Fern Hammock Springs EarthCache

Note: This is an Earthcache. There is no physical cache to find. Logging this Earthcache requires that you undertake an educational task relating to the specific Earth Science at the site.

January 2024 update: The site of this earthcache is under construction. Answer the questions as best you can and post a photo with your log. Thanks.

Prior to logging this cache, click on Message this owner, or send an email with answers to the following questions:

1. What is the approximate diameter of the largest boil under the footbridge?
2. Describe the velocity of the largest boil, similar to water boiling on the stove, i.e. simmering, slow boil, fast boil, etc.
3. Sometimes green algae is present due to high nitrate content, was it present during your visit?
4. Required to log this cache:Please provide a photo of yourself or a personal item in the picture to prove you visited the site. Upload the photo with your log.

Florida Springs

Central Florida has hundreds of springs due to the abundance of rainfall and a karst landform. Karst landforms are created when the limestone bedrock is dissolved by the natural carbonic acid present in rainwater and ground water. This creates underground channels, caves and sinkholes.

Most springs, like nearby Juniper Springs, exit through a vent, with minimal disturbance of the bottom. Fern Hammock Springs does not have a visible vent, but instead “boils” through the sand at many locations on the bottom of the spring pool.

Fern Hammock Springs is a second-magnitude spring and is one of the most picturesque springs in the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). The irregularly shaped main pool measures about 160 feet from east to west and 75 feet from north to south, with a depth of 2 to 6 feet. A wooden footbridge spans the spring pool near its center. There are over 25 sand boils scattered on the bottom of the spring pool, with the largest sand boil situated under the footbridge. The bottom of the pool is mostly sand, with patches of aquatic grasses. The clear, bluish spring water has an exceptionally low concentration of dissolved solids for a Florida spring. The spring discharges toward the northwest and flows about 600 feet down a gently meandering run to Juniper Creek. It then flows down Juniper Creek about 10 miles to Lake George. Swimming is prohibited in Fern Hammock Springs due to ecological considerations.

Fern Hammock Springs is located within the Juniper Springs Recreation Area in Ocala National Forest. There is a day use fee. Juniper Springs offers a great swimming area, picnicking, and campground. There is a boardwalk between Juniper Springs and Fern Hammock Springs that will take you along the Juniper Run. The Florida Trail also runs through this area.

The seven-mile Juniper Run is excellent for canoeing or kayaking and there are several geocaches along this run. Canoes are available for rent and a shuttle service is provided. The run is narrow and very technical. It’s mostly shallow, but deep enough so that you don’t scrape the bottom of the boat. Expect to ricochet off the banks and maybe tip over. Paddling this run in a canoe will test the relationship between paddlers. Wildlife is usually visible including the occasional black bear.

Source: SJRWMD