Have You Been to Troy Springs Lately | Town of Mayo Happenings

Have You Been to Troy Springs State Park Recently? It has a picnic area with barbecue grills under shady oak and pine trees, lovely breezes and a view of the Suwannee River along with fishing from the floating dock. The spring is currently still flooded but for only $5 per car load you can still have a great day enjoying yourself with your family and friends. Hopefully, before school lets out for the summer the river water will have gone down enough so that the Troy Springs park ranger, Tina, will be able to open that area up to swimmers and divers. We have been here for 7 days now and it is very quiet and peaceful here. We have seen a large hawk swooping around the horse barn area on it’s daily rounds, a small group of young deer moving between the water management land areas and here in the mornings and late afternoons and some large rabbits bouncing here and there.

The breeze coming off the river as you sit on the dock in the late afternoon is so refreshing. We have seen some large fish varieties jumping around where the springs and river meet. If you have a fishing license and a couple of hours you should come on down and try your luck. No, you are not allowed to fish in the springs area but there is a very nice dock running along the bank that you can sit and fish from all day long. The park opens at 8:00 am and closes at dusk which is around 8:45 pm started on Sunday. Bring your equipment and cooler on wheels as it is a little bit of a hike from the parking lot down the bumpy hill just past the old log cabin and finally down the nice sidewalk leading to the the river area below.

We have taken a quick tour through the old cabin that the previous volunteers had cleaned up. They created a little display and the park ranger will be happy to give people a tour. She has a prepared lecture on the history of the log cabin, the land in the park and local flora and fauna. If you want to bring a large group out please call the ranger ahead of time to make sure she can be here for your group and to open the cabin up. It is very educational and the cabin is listed as a historical building in Lafayette County Florida. This would be a great place for church groups, scout groups and even classroom groups interested in history, the environment or just to have a nice day in a nice, clean and well maintained park.

If you are canoeing or kayaking down the Suwannee you can slip into the springs area for a visit. There is a boat ramp just to the left after you come into the springs run or you can use the floating dock a little further down to come ashore. When the springs are closed to swimming and diving the canoers and kayakers can float around the springs area to enjoy the clear views under the water of large boulders, cave openings, fish varieties and perhaps even the remains of the steamboat called the “Madison” that was scuttled at the bottom of the springs in 1863 to keep it out of the hands of the “Blue Coats” during the Civil War.

Now, if you have a scout (boys or girls) troop that is looking for a place to primitive camp over the weekend or any time during the summer months, Troy Springs State Park, is the place to consider. There is a primitive camping area set up in the back of the property with picnic tables, a fire ring and even a bathhouse inside the old horse barn that you can use during your stay. There is swimming in the springs, (bring your own life guards) fishing in the river, kayaking and canoeing down the Suwannee as well as hiking the trails. In exchange for a little work around the park scout troops are allowed to camp overnight for free. Mostly, the projects include assisting the park ranger with clearing out downed limbs, cutting down dead limbs or even removing exotic plants. Hey, can you say, “Environment badge”!

Troy Springs State Park
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/troy-spring
674 NE Troy Springs Road
Branford, FL 32008
(386) 935-4835