A day in Rum Island Springs

Rum Island Springs County Park is a natural spring in Fort White, Florida, located at 1447 S W Rum Island Terrace. Columbia County is where this is located.

This spring has free admission and is absolutely stunning! It quickly became one of our favorite times of the year. Rum Island Springs is a beautiful natural setting along the Sante Fe River. The water is crystal clear and beautiful, and you can see where the river’s tannin water meets the spring water. There are three sets of wood stairs leading into the springs, as well as numerous shallow areas and a couple of deep spring heads to explore.

Rum Island Springs is a small park with picnic tables, shade, and porta-potties. There is also plenty of grassy space along the river to set up camp and relax for a few hours. Dogs are not permitted in the park. Kayakers can also stop at Rum Island while kayaking the Santa Fe River. I could hear a barred owl in the woods within minutes of arriving at Rum Island, which helped set the tone for an incredible experience.

We try to visit the springs on weekdays and arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds. It usually works out in our favor. We were the only ones on Rum Island when we arrived. After a while, a few others came by, but it was never crowded while we were there. This is a second-class spring, with millions of gallons of pure water flowing into the Santa Fe River every day.