Florida has over a THOUSAND natural springs, which is believed to actually be the highest concentration on the planet. No two springs are alike, with their own unique color, temperature, and wildlife. I’ve done the very difficult task of exploring all over the state and have whittled it down to the 12 best springs in Florida to add to your bucket list.
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Despite the absurd number of springs in Florida, they’re almost all concentrated in the central part of the state, around Orlando, and the northern part of the state, near Gainesville.
Given the massive size of the state (a whopping 65,758 square miles!), it can take several hours to drive from one side of the state to the other. Accordingly, we’re breaking down the best springs, based on where they’re located in Florida.
Pssst… heading down to explore Florida? Check out our other posts about the Sunshine State:
- 9 Incredible Things to Do in Everglades National Park
- 6+ Day Road Trip to the Florida Keys
- 24 Awesome Things to do in the Florida Keys
Best springs in Central Florida
1. Blue Springs State Park
- Located: Orange City
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Manatee viewing, kayaking, canoeing, or swimming
- Cost: $6 per vehicle
True to its name, Blue Springs has beautifully blue, clear water, surrounded by cypress, oak, and palm trees. But this park actually isn’t just famous for its beautiful water—but rather, its winter resident, the manatee!
If you’re unfamiliar with manatees, they’re large marine mammals that are found throughout the Americas, from Florida all the way down to Brazil. They’re MASSIVE creatures, weighing, on average, about 1,200 pounds but can actually weigh up to 3,500 pounds! Despite their daunting size, they’re herbivorous gentle giants—there’s no need to be afraid of them.
During the summertime, manatees primarily hang out along Florida’s brackish coastal waters, but, come winter, they head inland to its freshwater springs, just like Blue Springs, seeking their consistently warm temperatures. When my husband, Justin, and I visited the park in December, there were a whopping 492 manatees in the spring that day!
To allow the manatees a peaceful environment, there’s no swimming or paddlecraft allowed in the springs from November through March. However, you can paddle to right outside the spring, by launching from the French Landing in the St. Johns River and paddling south for about a quarter of a mile.
Outside of the winter months, you’re allowed to swim, snorkel, and paddle around the springs, which is a great way to cool down in the Florida heat and still is an excellent place to see wildlife, like large fish and turtles.
Pssst… if you do decide to kayak with manatees, please stay at a respectful distance and do not chase, touch, or otherwise harass them!
2. King’s Landing
- Located: Apopka
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, or swimming
- Cost: Starting at $10 per adult (for self-launch) and up
One of the most underrated springs in Florida, if you ask me, is King’s Landing, a private ecological park that accesses part of the Rock Springs Run.
The park is home to the Emerald Cut, a channel with crystal clear, emerald green spring water that’s totally surrounded by lush, jungle-like palms. As you paddle towards the end of the run, the water will eventually turn a stunningly bright turquoise color. My husband, Justin, and I have paddled all over Florida and this definitely gets the award for most beautiful!
Throughout the spring, you’ll have a good chance of spotting turtles, wading birds, and even river otters swimming their way through the clear water.
You can either bring your own paddle craft, rent one, or even join a tour here, but either way, you’ll need to make an online reservation.
They limit the number of people out in the spring at any given time, so if you show up without a reservation, it’s possible you won’t be allowed out in the water, even if you bring your own equipment.
3. Kelly Springs/Rock Run Park
- Located: Apopka
- Year-round water temperature: 68 degrees
- Best for: Tubing
- Cost: $3 for 1-2 people or $5 for 3-8 people
Located less than five minutes from King’s Landing, Kelly Springs somehow manages to offer a totally different experience. While the park also offers crystal clear, turquoise water and a lush jungle-like surrounding, the main attraction here is its natural lazy river.
Essentially, you can either bring your own tube or rent one from Rock Springs Bar and Grill, right down the street from the park, for about $10 a day. From here, you’ll start at one end of the spring and let the gentle current carry you for about 20 minutes to a foot bridge, where you can get out and walk right back to where you started!
Justin and I spent hours and hours here, just floating down the spring and keeping an eye out for wildlife around us. We saw SO many beautiful birds, flying overhead, and turtles, swimming through the crystal clear water.
We visited in the wintertime and literally had the springs totally to ourselves for an entire afternoon, but if you visit in the summer, you can expect to share them with LOTS of other people.
In fact, the park frequently reaches capacity almost immediately after opening at 8 AM during weekends during spring break or in the summertime (up to 280 vehicles are allowed into the park, with an additional 50 vehicles allowed in after 1 PM). So if you’re visiting during a particularly busy time, I’d suggest getting to the park bright and early (as in, before 7:30 AM early!).
4. Three Sisters Springs Center
- Located: Crystal River
- Year-round water temperature: 73.3 degrees
- Best for: Manatee viewing, kayaking, and canoeing
- Cost: $12.50 in the summer or $20 in the winter per adult
As its name might suggest, Three Sisters actually contains three natural springs, with crystal clear, blue-green water that’s surrounded by lush foliage. It’s arguably the most famous and definitely one of the best springs in Florida to see manatees in the wintertime, with as many as 600 of them hanging out in its warm waters on any given day during the colder months.
