Lake City and the surrounding area offer many points of interest, attractions, and things to do. The Columbia County Historical Museum and Olustee Battlefield and Museum are dedicated to the Civil War. The Olustee Battlefield is where the Confederate soldiers forced Union troops to retreat in their march on Tallahassee. The Battlefield hosts a re-enactment every February. An interpretive trail is open year round. The Stephen Foster State Folk Culture Center memorializes the Suwannee River made famous by Foster’s song “Old Folks at Home.” Exhibits and displays show the crafts, music and legends of Florida, both past and present.

Bienville Plantation has some of the best hunting and fishing in the U.S. Big D Plantation offers guided hunts, a sporting clay course, target shooting and paintball courses. The Ironwood Preserve holds an annual Spring Gobbler Hunt, and has a clay shooting range. Jennings Bluff Hunting Preserve has a limited number of memberships to hunt wild game, turkey, quail, fox, deer, and wild boar. A lodge offers indoor activities such as cards, board games and darts.

The Suwannee Valley Zoo is four miles north of Lake City. It houses 250 animals including one of the finest collections of exotic cats. Alligator Town showcases alligators in their natural habitat. Wild life can also be seen from the numerous biking and hiking trails that wind along the Suwannee River, the Santa Fe River, and into the woodlands. Ichetucknee Springs State Park offers tubing and canoeing, as does Ginnie Springs. Ginnie Springs has campgrounds and bathhouses.

Swimming, fishing, and hiking opportunities along the Santa Fe River can be found at O’Leno State Park. This State Park also has canoe rentals camping and rental cabins. The Santa Fe Canoe Outpost, Adventure Outpost, Nature Quest, and American Canoe Adventures offer canoe and kayak rentals and maps of the rivers. Some offer guide services and group trips. Ocean Pond, a two-mile wide lake, offers camping, hiking, fishing, picnicking, boating, and water skiing.

Two hospitals, a VA Hospital and Nursing Home, and three private nursing homes serve the area. Recreational opportunities in Lake City include tennis courts, soccer fields, a swimming pool, four local parks and three state parks, a bowling alley, two auto racetracks, a skating rink and two golf courses.

A number of shopping centers which include department stores, antique shops, boutiques, one-of-a-kind stores, and a variety of services puts everything the growing area needs right at the residents’ finger tips.

 

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