Manatees over Three Sisters Springs
LENGTH: ~ 10 Minutes
INTRO
For many people, Florida is known for it's beaches and theme parks. These are great, but we find Florida's natural springs to be some of the most inspiring and sometimes overlooked features of the state.
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Florida has over 700 natural, freshwater springs. It's the LARGEST COLLECTION IN THE WORLD. More than 8 BILLION gallons of freshwater shoot out of those springs. Every. Single. Day.
The Florida springs play a vital part in the ecosystem, supporting tons of plants and animals. All of the springs offer something different, with activities such as tubing, kayaking, camping, picnicking, and much more! You will find animals including fish, birds, alligators, black bears, snakes, racoons, turtles, manatees, and even monkeys! Below, we have listed our favorite springs and what they have to offer.
We also created a custom Google Map to give you a lay of the land and you'll find that at the end. Let's go!
Activities include: kayaking, glass-bottom boat tours, camping and hiking. There is no swimming allowed here.
Location: Ocala, FL. $2 per person
We rented clear kayaks from Get Up and Go Kayaking and had some unforgettable experiences! These waterways are packed full of wildlife and we were lucky enough to experience almost all of it except for the Macaques (monkeys) that live in the area.
With the clear kayaks and the crystal clear water, we watched the eel grass flow beneath us, colorful fish and turtles swimming around, and even a few manatees RIGHT beneath us!
GoPro selfie in our clear kayak at Silver Springs State Park with Get Up and Go Kayaking
Beautiful Anhinga drying it's wings at Silver Springs State Park with Get Up and Go Kayaking
Stunning Wood Duck here at Silver Springs State Park with Get Up and Go Kayaking
Colorful spotted gar here at Silver Springs State Park with Get Up and Go Kayaking
Beautiful manatee under the kayak at Silver Springs State Park with Get Up and Go Kayaking
If you'd like to intimately experience Silver Springs from a clear kayak, click our link below to book your tour today!
There are two sections of this park. The area with the springhead is good for swimming (except it's not allowed in the winter while the manatees are here), snorkeling, scuba diving, concessions, exploring the boardwalks and the gift shop. Many people brings tubes or floats.
The other section has interpretive exhibits and the boat launch for boat tours, canoeing, and kayaking. You can also camp and hike at Blue Springs.
We were here in December of 2020 and although we couldn't swim, we saw TONS of different fish from the docks!
Location: Orange City, FL. $6 per car
Loads of fish from the boardwalk at Blue Springs State Park
Mom and baby manatees at Blue Springs State Park
The boardwalk of Blue Springs State Park
Activities include: swimming, snorkeling, canoeing, camping, & hiking. Bring your snorkel mask and try diving down into the springhead! You can also walk/swim out towards the river or take the boardwalk out.
Location: High Springs, FL. $6 per car
My cousin and I enjoying a sunny day on the boardwalk at Gilchrist Blue Springs
Diving down into the beautiful Gilchrist Blue Springs
Tubing along the Sante Fe River is a popular choice among visitors, but there is so much more to do here. You can swim and enjoy the company of your friends and family. If you are up for an adventure, rent a mask, snorkel, and fins and explore all the natural wonders the springs have to offer. From paddle-boarding to volleyball, there is something for everyone at Ginnie Springs.
Seeing the difference in watercolor where the spring water meets the river is really interesting!
Location: High Springs, FL. $15 per person
Jeremy snorkeling at Ginnie Springs
Tubing along Ginnie Springs, you make pit stops at the various springheads
Activities include: guided walking tours, hiking, birding (over 100 different species!), and seeing wildlife. We saw 150 manatees and it was a dream come true!
Access to Three Sisters is a bit strange. There's a ticket station at the front to pay admission, but the only on-site parking is for the handicapped. They have a trolley that's included in admission and they will direct you to go park off-site, I think near the Town Hall.
We just chose to park in a nearby shopping plaza and simply walked in and enjoyed the trails that take you to the boardwalks.
You can't actually swim from inside Three Sisters, but the boardwalks overlook the various springheads and give you opportunities to see fish, crystal clear water, and in the winter - MANATEES! Consider packing a picnic lunch because there’s no vendors or concession.
Location: Crystal River, Florida. $20 per person or $15 if you have a National Park Pass.
Admiring the manatees from the boardwalks of Three Sisters Springs
If you're only interested in being in the water, you may want to skip paying the admission at Three Sisters and just go via the waterways.
If you want to swim or kayak with the manatees and don't have your own watercraft, you'll want to use an outfitter such as Get Up and Go Kayaking or Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center.
Crystal River Kayak Company offers kayak rentals, kayak tours, scuba tours/lessons, and boat tours. It's just an 8-minute paddle from their launch to where the manatees hangout at Three Sisters. You can also pay them $8 to launch your own watercraft there.
