Accessibility
Florida State Parks are in various stages of accessibility, and are working to improve access to services and facilities. Should you need assistance to enable your full participation, please contact the individual park office as soon as possible. Sometimes as many as ten days may be needed to schedule a particular accommodation.




Management & Protection
Florida State Parks are managed as natural systems. All plant and animal life is protected in state parks. Hunting, livestock grazing and timber removal are not permitted. Do not remove, deface, mutilate or molest any natural resources. For your safety, do not feed any animals. Intoxicants and firearms are prohibited.




Hours of Operation
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.




Pets
Pets are not allowed in camping areas, on bathing beaches, in concession areas and may be restricted in other designated areas of the park. Where pets are allowed, they must be kept on a six-foot, hand-held leash and well-behaved at all times. Service dogs are welcome in all areas of the parks.




State Park Guide
To discover and experience all of the Real Florida at Florida's 145 state parks, ask a Park Ranger where you can pick up a copy of the Florida State Park Guide, or call 850/488-9872.



Suwannee River State Park is located 13 miles west of Live Oak, off U.S. 90.
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SUWANNEE RIVER STATE PARK

The scenic Withlacoochee River joins the historic Suwannee River within this park. An overlook provides visitors with a panoramic view of the rivers and surrounding wooded uplands. When the water level is low, springs may be seen bubbling from the banks of both rivers.

The name "Suwannee" is thought to have been derived from the American Indian word meaning "black muddy water." Immortalized in the Stephen Foster song, "Old Folks at Home," the river is known around the world.

Suwannee River was among the first parks to become part of the Florida state park system. An original 300 acres was purchased in 1936. The park now has more than 1,800 acres in three counties: Suwannee, Madison and Hamilton.


WILDLIFE
Lime Sink Run empties into the Suwannee and flows through weathered limestone outcrops along much of its course. Beavers are sometimes observed in or along this peaceful stream. But only by the patient, quiet visitor. The remoteness of the park provides a haven for an abundance and variety of wildlife.

HISTORY
The river hums with echoes of history of the booming days of plantations and logging empires, of the high times of paddle-wheel boats steaming up and down the river, of the long disorientation after the Civil War and of the quiet persistence of strong pioneers who lived off this land and profited from the rivers.

South of the junction of the rivers, an earthworks (an earthen embankment used as a military fortification) was constructed by the Confederates during the Civil War. Its main purpose was to protect the railroad bridge across the Suwannee. Essential supplies, such as beef, salt and sugar needed to feed the Confederate armies, were shipped by rail to Georgia. Union troops dispatched from Jacksonville to capture the bridge were turned back near Olustee in a hard-fought battle on February 20, 1864. Battle of Olustee homepage

The town of Columbus stood in the vicinity of the earthworks. The remains of the Columbus Cemetery, believed to be one of the oldest cemeteries in Florida, are within the park. Columbus had its heyday and prospered from its railroad bridge, ferry landing and a large sawmill. Steamboats were a common sight on the Suwannee and Withlacoochee. In his memoirs, a Confederate officer recalls standing guard on the bridge and seeing the elegant house nearby which belonged to George F. Drew, the operator of the sawmill who became governor in 1876.


FACILITIES
The parks offers many opportunities for recreation in the "Real Florida."

A boat ramp affords easy access to the Suwannee River.

Picnic tables and grills are standard at the 31 campsites located in the family campground. Two youth tent camping areas for use by organized, non-profit youth groups are also available.


CANOE TRAIL
The Suwannee River (upper) Canoe Trail and the Withlacoochee River Canoe Trail both begin in Georgia and end in the park. The Suwannee River (lower) Canoe Trail begins at the park and ends at the Gulf.

Catches of catfish, bass and panfish reward the persistent angler. (A Florida freshwater fishing license is required for persons 16 years of age and older.)

Two picnic pavilions are available in addition to the individual picnic tables and grills.


NATURE TRAILS
Nature study is easy on the Suwannee River Trail, which winds along the high banks of the river and along Lime Sink Run. Interpretive labels explain the hammock and its various plants and animals for those who take the self-guided tour. The Sandhills Trail takes visitors from the picnic area to the Columbus Cemetery. The open forest of pines here contrasts with the hardwood hammock along the river trail. A section of this trail runs along the route of the old stage road, which ran from Pensacola to Jacksonville and was the major route of travel in the early 1800s.

All trails are for foot traffic only! Vehicles and horses are not permitted.


For more information, contact Suwannee River State Park, 20185 County Road 132, Live Oak, Florida 32060; (904) 362-2746.

Suwannee River State Park is located 13 miles west of Live Oak, off U.S. 90.

Contact:
Suwannee River State Park
20185 C.R. 132
Live Oak, FL 32060
(904) 362-2746



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