Big Shoals State Park in Florida, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-29. Check linked official notices before travel.

Big Shoals State Park near White Springs, Florida, combines river rapids with wooded walking and biking routes. For a first visit, choose a trail to the rapids rather than a paddle through them. The park advises against paddling the shoals, and high water can close the canoe launch.

Rapids and forest trails at Big Shoals

• Walk the yellow-blazed Big Shoals Trail for a view of the river rapids.
• Use the paved, 3.4-mile Woodpecker Trail between the two park entrances.
• Pair a walk with a picnic at Little Shoals.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Rapids, bluffs, and changing water

The shoals can be dangerous at both low and high water. Paddling through them is not recommended. A portage area lies on the left bank when traveling downstream. Use the park's activity guidance before planning a river trip. Viewing the rapids from land avoids committing to that passage.

Trails cross different management areas

Hunting is prohibited inside the state park. Some roads and trails cross the neighboring wildlife management area, where limited seasonal hunting is allowed. Check boundary signs before continuing. Keep dogs on a 6-foot leash.

Choose the entrance for your walk

Little Shoals is at 11330 S.E. County Road 135, White Springs, FL 32096. Big Shoals is at 18738 S.E. 94th Street. Use Big Shoals for the yellow-blazed trail to the rapids; the viewpoint requires a walk of about one mile from its parking area. Neither set of rapids has vehicle access. Trail maps are available at the Little Shoals kiosk.

Nearby parks

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park is a nearby White Springs stop; use its alternate entrance at 10405 Foster Barnes Drive during ranger-station renovation. Its Park Store and Craft Village are closed. Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park is another road option, at 5815 Battlefield Trail Road near Sanderson; its museum is closed.

Pick a river walk or a paved ride

The yellow-blazed Big Shoals Trail suits a visit focused on the rapids. For a paved walk or bike ride, choose Woodpecker Trail instead. The wider public lands contain more than 28 miles of trails, so select a route and return plan before leaving the entrance.

Picnic facilities at both entrances

Both entrances have parking, picnic facilities and restrooms. Little Shoals has a covered pavilion for up to 40 people and a portable toilet. Ask staff about the route to your chosen picnic spot if surface or step-free access matters.

About Big Shoals State Park

From Indigenous use to public lands

Apalachee and Timucuan people lived in the area long before its logging and turpentine industries. Scarred longleaf pines still reflect resin collection. The park history describes the cooperative land acquisitions between 1986 and 1989.

Watch the woods as well as the water

The public lands support wading birds, barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, gopher tortoises and white-tailed deer. Watch from the marked trails and give animals space.

Contact Big Shoals

Call 386-397-4331. Use the official Big Shoals State Park page for park information and current notices.