The launch site at Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center near Three Sisters Springs
Kayaking from Crystal River Kayak Company towards Three Sisters Springs to see the manatees!
A friendly manatee waving hello near Three Sisters Springs
If you'd prefer a guided tour and a clear kayak, Get Up and Go Kayaking launches from Kings Bay Park and they'd love to show you around.
If you'd like to intimately experience the Crystal River and Three Sisters Springs from a clear kayak, click our link below to book your tour today!
About The Manatees!
First, manatees, AKA sea cows, are warm-blooded mammals like us. They have more insulation than us, but they still get cold! During the warmer months, manatees inhabit coastal waters and rivers. Some even travel up the East Coast into Georgia, the Carolinas, and apparently a few go as far as Massachusetts!
When it gets cold, the manatees make their way inland and end up in many of Florida's springs where the water temperature stays around 72 degrees year-round. To them, this is pretty warm!
If you do end up in the water with manatees here at Three Sisters Springs, you will be required to watch a "Manatee Manners" video. It's extremely important to know how to appropriately admire these animals. Some manatees seem to enjoy some gentle human interaction. We were lucky enough to lightly and briefly touch a few manatees, only because they directly approached us and we followed all of the rules we've learned.
Loads of manatees staying warm near Three Sisters Springs
Hunter Springs Park is also in Crystal River, just around the bend from Three Sisters Springs.
Activities include: swimming, hanging out on the "beach," picnicking, playground, kayaking, and observing wildlife.
You can walk right into the water to swim and there were a handful of manatees here in December! From the boardwalk, you might be able to see some needlefish in the water, or a great blue heron perched in a tree up above.
If you have your own watercraft, this is also a good spot to launch and it's free. It's about a 30-minute paddle from here to Three Sisters Springs.
Location: Crystal River, FL. Free
Overlooking Hunter Springs Park
Overlooking the boardwalk at Hunter Springs Park
Activities include: swimming, hiking, canoeing, & camping. There's a short hike here to a smaller springhead with no infrastructure around it.
Location: Ocala, FL. $5.50 per person
The swimming area here at Juniper Springs
Beautiful water here in Juniper Springs
The Mill House here at Juniper Springs
Activities include: Birding, wildlife viewing, swimming, snorkeling, tubing (from Memorial Day to Labor Day), geo-seeking, paddling, picnicking, fishing, & camping.
Rainbow Springs has one of the larger swimming areas. You can also stroll through the butterfly garden or go on a nice wooded hike. No manatees here.
Location: Dunnellon, FL. $2 per person
Walking down to the swimming area at Rainbow Springs State Park
Swimming at Rainbow Springs State Park
Overlooking Rainbow Springs State Park
Activities include: swimming, bicycling, camping, fishing, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, & canoeing.
We've kayaked here multiple times and went to school nearby at UCF. Each time we've seen alligators, turtles, and always tons of birds.
Location: Apopka, FL. $6 per car
Jenna and I back in 2015 at Wekiwa Springs State Park
Kayaking at Wekiwa Springs State Park
Alligator sunbathing at Wekiwa Springs State Park
Activities include: snorkeling, swimming, camping, hiking, basketball, picnicking, and wildlife viewing.
Bring your snorkel set if you'd like to see the blue crabs and fish swimming below. The water is pretty shallow here and water shoes are helpful if you plan to swim over to the multiple springheads. Apparently alligators occasionally hangout on the steps of the swimming area at night and prey on small animals that come to drink.
Take a hike on the Bear Swamp trail to experience some Florida nature, long boardwalks, and squirrels. We camped here in our RV for $32 and enjoyed a night by the firepit. Black bears frequent this area, especially at night, so be aware! They love to eat the acorns.
Salt Springs Pizza is right across the street and is worth a stop! The calzones are awesome along with the pizza of course.
Location: Ocala National Forest. $6.50 per person
Having fun at Salt Springs
Salt Springs Recreation Area
Blue crab and fish near the springhead
Blue crab at Salt Springs
School of mullet at Salt Springs
Activities Include: swimming, snorkeling, canoeing and picnicking.
Location: Ocala National Forest. $6 per person.
The swimming area here at Silver Glen Springs.
Overlooking Silver Glen Springs
Activities include: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking, camping, and picnicking.
This is an excellent, large swimming area with easy access. Bring your snorkel mask to see some fish and check out the springhead.
Location: Ocala National Forest. $6 per person weekday, $10 weekend
GoPro selfie on the steps of the swimming area at Alexander Springs
Bass swimming around at Alexander Springs
Checking out the springhead here at Alexander Springs
12 springs later and that's it for our list! Looking at the map below, you can get an idea of where these are all located with Ocala sitting somewhere in the middle.
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Thanks for reading, everyone! We hope this post helps inform you about some of the best springs in Florida. We hope you'll get out there and Quench Your Adventure!
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