The Most Charming River Towns In Florida

Grab a tube or a kayak and you can spend a whole Florida afternoon on one spring-fed river. In Dunnellon, swimmers wade into the 72-degree headspring at the top of the Rainbow River. A natural spring at Green Cove Springs fills a 135,000-gallon public pool beside the St. Johns River. In Palatka, Florida's oldest diner has stood a short walk from that same river since 1932. Down in Apalachicola, cooks shuck oysters each November where the river reaches the bay. These seven river towns in Florida are worth a paddle.

Tarpon Springs

Dodecanese Boulevard runs along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs, the "Sponge Capital of the World." The breezy main street holds sponge docks and quirky nautical shops. Riverfront restaurants like Dimitri's on the Water sit right at the water's edge. After dining dockside or watching sponge boats sail past, you can step inside Spongeorama On The Water for sponges harvested in local waters.

Next door, the curiously named Spongeorama Cruise Lines books coastal excursions like the Dolphin Island Cruise. Departing from the Tarpon Springs docks, the boat carries guests down the Anclote River into the Gulf of Mexico for dolphin spotting and sightseeing. Midway through, weather permitting, you pause at Anclote Key to hunt for shells on a remote island beach.

Dunnellon

Dunnellon is known as the "Home of Two Rivers," sitting where the Rainbow and Withlacoochee rivers merge. In the 1890s, Dunnellon boomed during a phosphate mining rush. These days, the river town is famous for its ecotourism. Rainbow Springs State Park is its centerpiece, drawing swimmers and snorkelers to a sapphire-hued headspring. With water temperatures averaging 72°F, the swimming area is refreshing year-round. In the summertime, people also come to tube the spring-fed Rainbow River, available at the park's tubing entrance.

Cypress wetlands surround the Withlacoochee River, giving it a wilder, jungle-like setting. This north-flowing waterway runs the color of steeped tea, a contrast to the crystalline Rainbow. Paddlers put in at sites like the North Florida Avenue Boat Ramp at Centennial Park. Just across the street, diners head to the Blue Gator Tiki Bar & Restaurant, a waterfront spot known for Southern-style seafood.

Apalachicola

A working waterfront and blocks of historic buildings define Apalachicola's Old Florida character. Set between the Apalachicola River and Bay, the town counts more than 900 historic structures from different chapters of its past. On Water Street, brick warehouses date to Apalachicola's time as a cotton port, and Victorian homes mark a later shift to lumber and seafood. Free walking tour maps online point out landmarks like the Gibson Inn, a Florida Cracker-style hotel built in 1907.

Keeping the seafood theme going, Up The Creek Raw Bar serves fresh oysters on an airy riverfront patio. Each November, organizers hold the annual Florida Seafood Festival at Battery Park by the bay. Thousands of festivalgoers turn out to eat their fill of seafood and watch the crowd-favorite oyster shucking contests. On a typical day, the park is a serene spot to picnic and watch boats drift past the marina. If you're craving a coastal excursion, Captain Jack Frye Fishing Charters departs nearby.

Stuart

Stuart sits on the St. Lucie River near the Atlantic Ocean. For a scenic introduction, start your visit on the Riverwalk. The wooden walkway passes beneath the Roosevelt Bridge, tracing the river's edge to downtown Stuart. The revitalized district has over 50 locally-owned restaurants and boutiques. After browsing shops like the Snappy Turtle for beachwear, try the Riverwalk Cafe and Oyster Bar for fresh seafood and 120 kinds of wine.

For a change of scene, you can ride down Ocean Boulevard to the narrow Hutchinson Island, where you'll find Stuart Beach. Next door, the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center features mangrove boardwalks and massive aquariums with sharks and sea turtles. Further down, a nearshore reef keeps the water at Bathtub Beach calm, making it ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

Green Cove Springs

Green Cove Springs sits on the St. Johns River, and Spring Park links downtown directly to the waterfront. As the town's name suggests, a natural spring flows into a 135,000-gallon public pool before draining toward the river, past a fishing pier at the edge of the park's shaded lawns. That layout lets visitors swim right in the middle of town. After drying off, you can walk a few blocks to the Clay County Historical and Railroad Museum, home to exhibits on the area's courthouse and rail history. The Military Museum of North Florida holds restored vehicles and exhibits tied to the region's military past.

Milton

Milton, the "Canoe Capital of Florida," is another town people love paddling through. The historic timber town sits on the Blackwater River, one of the purest sand-bottom waterways in the country. Blackwater Canoe Rental rents gear locally, and Milton has several free launch sites to choose from. An Old River Canoe Launch is at Russell Harber Landing Park. On the river's opposite end, Carpenter's Park is another peaceful spot to paddle out.

Milton's Riverwalk runs past downtown restaurants like the Blackwater Bistro, where the kitchen turns out Gulf Coast cuisine from a historic home with a wraparound porch. After walking the riverfront and grabbing a bite, you can stroll a short way south to the Panhandle Butterfly House & Nature Center. Inside the 1,800-square-foot Native Butterfly Vivarium, tropical plants and hundreds of butterflies fill the space. Outside, 18 themed gardens cover the surrounding grounds. Some sections hold bird-friendly plants, and others use plantings chosen to attract wild butterflies. A shaded quarter-mile nature trail runs toward the river through more local flora and fauna.

Palatka

Palatka centers on the St. Johns River. At Riverfront Park, paddlers launch from the Palatka City Dock, while walkers take a quarter-mile trail along the water to picnic below the Millennium Clock Tower. A few streets over stands Florida's oldest diner. Open since 1932, Angel's Dining Car occupies a former railroad car and still runs old-fashioned curb service. You can park, honk, and order classic bites right from your car.

For more time outdoors in Palatka, Ravine Gardens State Park makes a good next stop. The 59-acre park is known for its spring-fed ravines, which reach depths of up to 120 feet. The 1.8-mile Ravine Loop Trail includes dramatic overlooks atop a ravine. For a different perspective, the 0.72-mile Whitewater Path runs through its floor. Between January and March, hundreds of azaleas bloom along the 2.5-mile Azalea Trail. Outside those months, the same trail still makes a rigorous walk over suspension bridges and stone stairs above the ravines.

Exploring Florida River Towns

Florida's reputation rests on its coastline, yet its river towns hold their own. In Stuart, the Riverwalk traces the St. Lucie past 50 locally owned shops before the road heads out to Hutchinson Island. Up in the Panhandle, paddlers drift the clear Blackwater at Milton, one of the country's purest sand-bottom rivers. In Palatka, the steephead ravines of Ravine Gardens drop 120 feet within walking distance of the St. Johns. In each one, Floridians find a different reason to trade the surf for a paddle.