The average high temperature for a Tallahassee July is 93 degrees. How did locals survive summer back in the day without A/C? They used a little bit of human ingenuity and the natural cool-down resources provided by the very same environment that makes us sweat. One of those resources is a Florida spring.

A spring in summer provides an excellent way to cool down. Cold water carries heat away from the body 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. A dip in a spring provides lots more cooling power than a warm breeze.

Though Wakulla Springs is a favorite go-to spring for Tallahassee residents, several other nearby state parks also provide cool-down solutions.

MADISON BLUEMadison Blue Spring State Park is a near-to-home cool-down destination. A dive into Madison Blue Spring brings immediate relief from summer’s heat. Located about 65 miles from Tallahassee, this crystal-clear, first-magnitude spring is 82 feet wide and 25 feet deep. The spring bubbles up into a limestone basin along the west bank of the Withlacoochee River. Scenic woodlands of mixed hardwoods and pines create shaded picnic areas. If your family is after more than a swim, bring along a canoe or kayak to launch into the Withlacoochee River. Certified divers can bring scuba gear and a dive buddy to explore the underwater caves.

LAFAYETTE BLUEAnother cold play option is Lafayette Blue Springs State Park, located about 80 miles southwest of Tallahassee. A dip in this first-magnitude spring pro-vides an ideal method for lowering the heat index. Walk across the natu-ral limestone bridge that crosses the spring run flowing into the Suwannee River, picnic under the oaks, or go fish or canoe on the Suwannee River.

Walk-in tent camping in the full-service campground is available for outdoor sleeping options. For those who prefer indoor beds, five fully furnished cabins accommodate six sleep-over guests. Screened porches, a clever invention by humans to invite breezes in and keep bugs out, make the cabins an ideal close-to-home overnight retreat from sum-mer’s heat.

Summertime Blues - Stay Cool at a Florida State Park

LAFAYETTE BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK

MADISON BLUE SPRING STATE PARK

GILCHRIST BLUE Another cooling place is Gilchrist Blue Springs, Florida’s newest state park, located in High Springs, about 120 miles from Tallahassee. The property contains six natural springs. At the largest, Blue Springs, visitors can wade in from the beach or jump in from a platform.

In addition to swimming, snorkel-ing and camping, the park provides opportunities for paddling. The park is located along the Gilchrist Blue-way, a 55-mile paddling corridor along the Santa Fe and Suwannee riv-ers. The park’s spring run flows about one-quarter of a mile to the Santa Fe River. Both rivers are spring-fed, and “spring hopping” is another way to enjoy the beauty of the big outside while staying cool. State parks along both rivers provide access points and stay-the-night options for those who want to paddle long segments of the Santa Fe Paddling Trail, the Gilchrist Blueway or the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail.

Long before the invention of air conditioning, natural elements in Florida provided escapes from summer heat. To find state parks with springs and other cool features, visit www.Flor idaSta teParks .org . Learn more about springs at MyHomeMySprings.org.

Note about spring flow: Springs are classified by the volume of the water they discharge. First-magnitude springs discharge water at a rate of at least 64.6 million gallons per day (or 100 cubic feet (2.8 m3) of water per second). Florida has at least 27 known first-magnitude springs.

Cherie GravesFlorida Department of Environmental Protection

GILCHRIST BLUE SPRINGS

GILCHRIST BLUE SPRINGS