Sunshine State (Photo: )
Florida might not be the first place you think of when it comes to waterfalls, and there's good reason: The Sunshine State's typically flat terrain doesn't lend itself to natural cascades. However, the state is dotted with sinkholes, and some of these hollow depressions combine with nearby streams to form Florida's own brand of unique falls.
The Sunshine State's tallest waterfall can be found at Falling Waters State Park (floridastateparks.org), which lies near Chipley in the Florida Panhandle. A boardwalk called the Sink Hole Trail leads to a 100-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide pit. The waterfall is formed by a stream that plummets approximately 73 feet into the sinkhole. The scenic hike along the boardwalk is framed by smaller sinkholes, native ferns and majestic trees. The park also is home to a butterfly garden, 2-acre lake with a white-sand beach, and swimming area, picnic pavilions, playground and 24 campsites.
Rainbow Springs State Park (floridastateparks.org) near Dunnellon is home to the Rainbow River, a natural springs and three man-made waterfalls that can be seen from the park's nature trails. The paths wind through azalea-filled gardens, past oak and magnolia trees, and along the river and an old phosphate pit. The waterfalls were built on piles of phosphate residue in the early days of the park, which was a privately owned attraction as far back as the 1930s before closing in the 1970s. In the mid-1990s, Rainbow Springs reopened as a state-owned facility that also features activities such as swimming, snorkeling, tubing and camping.
At Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park (floridastateparks.org), numerous small waterfalls trickle down the vegetation-covered sides of a 120-foot-deep limestone sinkhole and disappear into a miniature rain forest at the bottom of this National Natural Landmark near Gainesville. Visitors have been attracted to the 500-foot-wide sinkhole since at least the 1880s, and shark teeth and the fossilized remains of extinct animals have been found on the sinkhole floor. A half-mile nature trail circles the sinkhole, and a 236-step wooden stairway takes visitors into the heart of the pit. Guided tours are given by a park ranger each Saturday morning.
Tucked between several lakes and residential neighborhoods in the central Florida town of Eustis, 90-acre Hidden Waters Preserve (lcwa.org) is the site of a unique type of waterfall. The preserve, owned by the Lake County Water Authority, is home to Lake Alfred, a sinkhole surrounded by forested slopes that rise approximately 105 feet above the lake's surface. A continuously running stream, likely formed by groundwater from nearby lakes Irma and Joanna, has created a ravine on the sinkhole's northeastern slope and continuously flows from the top into the sinkhole below, even during drought periods. Visitors can witness the falling creek up close from the .4-mile Ravine Trail, one of five nature paths at the preserve.
Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.