Fanning Springs, FL

Fanning Springs straddles Gilchrist and Levy counties on the Suwannee River. The city takes its name from Fort Fanning, an Army post established in 1838 during the Second Seminole War on the east bank above a sharp river bend, across from the site associated with Seminole war chief Bolek. The fort is gone, yet the location still makes sense: the river bend and spring continue to organize the local map.

ATTREbyabe / CC BY-SA 3.0

Fanning Springs State Park sits just south of the city, where Fanning Spring sends roughly 65 million gallons of water a day toward the Suwannee. A boardwalk through cypress, river access, and swimming put the spring directly into everyday local geography. The Nature Coast State Trail reaches the city along a former Atlantic Coastline Railroad route, joining Fanning Springs to the wider 32-mile trail. In practical terms, Fanning Springs is a small two-county city where a Seminole War site, a spring, and a rail trail all meet on the same river edge.