Santa Fe River Florida: A Nature Lover's Paradise

The Santa Fe River begins at lakes Santa Fe and Alto northeast of Gainesville, Florida, and flows west for 44 miles. A half-mile downstream from O'Leno State Park, the river disappears into a sinkhole in the Cody Scarp karst limestone formation, reemerging over 3 miles later at River Rise Preserve State Park. This submerging and reemerging forms Florida's largest swallet-to-resurgence system, used by humans for over 14,000 years. During a drought from 2000 to 2004, divers explored the underground system, finding conduits averaging 140 feet deep and passageways up to 80 feet wide. They mapped over 50,000 feet of passageways, naming it the Bellamy Cave system. The river's behavior varies with water levels, sometimes appearing still or swirling rapidly. During floods, the river flows overland. The Santa Fe River's unique underground journey through O'Leno and River Rise Preserve State Parks is protected for future generations to appreciate.