Flooding forces temporary cave tour halt at Florida Caverns State Park

Flood conditions on the Chipola River have forced a temporary halt to cave tours at Florida Caverns State Park as well as the temporary closure of much of the park.

The Chipola crested earlier this week at its highest level in years and water covered much of the flood plain area of the park, a major attraction near Marianna, Florida. The latest information from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection indicates that the cave tours, Blue Hole swimming area, campgrounds and Hickory Picnic Area are all closed. The Visitor Center remains open for day use visitors.

To learn more about Florida Caverns State Park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/floridacaverns.

A number of other Florida State Parks are also completely or partially closed due to flooding, including the popular Suwannee River State Park (completely closed) and Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park (partially closed). Here is the complete list of closings as of today from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:

Continued state park closures include:

Adams Tract River Camp
C/o Troy Springs State Park
674 N.E. Troy Springs RoadBranford, Florida 32008
*Closed until further notice.

Holton Creek River Camp
C/o Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path
Live Oak, Florida 32060
*Closed until further notice.

Dowling Park River Camp
C/o Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path
Live Oak, Florida 32060
*Closed until further notice.

Fanning Springs State Park
18020 N.W. Highway 19Fanning Springs, Florida 32693
*Closed to swimming until further notice. The cabins and park remain open for day use visitors.

Madison Blue Springs State Park
8300 N.E. State Road 6Lee, Florida 32059
*Closed until further notice.

Lafayette Blue Springs State Park
799 N.W. Blue Spring RoadMayo, Florida 32066
* Closed until further notice.

Manatee Springs State Park
11650 NW 115th Street
Chiefland, Florida 32626
*The Usher Boat Ramp, swimming and diving are closed until further notice. The park remains open for campers and day use visitors.

Peacock Springs State Park
12087 SW US Highway 27
Ft. White, Florida 32038
*Portions of the park, including swimming and diving, are closed to visitors until further notice.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
U.S 41 North
White Springs, Florida 32096
* Hiking trails and other portions of the park are closed to visitors until further notice.

Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path
Live Oak, Florida 32060
*Closed until further notice. Adjacent U.S. 90 bridge is also closed to traffic.

Troy Springs State Park
674 N.E. Troy Springs RoadBranford, Florida 32008
*Closed to swimming and diving until further notice. The park remains open for day use visitors.

Florida Caverns State Park
3345 Caverns Road
Marianna, Florida 32246
*Campground, cave tours and the Blue Hole use area, and hickory picnic area are closed until further notice. The visitor center and is open for day use visitors.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
7525 W. Scenic Highway 30A
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459
*The isolated day use area accessed by Topsail Road, off of Highway 98 is closed until further notice. The rest of the park remains open for day use and overnight visitors.

Visitors can contact state parks directly for the most up to date information on park closures, or visit http://www.floridastateparks.org/. For additional information on flood conditions, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/, or visit http://www.fl511.com/ for traffic updates.

Where the Underground Railroad was really Underground

As most readers already know, the term "Underground Railroad" did not refer to a real railroad that ran underground. It was the term given to the various routes by which escaped slaves tried to make their ways north to freedom during the decades leading up to the Civil War.

Most of these avenues of escape were above ground and few involved trains.

But in Florida, at least, there is evidence that at least part of the "Underground Railroad" was actually underground! Newspaper reports from the antebellum era indicate that the caves in and around today's Florida Caverns State Park were often used by escaped slaves as hiding places until they could begin their difficult journeys in search of freedom.

The escaped slaves were not alone in using the caves over the years. Local tradition is strong that they were also used by small groups of Native Americans to avoid capture during the Seminole Wars.

To learn more about the fascinating history of the Florida Caverns, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com and look for the Florida Caverns heading.

Florida Caverns State Park - Marianna, Florida

Some of the most spectacular scenery in the Sunshine State can actually be found under the Sunshine State.

Florida Caverns State Park is located on Caverns Road in the beautiful old Southern city of Marianna, a historic antebellum community just off Interstate 10 between Tallahassee and Pensacola.

The park preserves a wide array of natural wonders and historic sites, including caves, rock shelters, archaeological sites, springs, flood plain forests, a natural bridge and more.

Our new Florida Caverns section is now onine at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Just follow the link and you will see the heading on the main page.