If you want to observe the manatees from land, there’s a 1,600 foot wooden boardwalk that runs along the spring for you to enjoy a birds-eye view of them.
Regardless of the time of year, you’re not able to directly get in the spring’s water from the park itself. Instead, you’d need to launch a kayak or canoe from Hunter Springs Park or King’s Bay Park and paddle to Three Sisters Springs, both of which are about two miles away.
From April through November 14, you are allowed to take paddle craft into the spring. However, outside of that window, no vessels are allowed here, and you’d need to find someplace to legally tie up your boat and swim into the springs if you want to snorkel or swim with manatees.
If you don’t want to figure out the logistics of this by yourself or are new to paddling, you can alternatively take a guided kayaking tour (available from April through November 14) or a tour where you’ll get to snorkel with the manatees.
Pssst… if you decide to swim with manatees, it’s important that you simply passively observe these creatures from the surface of the water and do not touch, chase, ride, or otherwise harass them—I’d suggest watching this Manatee Manners video that was produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more information. Manatees are a protected species, so doing anything to disturb them can lead to a $500 fine or even jail time!
5. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
- Located: Spring Hill
- Year-round water temperature: 72-74 degrees
- Best for: Mermaid show, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, and enjoying its waterpark
- Cost: $13 per adults
Like many Florida springs, Weeki Wachee is stunning, with clear turquoise waters, and is actually considered the deepest freshwater cave system in the entire country.
But, unlike some of the less-developed springs in Florida, it’s got a LOT going on—there’s the Buccaneer Bay water park, complete with two waterslides and a lazy river (pssst… this is closed in the wintertime); a tiki bar; riverboat tours to spot wildlife down the Weeki Wachee River; and, most iconic of all, the underwater mermaid show that dates all the way back to 1947.
If you’re not familiar with this beloved attraction, a troupe of “mermaids” perform a choreographed half-hour show, all while remaining submerged 16 feet below the spring’s surface! The audience sits in an underground theater, with glass windows that look into the spring.
I LOVE kitschy stuff and Weeki Wachee’s mermaid show is peak Old Florida kitsch—definitely worth experiencing, in my book!
Additionally, given the stage is just part of the spring, there’s also frequently “guest appearances” by wildlife. For example, during our visit, an ENORMOUS soft-shell turtle swam right through the mermaids’ dance numbers and, after the show, I actually spotted a manatee cruising right through the theater’s waters!
Even if you’re not into mermaid shows (first of all, how dare you!) or water parks, the spring is a beautiful place to kayak through and is also a good place to spot manatees in the wintertime.
Just be sure to book a reservation for a kayak or canoe rental or self-launch ahead of time. The park limits the amount of boats in the spring at any given time and it frequently reaches capacity, especially during busier times, like weekends or spring break.
6. Silver Glen Spring Recreation Area
- Located: Yellow Bluff
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Swimming and boating
- Cost: $13 per adult. If you’re visiting on a weekend or national holiday, you also need to reserve a $20 vehicle access reservation pass online ahead of time.
Thanks to its crystal clear water, Silver Glen is a popular place to swim and snorkel, with tons of fish, including striped bass, in the summer and, with some luck, manatees in the wintertime.
Additionally, Silver Glen is one of the only springs in Florida that you’re allowed to reach by motorized boat. The half mile run that stretches from the spring to Lake George is absolutely packed with boaters, partying it up on the weekends. Paddlers can get in on the fun, too—the park also offers kayak and canoe rentals.
Silver Glen definitely has more of a party vibe than some of the other springs, especially on the weekends. So if you’re looking for a more lowkey, chill experience, I’d suggest visiting on a weekday.
Insider tip: If you visit Silver Glen, keep a close eye on any food and drinks you have out here. There are TONS of (literal) vultures that like to swipe whatever they can from unsuspecting visitors!
Best springs in Northern Florida
7. Silver Springs State Park
- Located: Ocala
- Year-round water temperature: 74 degrees
- Best for: Glass bottom boat tour, paddling, and wildlife viewing (including MONKEYS!!!)
- Cost: $8 per vehicle, plus $4 vessel launch fee per personal kayak or canoe
We’ve kayaked in dozens of Florida springs and Silver Springs is my personal favorite.
The water is crystal clear and turquoise and the surrounding forest feels incredibly jungle-like. In fact, it’s rumored that the park’s 400 Rhesus macaque monkeys are descendants of monkeys that were released in the park for the filming of the 1930s Tarzan movie.
Besides monkeys, this is one of the best springs in Florida to see manatees in the wintertime—during one paddling adventure here, we passed about eight of them without even trying!
You can launch your own vessel here or the park also offers rentals. Alternatively, if you’re new to paddling or want to try something a bit different, there are plenty of guided tours that you can choose from, like this glass-bottomed kayaking tour or this clear kayaking tour.
