Salt Springs

Monday November 5, 2012
Site 81 Salt Springs Recreation Area
Salt Springs, Florida

 

 

The spring swimming area.

Salt Springs is located in the Ocala National Forest which is between Orlando and Ocala.  The forest encompasses approximately 383,000 acres and is the southernmost forest in the continental United States.  It protects the world's largest contiguous sand pine scrub forest.  There are more than 60 lakes, rivers and springs in Ocala National Forest.  Lots of places to kayak IF the water is not too far down.

The forest was established in 1908 and was one of the first National Forests east of the Mississippi.  There are 3 separate visitor centers and 16 campgrounds.  Most are primitive or no hook up meaning no electric or water at the sites but water available for filling your tank, bathrooms with hot showers and a dump station.  Some campgrounds are tents only.  5 are considered RV campgrounds although smaller RVs can find spaces in others. Salt Springs is the only campground with full hook ups.  There are numerous hiking trails in the forest including the  Florida National Trail.

 

Pictures through the crystal clear water of the bottom of the swimming area in the spring.

 

 

There are 4 major springs in the Ocala National Forest.  Two are first magnitude springs and two, including Salt Springs, are second magnitude.

 

We are currently staying at the Salt Springs campground which is an easy walk from the kayak put in and the spring.  We’ve taken the kayaks out although we have not kayaked the spring run yet.  We skipped it on Sunday because of the attraction of the manatee.  See that post here.

 

We’ve been told to avoid it on week-ends due to power and air boats and to be careful to judge the wind since it is a wide run and coming back the 4 miles from Lake George can be difficult.

 

 

The spring itself is a 2^nd magnitude spring. A concrete wall, first built in 1946, rings three sides of the spring pool. The pool measures 110 feet in diameter. Mostly, the pool depth is 2-5 feet, but is up to 20 feet deep at the several spring vents that are scattered in the pool. The combined flow from these vents is around 52,000,000 gallons per day. A strong, cool, crystal clear current of this spring water issues into the spring run along a 3-4 foot deep, sandy-bottomed channel.   

 

 

The springs are known as "salt" springs because the water rising to the surface passes through ancient salt deposits embedded within the limestone substrate.  The water is very clear, blue and salty.  While a number of coastal springs have marine life such as crabs, striped mullet, and needlefish, Salt Springs is almost 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and the crabs are permanent residents.  The crabs first took up housekeeping in the spring when in past millennia this section of Florida was part of a shallow sea. When the land rose upward, they remained at the site because of the salty flow from the spring.  While running this morning I saw a big blue jimmy crab in the spring pool.   Unfortunately he was belly up.  Not sure what happened to him but I’d love to find out where they are in the spring run and take my net and chicken necks for some tasty dinner.

 

We spent two lovely hours down by the spring just sitting, walking, standing and being very quiet while we waited and watched the local residents getting on with their lives.

 

 

 

Black and Turkey vultures,  mullet, great blue heron, anhinga, cormorant, snowy egret, gorgeous hawk, turkeys, kingfisher and others. 

 

Black vultures against the sky

A face only a mother could love.

 

 

 

The illusive kingfisher, finally, sort of….

 

  

 

 

 

 

I’m in unfamiliar Hawk territory here.  He’s not a red tail or a red shoulder.  Anyone recognize him?  He is gorgeous.

  

All gray back and head.  Mottled brown breast.

 

And of course there were many trees to hug.  It was a great easy afternoon in a lovely tranquil place at least at this time of year and during the week.

 

 

The high air temperature was a cool 67 degrees and the spring water a warm 72.  I thought seriously about going back for my bathing suit as the spring area was totally empty but decided I’d give it another day or two to warm the air up a little bit.  I really do want to be in that water before we leave.