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Come snorkel and freedive in some of the clearest, blue water that the Florida panhandle has to offer.
Cypress Spring is only accessible by water due to it being surrounded by private property, so bring your canoe, kayak, SUP, or boat to one of the many landings along Holmes Creek. The shortest and easiest way to get to the spring is to launch your vessel at Cotton Landing. From there, it is a short quarter-mile float downstream to the spring turnoff. The turnoff will be on your right and is marked with clearly visible orange arrows spray painted onto some trees. After making the turn, it is roughly a tenth of a mile trip upstream to the spring.
Cypress Spring is roughly 25-30 feet deep and is surrounded on all sides by pine forests. The only amenity there is a large rope swing on the north side of the spring, so bring your own food, water, and entertainment. Alcohol is permitted, and you can do pretty much any water activity you can think of there: SCUBA diving, freediving, snorkeling, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc. Some people even fish there, though I can't imagine you would catch anything worth keeping.
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Freedive at Cypress Spring
The water was amazingly clear! You could see everything from top to bottom 30 ft down. Freediving their was awesome, look out for the caves there, bring your scuba gear, there are trees down in the water from hurricane Michael, but you can work your way down into the cave easier by those downed trees. It was a awesome time and a great dive. Watch for turtles, snakes and big mouth bass if your snorkeling. Usually hiding in the roots of the trees in the water. The paddle their was also very nice and serene. We got to the springs from Cottonlanding, then left the springs and worked our way down 4 miles to the second drop off point. It was really nice, quiet, and you'll see the occasional alligator during certain seasons.
Freedive at Cypress Spring
If you can handle the water temperature, then you will be able to swim in the clearest, blue water I have ever seen! If you can hold your breath long enough, there are some cool caverns at the bottom of the spring to check out, just be safe in them.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Paddle to Cypress Spring
Starting at Cotton Landing, you paddle about a quarter of a mile downstream until you encounter the spring run to the right/north. Another tenth of a mile or so up the run will take you to one of the most beautiful spring-fed swimming holes you will ever find. Fed by a 2nd magnitude spring, this circular shaped swimming hole is over 100 feet wide and approximately 26 feet deep. It's surrounded ...
Snorkel & Dive at Vortex Spring
SCUBA & Free Diving: Established in 1972 by Doc and Ruth Dockery, Vortex Spring is home to the Red & White "Diver Down" Flag and is one of the largest diving facilities in the state of Florida, with 28 million gallons of crystal "gin" clear water daily at a year round temperature of 68 degrees.  The spring basin is 50 feet deep at the mouth of the cavern. Surface lit during the day and ...
Fishing in St. Andrew's Bay
You can park by some nice picnic areas with ample, well-lit parking. The bay is very shallow; in the pictures featured above, my friend and I were probably 100 yards out into the water and were still standing at waist height. Crabs underfoot and are not scared to bite (we know this now).
Hike the Flatwoods Trail
It is advised to first stop at the Main Graywood State Park Entrance and get a trailmap from the rangers. To access the trail, park at the pulloff on E Co Hwy 30A across from Old Miller Pl. The trail takes you through tall pines and rich green undergrowth. Plenty of fascinating wildlife live here, keep your eyes and ears out for them and respect the space you share.
SCUBA Dive the "Miss Louise" Tug Boat
SCUBA dive the "Miss Louise" tug boat wreck, located at N 30:22.287, W 86:25.317. For this trip, I went through ScubaTech, a local Destin dive shop that rents dive gear, fills tanks, and takes groups out on various reef and wreck dives in the Destin area. They offer 4 hour (2 dive) trips on their boat, the “Sea Cobra.” The "Miss Louise", an 85' steel tugboat, sits in around 60' of water on the ...
SCUBA Dive Air Force (Eglin) Barge
SCUBA dive the Air Force Barge, AKA Englin Barge, located at Latitude 30.35415°, Longitude -86.49302°. For this trip, I went through ScubaTech, a local Destin dive shop that rents dive gear, fills tanks, and takes groups out on various reef and wreck dives in the Destin area. They offer 3 hour and 4 hour trips.  ScubaTech took us out on the “Sea Cobra,” "...the fastest, most comfortable dive b...
Escape to the Sunshine
VISIT FLORIDA, serves as Florida's official source for travel planning. What can be discovered beyond Florida’s 825 miles of beaches? How about 320 freshwater springs, 175 state parks, infinite mangrove tunnels and hidden caverns. Let your adventure begin. Follow Your Sunshine.