Lurking deep in the woods thirty minutes south of Tallahassee lies a treasure. While it’s not shiny gold coins or glittering gemstones, it’s a place that holds an important spot in locals’ and Florida State University students’ hearts. That place is Wakulla Springs.
I first heard about Wakulla Springs when I arrived at FSU. People would detail their weekends and mention that they had visited there. After multiple semesters of hearing about this mysterious place but never going, I decided that it was finally time to check it out. I can happily say that it exceeded my expectations.
For only $6 per vehicle, you can have access to beautiful 70-degree freshwater springs to swim, splash, and jump in. The springs are lined with historic trees, making you feel like you’re entering a different world. While it’s less than half an hour away from FSU’s campus, it leaves visitors feeling as if they were transported to a faraway planet untouched by modern civilization.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can take a dive off the springs’ 18-foot diving platform, a longtime tradition of the locals who come to visit. I learned that this is something that generations of kids and adults have been daring each other to do for years, like an instant ticket to the “cool” table at lunch. So of course, I felt compelled to take the leap.
As a kid who was always too afraid to jump off the high diving board at summer camp, I will say, it was quite daunting when I got up to the diving platform at the springs. But, instead of chickening out and having the entirety of a Wakulla elementary school laugh at me, I took the plunge. Was it cold? Yes. Was it a little higher than I anticipated? Yes. Did I feel super cool and like I was officially a local even though I’ve only lived in the Tallahassee region for two years? Yes!
If jumping off high diving platforms to avenge your seven-year-old self isn’t enticing, you could always go in the opposite direction. The springs are home to a vast series of underwater caves. And when I say vast, I mean vast —over 32 miles of caves in the depths of the water.
So, if I haven’t sold you to spend $6 to visit Tallahassee’s local treasure, maybe some classic filming locations will persuade you to make the drive. Unbeknownst to me and many others, the springs have been a prominent backdrop for Hollywood. More especially, for old monster flicks. Creature from the Black Lagoon, a 1954 creature feature, filmed a lot of its underwater scenes on-site at the springs. Luckily, there is no actual creature lurking in the depths underneath all the swimming patrons, but I still found this little factoid pretty neat.
Creature from the Black Lagoon’s history and connection to the Wakulla and Tallahassee region gets even cooler. The actor who played the creature in these underwater scenes, Ricou Browning, was an FSU student himself when he was scouted to dive into the deep end of this film. So technically, by default, the creature from Creature from the Black Lagoon was a ‘Nole!
I’m so grateful that I’ve found an oasis of nature loved by locals, tourists, and students alike during my time here at FSU. I hope I’ve convinced you to get a carload of your friends together and visit Wakulla Springs.
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