If you’re not into paddling yourself around, Silver Springs is also home to one of the oldest attractions in all of Florida, its glass-bottom boats, which date back all the way to the 1870s! If you join a tour, you’ll get to see all kinds of fish, historic artifacts, and even props left over from the 1930s, when Silver Springs was regularly used for film productions.
One important thing to note is that Silver Springs is one of the only springs in the state that you’re not allowed to swim in. Accordingly, if you’re hoping to get in the water, this probably isn’t the right park for you.
8. Rainbow Springs State Park
- Located: Dunnellon
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Swimming, paddling, or tubing
- Cost: $2 per person
Rainbow Springs is more of a hidden gem and offers a quieter environment than some others on this list—but that’s not to say it doesn’t have a ton to offer.
You’ll need to head to different sections of the park, depending on what activity you want to do. For example, you’ll head to the headspring area for swimming (just note that the water here is quite deep and is probably not suited for small children or not-confident swimmers) or a different area if you plan to float or paddle down the four miles down the springs.
If you’d prefer, there’s several guided tours that you can join to kayak down the river, like this glass-bottomed kayaking option or this two-hour clear kayak and snorkel tour.
There’s also a handful of short hiking trails, like a two-mile trail with several man-made waterfalls and views of the Rainbow River.
9. Ginnie Springs Outdoor
- Located: High Springs
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Scuba diving, tubing, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding
- Cost: Depending on the season, entrance is $25-30 per adult
In recent years, Ginnie Springs has become Instagram-famous—and for good reason! It’s one of the most beautiful Florida springs, with Gatorade-blue waters and the surrounding cypress and loblolly pine trees.
It also offers a ton of activities, from freediving or scuba diving into underwater caves and tubing down the Santa Fe River to paddling through the turquoise water and camping right along the river.
Justin and I visited Ginnie Springs during a weekday in the wintertime and were practically the only people in the park. However, I’ve heard things can get pretty crowded—and rowdy—during busy periods, like weekends in the summer or over spring break, and that the park’s ownership does little to police the partying.
Accordingly, if you’re traveling as a family or just would prefer a quieter environment, I’d suggest visiting during a weekday or in the cooler months.
11. Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
- Located: High Springs
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Paddling and swimming
- Cost: $6 per vehicle
This is actually the newest of all of the Florida state parks, having been purchased in 2017 from the Gilchrist family.
As compared to many of the state parks, Ruth B. Gilchrist is on the smaller side and remains fairly undeveloped, without trams or shuttles to help paddlers get back to where they started or concession stands. The only activities to really enjoy here are swimming in the main spring and paddling down its short run, either with your own paddle craft or one of the rentals that are available onsite.
That being said, it still has stunningly clear, blue water and manages to feel more local and authentic than some of the other Florida springs with all the bells and whistles. It’s the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day and soak up the laidback vibes and beautiful views.
11. Devil’s Den Spring
- Located: Williston
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Scuba diving and snorkeling
- Cost: $18 on weekdays or $25 on weekends per person for snorkeling (does not include snorkeling gear rentals) or $38 per diver (with additional costs for rentals)
Devil’s Den is one of the most uniquely beautiful Florida springs, housed in an underground cave that’s similar to the cenotes you’d see in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It’s also the only spring that can exclusively be accessed by snorkelers or scuba divers that have a reservation—you’re not allowed to just swim or paddle around here.
If you are interested in snorkeling or are a certified scuba diver, Devil’s Den has an incredible underwater world to explore, with crystal clear water, epic stalactites, and ancient fossil beds.
To be transparent, there’s limited wildlife to see here—but, still, if you’re looking for a different kind of springs experience than simply swimming or floating around, this is definitely it!
12. Ichetucknee Springs State Park
- Located: Fort White
- Year-round water temperature: 72 degrees
- Best for: Tubing, kayaking, or swimming
- Cost: $6 per vehicle
The park is home to eight springs, which pump out 200 million gallons of electric blue, crystal clear water.
And even though Ichetucknee is one of the most beautiful Florida springs, with impossibly green cypress and oak trees lining its shores, it’s generally much quieter than many of the other options on this list. It’s also an excellent place to see wildlife, including manatees in the wintertime, otters, turtles, and even gators.
Like Rainbow Springs, you’ll need to head to different sections of the park, depending on what you want to do. Go to the north entrance for swimming or to self-launch kayaks or stand up paddleboards or, alternatively, to the south entrance for tubing, kayak, or paddle board rentals.
Even though Ichetucknee is definitely more chill than most of the springs in Central Florida, the southern entrance can reach capacity during particularly hot weekends in the summertime. So, if you’re planning on visiting during a busy period, I’d suggest showing up bright and early when the park opens at 8 AM.
We LOVE experiencing all of the springs in Florida—there’s so many cool and unique experiences you can have in these natural wonders! Do you have any questions about visiting any of these spots? Let us know in the comments below!
