Blue Spring State Park, Florida

Wonderful river to relax with friends and family. Arrive early (6: 30-7: 30). The admittance is blocked at 8: 00 right when they open. Intermittent openings occur throughout the day. However, at 8: 00 am they turn you away. Visa is accepted, it is not only cash. There are a limited number of picnic tables and fewer grills supplied by the park. There is a shop for food and snacks as well as a shop for souvenirs and necessities. Bug spray, sunblock, charcoal and lighter fluid. Lighters as well as grilling tools and paper plates etc. Swimsuits for all ages. All are moderately priced. There is 1 large covered seating area. Tube rentals are available. Get there before opening and enjoy your time. The water is always 72°

Bring your own tube and enjoy nature and even see some manatees swimming beside you. There are public restrooms, gazebos, picninc tables and grills free to use on a 1st come 1st serve basis. There is also a playground for kiddos and you can rent canues and kayaks as well. Keep in mind there is no shallow areas.

The park fills to capacity prior to actually opening most weekends, which is disappointing, especially for those driving an hour or more to get there. This is the same for all the local River parks, so plan to be in line early on weekends, especially in the summer. Great place to camp and hike and swim. Lots of alligators and manatees to see if you’re paddling.

I've been to Blue springs quite often through the years yet it is only getting better with time. The rain kept the crowds down so the experience was even better. As you can see from the photos, the turbidity of the water was very good. Crystal clear in most places, so as to be able to see the plethora of wildlife. The source of the spring I found was the best place to enjoy swimming and the clearest water. As you travel downstream you begin to see a tremendous array of fish, birds, turtles, etc.
Definitely was a wonderful day at Blue spring State Park.

Amazing experience seeing manatees up close. It’s so tempting to jump in and interact with them but don’t want to ruin something so pure, calm, and friendly. Lots big Gar, an albino (trout?), turtles, armadillos foraging for food within the springs area, and lots of turkey vultures! The springs were COLD! It’s mos def not a hot spring! Bonnie the Park Ranger from Australia schooled us on why manatees are protected, her experience of being a park ranger and living where she works. Really approachable and you know she loves her job because you sense the joy. Definitely going back!

Very pretty but very limited. No place to stop for a break, couldn't get out of canoe/kayak, no verbiage stating children under 6 couldn't be in a tandem kayak (we ended up downgrading with no reimbursement to canoes).

Very nice spring, hose rings can be rented for $7/hour. As Europeans, we noticed the opening times too late. It starts early and ends far too early for our standards. Canoes are only available until 3 p.m, the rings had to be returned by 4: 30 p.m. So be sure to check beforehand. We didn't come in at noon either because it was already too crowded. The experience of swimming in the spring is awesome and highly recommended!

This place is great if you were lucky enough to get in. People lineup at the gate hours before it opens. We went on a day with bad rain and thunder and luckily we were able to get in. We saw manatees and some gar that were 4 to 5 feet, and the biggest fresh aquatic turtle I’ve ever seen. I would definitely go back if I could ever get in but it seems impossible with how many people are going these days…

Water was slightly cool, but very clear. Got to see some beautiful Manatees along with many different fish and turtles. I wish the gift shop and tube rentals were open longer when I went. But all in all would definitely go back!

Beautiful. We were there on Saturday. It was a bit busy and they had to close the park due to amount of people. But the security guy was very nice and told us to try again in few hours. We did and got in: l. Beautiful springs.

This is a beautiful springs, only reason I wanted to come here honestly was to see some manatees! Which didn’t happen that day. This place is great for family time, relaxing and enjoying nature. Water is reasonably cool at first it feels very cold not going to lie but once you get in and you relax it’s beautiful and clear! Be prepared to be here early when I say early I mean be here at 8 on the dot if possible specially in the summer time! We arrived at 8am and there was a line already and it wasn’t a line of 8 cars no about 15-18 cars lined up…. We left around 10: 45 and the park was already full! So the earlier the better! There is so much to do here! From kayaking, tubing down the springs, walking the trails and snorkeling.

Found this gem just by googling stuff to do ‘in the area’ while we were visiting universal studios. It’s a little off the beaten track. About and hour away from the resorts. Beautiful quiet area. The water is reminiscent of the cenotes in Mexico. The natural spring there is a wonder to see and to feel the current if you swim directly over the spring is great fun. No manatees there when I went but would be magical to see!

The female park ranger with the bun on her hair, walked over to my tent, and turned my speaker off.and walked away. I asked another ranger if this is their procedure rule about music being played there, he said there's nothing on the books about music, except asking ppl to pls lower it, if it's so loud that it bothers other ppl around.
Why would you touch other ppl stuff? Then she's out on the boardwalk yelling at ppl in the water to turn their music off!
Some guy had a small Bluetooth speaker on his tube, and she just doesn't want to hear any music being played there.apparently she now owns the place.

Don't even waste your time driving out to this place. Yeah it's nice. But they reach maximum capacity by 10am and end up closing their gates. They don't post anything on their website either stating they aren't letting ppl in ECT. Just a waste of time all around!

You can enjoy nature's beauty for free! I saw many animals just living and chilling there. Water is clean, blue. Manatees love this place. They take good care of the manatees. They added different fishes to the lake to build a good ecosystem. You will be able to see manatees from really close if you come here around dec to feb i guess. Don't need to spend a lot of money to meet manatees. You will see thousands of them here. The mums, newborn calves, fishes eating moss from manatee skin, everything is very precious. I would give this placa a 10 start if I could

An absolute gem of a natural wonder! During the summer the spring water in the creek remains 70 degrees and will refresh you for hours after. Admission is only $2. There is just this incredible outdoor, free spirit vibe throughout the park and in the water especially. Like a hippie commune!

During the winter apparently the manatees come into the creek to WARM UP and you can see them. But we haven't experienced that, must come back!