Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park

Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is a state park near High Springs, Florida, along the Santa Fe River.[2] Privately owned since 1958,[3] the park was purchased by the state of Florida for $5.2 million and opened as Florida's 175th state park on November 1, 2017.[1] It contains six natural springs.[3] Five of which are named; Blue Spring, Little Blue Spring, Naked Spring, Kiefer Spring and Johnson Spring.[4]

Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
Location	Gilchrist County, Florida, United States
Nearest city	High Springs, Florida
Coordinates	29.829424°N 82.683636°W / 29.829424; -82.683636
Area	407 acres[1]
Established	2017

The park's full namee is Ruth B. Kirby Glichrist Blue Springs State Park and it was named after a woman who loved going to this spring as an escape from the busy world. Ruby B. Kirby was given responsibility of this property after her fiance passed it down to her when he passed. She took it upon herself to ensure that this natural park would be a pleasant escape for visitors as well. Ruth and her family opened this natural park by selling it to the State of Florida. In 2019, the park was renamed after Ruth B. Kirby in honor of her dedication to the springs.[5]

Gilchrist Blue Springs consists of multiple natural springs. These springs produce about 44 million gallons of water each day and run into the Santa Fe River. Guests have the opportunity to hike, picnic, camp, snorkel, swim, and paddle throughout the park. There is one concession stand for food and drink at the park. There are various photo opportunities among the scenic view. Some wildlife among the springs include: turtles, sunfish, bass, and catfish.[6]