Friends of O’Leno welcome you!
Chartered in 1988 by the State of Florida, we are a non-profit Citizen Support Organization that enjoys supporting two beautiful parks: O’Leno State Park off Hwy. 441 north of High Springs, and River Rise Preserve State Park off Hwy. 27, west of High Springs.
Located on upland hardwood hammock lands between Gainesville and Lake City and sprawling over Alachua and Columbia counties, the 6,000+ acre O’Leno State Park and neighboring River Rise Preserve State Park have become popular day use and overnight recreational destinations for many Floridians and other travelers. O’Leno State Park, on the banks of the Santa Fe River, stands on the site of an old 1800s town named Keno--for a game of chance. The name was soon corrupted to Leno, and then O’Leno. Some of the original structures along the river were constructed by the CCC in the 1930s, like the huge log pavilion recently refurbished. The main Park features hiking, bicycling, canoeing and kayaking, swimming, nature study and birdwatching, family and group picnicking, and camping.
River Rise Preserve State Park is a more recent addition, and has evolved into a favorite place for horse owners who enjoy riding and driving in a safe, pristine setting away from roads and traffic. Also on the Santa Fe, the property that became River Rise was for years an abandoned homestead and barn near the riverbank, sheltered by mixed hardwood and pine forests with scattered, open grassy fields. Known as the McLeod property for a family long gone, it was frequented only by fishermen and an occasional hunter. Deer, turkey and other wildlife abound.