Manatee Springs State Park on the Suwannee River near Chiefland centers on Manatee Spring, a first-magnitude spring whose run is the longest spring run feeding the river. People have used the spring for at least 9,000 years, beginning with Timucuan residents whose village site and artifacts show long occupation and ties to the Gulf of Mexico. William Bartram visited in 1774 and gave the spring its name after seeing a manatee there. Acquired in 1968 as Florida’s first state park spring, the area protects wetlands, caves, and diverse wildlife, especially West Indian manatees that shelter in its constant warm water during colder months.