Ichetucknee Springs State Park in North Florida spans 2,241 acres around the 6-mile, spring-fed Ichetucknee River, whose clear, cool water flows through hammocks and wetlands to the Santa Fe River. The landscape is shaped by limestone outcrops and springs rising from the aquifer. Before the 20th century, the area saw phosphate exploration, later intensified with industrial equipment, and in the 1950s and 1960s the river became a popular tubing destination. Florida purchased the property in 1970, and the river and springs became a National Natural Landmark in 1972. The park also contains a probable 17th-century Spanish mission site, adding deep historical significance to its natural appeal.