Florida Caverns State Park

The only publicly accessible dry cave system in Florida, with stalactites, stalagmites, and spring swimming

Florida Caverns State Park is the main reason to stop in Marianna. The park protects a dry cave system — exceptional in a state where most caves are underwater — and offers guided tours through chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstone formations in shades of white, cream, and amber.

The 45-minute guided cave tour departs several times daily and is the highlight. The cave temperature is a constant 65°F (18°C), which makes it pleasantly cool on a hot Florida day. The guides are knowledgeable and the interpretive content is good — they explain the geology well without dumbing it down.

Above ground, the park offers swimming in the Blue Hole spring (water temperature a constant 68°F year-round), hiking trails along the Chipola River, and good fishing. The spring swimming is particularly refreshing in summer. Camping is available in the park.

8 miles north of Marianna on Highway 166. Open daily; cave tours fill up in summer, so arrive early or book ahead.

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A story
Florida's geology is almost entirely flat limestone, honeycombed with underground caverns that formed over millions of years as rainwater dissolved the rock. Most of Florida's caves are flooded — they form the springs and sinkholes that characterise the state's hydrology. Florida Caverns is exceptional: here the cave system sits above the water table, creating dry chambers accessible on foot. It's one of the few places in Florida where you can see stalactites and stalagmites.