Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park
Rate this placeLast Updated: December 5, 2025
Wakulla Springs State Park, located in Florida, is a popular tourist destination with numerous reasons to visit.
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Summary
The park boasts a 6,000-acre wildlife sanctuary that features wetlands, pine forests, and hardwood hammocks. The main attraction of the park is the Wakulla Springs, the world's largest and deepest freshwater spring. The clear waters of the spring are home to a variety of marine life, including manatees and alligators.
One of the park's most notable features is the Wakulla Springs Lodge, a 1930s-era hotel that has been restored to its original grandeur. Visitors can take guided tours of the lodge and learn about its role in the history of Wakulla Springs.
Other points of interest in the park include the Edward Ball Nature Trail, a 1.5 mile walk that takes visitors through the park's diverse ecosystems, and the Wakulla Springs Riverboat Tour, a guided tour of the Wakulla River that allows visitors to see the park's wildlife up close.
Interesting facts about the park include that it was once a popular location for Hollywood films, including Tarzan and Creature from the Black Lagoon. The park also has a rich history, having been used as a site for Native American burials and a Confederate Army encampment during the Civil War.
The best time of year to visit Wakulla Springs State Park is during the winter months, when the weather is mild and the park is less crowded. However, the park is open year-round and offers something for visitors in every season.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
Related References
Area Campgrounds
| Location | Reservations | Toilets |
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Wakulla River Campsite
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Newport County Park
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Bent Sapling Camp
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Otter Hunt Camp
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Pope Still Hunt Camp
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Pope Still
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Wakulla State Forest
Wakulla Wildlife Management Area
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