One of our favorite summer activities is tubing at Ichetucknee Springs State Park. With a little bit of planning you can have a fun filled day the whole family will enjoy!
Visiting Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Ichetucknee Springs State Park is located in central Florida. The park is open year round, but summer season is when most people visit to go tubing. The tube launches are open Memorial Day to Labor Day. In the off season you can kayak and paddle board in the springs.
Our family likes to get up super early and arrive at the north entrance to float the entire river. The trip from the north end takes 3.5 hours and they only allow a very limited number of people down the river from the north end each day.
Plan to Arrive Early
If you arrive early enough for the north launch, your driver will drop you and then park at the south end takeout and take a shuttle back up to join you. There is a limited number of cars allowed in the north launch each day. If it’s closed for the day then you’ll have to head to the south entrance.
At the south entrance, Dampier’s Landing, there is a concession and general store. They sell ice cream, rent tubes, and have bathrooms where you can change.
You can bring your own tubes to Ichetucknee, rent them inside the park, or stop at a tube rental spot outside the park. Stopping outside the park is what most people do and the tube centers will even help you strap them to the car.
Spending the day at Ichetucknee Springs State Park on the river is a fun day trip for the whole family. Be sure to pack a lunch and snacks and bring a reusable water bottle for the river.
