WES SKILES
PEACOCK SPRINGS STATE PARK

By  Mike Miller September 26, 2025

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park covers 733 acres near Live Oak, Florida. It features two major springs, a spring run, and six sinkholes.

The park protects one of the longest underwater cave systems in the continental United States. Cave divers can explore over 38,000 feet of passages. Hikers use nature trails to trace the caves below.

Swimmers enjoy designated areas. The site draws visitors for its clear waters and forests.

A cave diver at Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park

Limestone formed here millions of years ago under an ancient ocean. Native Americans used the springs for millennia.

Dr. John Calvin Peacock settled nearby in 1855. His family grew cotton and raised cattle on 1,600 acres. The springs served as a local swimming hole.

Vasco Murray made the first recorded cave dive in 1956. Sheck Exley mapped the system in 1995 after 521 dives.

A 2010 connection extended it by 10,000 feet. The Nature Conservancy bought 250 acres in 1985 to protect the caves and forests.

The state opened the park in 1993. It was renamed in 2010 for diver and photographer Wes Skiles, who died that year in a diving accident in Boynton Beach, Florida.

The park is at 18532 180th Street, Live Oak, FL 32060. It sits two miles east of Luraville on Peacock Springs Road, off State Road 51.

From Live Oak, drive south on SR 51 for 16 miles. The park is open daily from 8 AM to sunset.

Scuba diving requires certification proof. Swim only in Peacock Spring and Orange Grove Sink, based on water levels.

The nature trail offers boardwalks and education signs. Be aware that the dirt access road has potholes.

Pets are allowed on a 6-foot leash but not in the springs. Portable toilets are available. Call (386) 776-2194 for updates.  

• The cave system ranks among the world's longest, with seven major entrances.  

• Five second-magnitude springs discharge 10 to 100 cubic feet of water per second. 

• The Florida maple trees in the park's hardwood forest are rare for North Florida.  

• Sheck Exley, a pioneer cave diver, completed the first full map in 1995.  

• The 2010 dive by Australian Agnes Milowka connected Baptizing Spring to the system.

WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS
STATE PARK WEBSITE

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