Some say the main spring is about 150-200 feet back from the river where there seems to be a dry depression, at least that's the way it was when visited by SeeNorthFlorida in 2007, a very dry year. However there seems to be a flowing spring just offshore in the river just left of the center of the panoramic photo above. It may be that this flow is there all the time and the "spring" back from the river only flows in wet seasons. Its been said that when the spring in the river is flowing strong it makes a great swimming hole!

The official State of Florida description: Anderson Spring forms an oval spring pool that is 6 ft (1.8 m) long and 3 ft (0.9 m) wide. Its depth is 3 ft (0.9 m). The spring vent discharges water directly into the Suwannee River. The vent is located about 10 ft (3.1 m) down on the river’s bottom. Spring water is clear and yellow-greenish. Limestone is exposed at the vent. There are variable amounts of algae within the vent and the surrounding depression; however, there is no other aquatic vegetation present. The state-owned area surrounding the spring is comprised of limestone outcrops covered with lush ferns and moss. High ground rises to about 25 ft (7.6 m) above the spring. Discharge on September 22, 1997 was estimated to be 15 ft/sec.

It is now a beautiful place to view the magnificent Suwannee River with its rock banks in this part of Florida. The rocky high walls of the river are in places all up and down the river but more prevalent in the northern stretches of the river.

The tract was run as a management area in the 1990s by the Suwannee River Water Management District. It is now a state recreation area managed by the Florida Park Service. The site includes an informational kiosk, trails, fishing, chemical toilet, and a boat ramp.

Website: www.www.tfn.net/Springs/Anderson.htm

GPS Coordinates

Look for River Road just east of the Agriculture Inspection Station on US90 in Ellaville, a little west of the entrance to Suwannee River State Park. Go a few miles south and the entrance to Anderson Spring Recreation area is clearly marked and just south of where River Road crosses I-10 (no interchange).