| Site Info | |
|---|---|
| Type | {{{type}}} |
| Coordinates | "N82°57'50.3"W 30°00'18.9"N 82°57'50.3"W |
| Region | Southeast US |
| Access via | Shore |
| Depth range | 15-129ft |
[[Category:{{{type}}}]]
Little River is an extensive submerged cave system. It is located near Branford in north central Florida. It is a popular site for cavern and cave diving and is often used as a training site.
Details
Location
Depth
The cavern entrance is at roughly 15ft. From there the cave quickly descends to ~100ft and stays there for much of the system. Most of the system is in the 80-110ft range. Maximum system depth is 129ft.
Topography
Entrance to the cave is via a large spring vent in 15' of water. This vent feeds the expansive spring run that flows into the Suwannee after a short distance.
The floor is primarily rock and largely free of silt and particulate along the gold line.
Conditions
Little River is a second magnitude spring. Flow is typically high to very high. Gold line passage remain relatively small, thus flow remains relatively high, until around 900' penetration. After this point the cave opens up and flow becomes more manageable.
Visibility is typically very good, 100' or greater. Water temperatures remain within a few degrees of 70F year round throughout the system.
Facilities
There are several porta-potties at the site, but these are frequently disgusting and should be avoided if possible. There are a limited number dive benches (4 total, with 2 sides each, as of 2023). In mid 2023 Suwannee River Management placed a couple of large gear carts in the parking lot. These are for public use and are intended to assist divers in transporting equipment to the water's edge.
The parking lot is elevated perhaps 50ft above the water level. Access is via one of two long staircases or a handicap-accessible ramp that leads to the waters edge.
- As of 2023 many of the major jumps in Little River, such as Harper Tunnel, are unmarked.
- At ~400' the passage diverges into two tunnels which rejoin some 500' later (by either route) in the Florida Room. This divergence is a tee in the gold line marked by a very large oversize arrow.
- Purchasing a site map is highly recommended. The most recent map is very high quality - among the best maps of any cave in Florida - and is made from a survey completed in 2020. It is available from Extreme Exposure and Cave Country Dive Shop in High Springs. There is a high quality preview available on Extreme Exposure's website here.
Access
Entry for divers is $5 as of 2023, collected by a staff member. The earlier you arrive the more likely the gear benches will be available for use. Expect significant crowds, both divers and non divers, in the warm spring and summer months. Diver traffic is frequently significant here.
Do
Open water
Be mindful of cavern/cave divers in and around the spring vent.
Cavern/cave
- Place your primary tie on one of the trees in the entrance.
- There is a piece of rebar installed on the left side of the cavern entrance placed there to perform secondary tie offs. Secondary tie off locations are otherwise limited.
- There is a convenient pocket that is a good decompression spot located out of the flow on the right side of the flow at 20ft in the cavern zone, provided it is not closed off by lines.
- The limestone that comprises this system is very soft and prone to breaking. Pulling on the cave is usually unavoidable if you are swimming but choose handholds carefully to avoid unnecessary damage.
See
Open water
The interface between the clear water of the spring run and the tannic waters of the Suwannee makes for a fascinating open water site. Turtles, fish and other life populate the run.
Cavern/cave
- There is a lot of variety on the gold line. Take two dives to dive each side of the gold line tee at 400' (Serpentine and Merry Go Round tunnels)
- Harper Tunnel is beautiful but contains fragile clay banks which can be permanently damaged by misplaced fins or poor buoyancy
Life
Not much life inside the cave.
Safety
- A decompression obligation is almost guaranteed if you do a cave dive here; plan appropriately.
Hazards
- Do not enter the overhead environment if you are not appropriately trained. The cave contains many subtle hazards and will easily and gladly kill you.
- Be especially mindful of lines if you are doing a cavern or cave dive. Little River is used as a training site, flow is typically quite high, and good tie-offs are limited frequently resulting in poorly placed lines.
- Entry can be tricky, especially in backmount. The walk to the water is long and tiring, and rocks are very slippery around the shore. It is best to find deep water as quickly as possible rather than walk extended distances over uneven, slippery rocks.
Equipment
If you are diving this system you should know what equipment you need.