Love Hanging At Ginnie Springs? Here’s How The Rules Are Now Changing

It was a real bummer to see the bad behavior over the last few weeks at Ginnie Springs. Between the parties, alcohol, drugs, fights, and shootings, Ginnie’s looked more like the wrong side of the tracks than the pure slice of outdoors Florida just south of Lake City.

In response to the issues, Ginnie Springs Outdoors, who runs the park, have released a six-point plan to increase everybody’s safety and security at the park:

1. Limit park capacity: Owners are implementing a new policy to limit the number of park guests – both day and overnight admissions.
2. Strengthen collaboration with law enforcement: The park has begun the process of reaching out to the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and is committed to regular meetings to share information and develop joint safety strategies.
3. Increase staffing: The park will increase staff during holiday weekends, events and busy times and will deploy the additional off-duty officers strategically throughout the park. The additional resources should be available within a month.
4. Retain a third-party security expert: Owners are in the process of identifying a third-party expert to review and help further strengthen the park’s security measures and plans to develop a comprehensive approach to proactively addressing overall safety protocols and continually updating response plans.
5. Increase visibility and deepen understanding of park rules and policies: The owner said they are taking steps to better inform and educate park guests about park rules and policies and are increasing the visibility of rules and policies by posting additional signage upon entry, throughout the park and online.
6. Increase resources and training for employees on park policies and procedures: The owners said they will provide employees with additional training and support and will continue to encourage employees to share observations and thoughts on how to improve.

Hopefully, this is all it takes to return Ginnie Springs to the fun outdoor oasis we’ve all known it to be for decades.

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