Blue Hole Spring

Marianna, Florida · Florida Caverns State Park

Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: spring
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: $5 per vehicle
SEASON: Best in summer

About Blue Hole Spring

Blue Hole Spring is a designated swimming hole inside Florida Caverns State Park near Marianna, Florida, formed by a second-magnitude spring that helps feed the Chipola River. It has an official floating swim dock and roped basin, and swimming here is one of the park's named recreational activities alongside its well-known dry-cave tours.

The spring sits within Florida Caverns State Park's forested karst landscape in the Florida Panhandle, a few minutes' drive from the park's cave visitor center, with a boardwalk and picnic area surrounding the basin near the Chipola River corridor.

Swimming at Blue Hole Spring

Blue Hole is a roped-off, spring-fed swimming basin roughly 35-38 feet deep at its limestone vent, entered via a floating dock/pier and small beach area. The water holds a consistent, chilly 64-70°F year-round, with clarity that ranges from clear blue to tannic or murky depending on recent rainfall and Chipola River levels. There is no lifeguard on duty, making it best suited to confident, cold-water-tolerant swimmers, though the beach-style entry can work for families when the water is clear.

How to get to this swimming hole

Florida Caverns State Park is located about 1 mile north of Marianna, FL via State Road 166 (park address 3345 Caverns Road, Marianna, FL 32446); Blue Hole is a few minutes' drive from the visitor center/cave-tour building within the park, with roadside parking and a short walk to the swim area.

Parking: Small roadside parking area within the park, a short walk from the spring itself.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up/short-walk spot: park in the small roadside pullout within Florida Caverns State Park and walk a short distance directly to the floating dock/beach entry at Blue Hole. No formal trail or hike is required.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Floating dock/pier and small beach give an easy, gentle entry that can work for families, but there is no lifeguard on duty, the water is consistently cold (64-70°F) which can shock small kids, and alligators are present in park waterways (one recent visitor recommends avoiding evening swims when gators are most active). Best for families when the water is running clear; skip after heavy rain when the basin turns dark/murky.

Parking

Paid, No separate parking fee beyond the park entrance charge: $5/vehicle (2-8 occupants), $4 single-occupant vehicle, $2 per pedestrian/cyclist

Small roadside pullout/parking area directly along the park road next to Blue Hole, a short walk to the spring; not a large paved lot.

Restrooms

Yes

A restroom/bathroom building sits right at Blue Hole Spring itself (confirmed by a first-hand 2022 visitor account), plus additional restrooms elsewhere in the park near the cave visitor center and campground.

Water clarity

Varies with season and flow

The spring vent itself runs clear, but Blue Hole is hydrologically connected to the Chipola River, so clarity swings with river levels and rainfall: clear and blue in dry/normal conditions, turning tannic, dark, or murky (and sometimes closed to swimming) after heavy rain or Chipola flooding. One recent visitor recommends bringing goggles or snorkel gear to see underwater when it's clear.

Hours

Park open 8:00 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year; cave tours (separate activity/fee) run 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Central time, first-come first-served or bookable at FloridaCavernsGiftShop.com.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsTube

Restrictions: The roped Blue Hole swimming basin itself is a designated swim area (no boats reported inside the ropes); paddling/tubing instead happens on the general Chipola River within the park, via a boat ramp located between the entrance station and family campground ("only small boats are recommended" to launch there) and via the on-site Adventure Center rental point near the park entrance.

Florida Caverns State Park's concessioner (floridacaverns.com) now runs an on-site paddling program ("Florida Caverns Adventure Center") renting kayaks/canoes/SUPs for use on the Chipola River, open daily, with all rentals due back by 4 p.m.; an independent outfitter, Chipola River Adventures, also rents tubes/kayaks/canoes a short drive away in Marianna for float trips on the Chipola River.

Rentals nearby

Florida Caverns Adventure Center (floridacaverns.com, official park concessioner)

Single kayak, tandem kayak, fishing kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard rentals for the Chipola River; a paddling trailer is also stationed at the in-park boat launch

Adventure Center just outside the Florida Caverns State Park entrance, with equipment also staged at the park's Chipola River boat launch · Open daily, subject to river conditions/weather; all rentals must be returned by 4:00 p.m.; online reservation recommended

Chipola River Adventures

Tube rentals (single/double/triple), canoes, kayaks (8ft, 10ft, tandem), and paddle surfboards for float trips on the Chipola River

Prices: Tubes $13-$25; kayaks $18-$30; canoe $30 (sale prices, listed as discounted from $15-$40 regular)

4781 Magnolia Rd, Marianna, FL 32448 (a short drive from Florida Caverns State Park) · May 1-September 30: daily 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; October 1-April 30 by appointment

What regulars say

One recent first-hand trip account offers visitor-style tips: the water is a consistent, bracing 64°F year-round; bring swim goggles or snorkel gear to see underwater when clarity is good; there's a bathroom right at the spring and roadside parking only; and the visitor suggests avoiding evening swims since alligators in the park's waterways are most active at dusk.

Backstory

According to a Florida springs advocacy site, the area lies near a 1674 Spanish mission route and was surveyed in 1818 by a topographer during Andrew Jackson's First Seminole War campaign, and served as a community gathering spot for Marianna-area residents through the 1800s (single-source claim, not independently corroborated). Florida Caverns State Park itself was built out by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s, opened in 1942, and was designated a U.S. National Natural Landmark in December 1976.

Blue Hole Spring: FAQ

Does Blue Hole Spring charge a fee?

$5 per vehicle (2-8 occupants), $4 for a single-occupant vehicle, $2 for pedestrians/cyclists; park open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year (cave tours are a separate, additional fee).

Is Blue Hole Spring kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Blue Hole Spring?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Blue Hole Spring?

Small roadside pullout/parking area directly along the park road next to Blue Hole, a short walk to the spring; not a large paved lot.

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Blue Hole Spring?

When is the best time to visit Blue Hole Spring?

Spring and fall are considered the best times for clear water, before summer storms/hurricane season and winter fronts can cloud the spring via the connected Chipola River; the spring itself stays cold year-round.

What are the rules at Blue Hole Spring?

No lifeguard on duty (swim at your own risk); the swim area is signposted closed when water clarity is poor or the Chipola River is flooding; alligators are present in park waterways and swimmers are advised to swim in daylight and report sightings to staff.