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.


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Reservations for
Florida State
Parks are now
made through
Reserve America,

toll free, at
1-800-326-3521  
 
O'LENO STATE PARK

O'Leno State Park is located on the banks of the scenic and unique Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Suwannee River. Within the park, the Santa Fe disappears and flows underground for more than three miles before it again becomes a surface stream, spotlighting the geological distinction of the park. Including the adjacent preserve, the park encompasses in excess of 6,000 acres in Alachua and Columbia Counties.

Other interesting features include sinkholes, hardwood hammock, river swamp and sandhill communities commonly found in north central Florida.


HISTORY
 In the mid-1800s, a town was founded upstream from where the river disappears. Perhaps first known as Keno, after a game of chance, the settlement was later called Leno. The town grew, and a mill, general store, hotel and livery stable were built. Leno was the end of the line for the first telegraph set up to link Florida with the outside world. When the railroad bypassed the tiny town, Leno's decline was bound to occur. It took only until the turn of the century for the settlement to become just a memory; the Old Wire Road and mill dams are all that remain of this early lumber town.

The suspension bridge which spans the river was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the late 1930s. It still provides a pleasurable view of the Santa Fe as well as one of the mill dams.

The park, acquired in the early 1930s, was developed by the CCC and the Works Progress Authority (WPA) primarily for use as a summer forestry camp and training facility.


ACTIVITIES
Within O'Leno, you will find ample opportunities for picnicking, swimming, hiking, canoeing, fishing and trails for horseback riding.

If you're interested in camping, choices include family, primitive, youth and group camping. The group camp accommodates up to 140 persons and includes 17 cabins, a dining hall, meeting building and pavilion. The kitchen is fully equipped with utensils, dishes and flatware. Cabins are furnished with cots and mattresses. Guests must provide their own towels, pillows and bed linens. The youth tent camping area is for organized, non-profit youth groups. Special restrictions and fees apply. Family camping includes a total of 64 sites in the Dogwood Magnolia camping loops. Water and electricity are available. Campfire programs and guided walks are provided seasonally.

A refreshing swim is a favorite way to enjoy the Santa Fe River. Also explore the river by canoe and observe the area's scenic beauty and wildlife. Canoe rentals are available at the park.

O'Leno has two scenic nature trails. The Santa Fe River Trail takes you along the river to the "river sink" where the river disappears underground. Alligators and turtles are sometimes seen. The Limestone Trail passes through a hardwood hammock, past a limestone outcrop and then by a pine forest.

The Santa Fe River is an unpredictable fishing spot. Sometimes the fish bite, sometimes they don't. A Florida freshwater fishing license is required for anyone 16 years of age or older who wants to cast a line for bass, bream or catfish.


A WORD ABOUT ALLIGATORS
Although they appear tame, they are dangerous animals and should not be approached, teased or frightened. Feeding alligators is dangerous and is a violation of park regulations and state law. Dependence on unnatural foods makes alligators lose their fear of man and may make them easy prey for poachers. If you enjoy seeing alligators in the park, don't feed them.



O'Leno State Park is located on U.S. 441, six miles north of High Springs.

For information, contact:
O'Leno State Park
Route 2, Box 1010
High Springs, Florida 32643
(386)454-1853


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