and solo diving are allowed at Little River.Provider statement; no county rule found. | Reported | [5] |
| USGS lists Little River Springs near Branford (site 02320400) at latitude 29.9966167. | Verified | [4] |
| USGS lists Little River Springs at longitude -82.9662402. | Verified | [4] |
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