Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park had been on my list for a while, so when our parents came to visit, we made the trip, the drive was over 2 hours for us. When we arrived, we saw a sign stating that the park was at capacity and temporarily closed to new visitors. We were initially disappointed, but luckily, after checking back about 30 minutes later, we were allowed entry. Since we hadn't made a prior reservation for the boat tour, we missed out on that experience, but we headed straight to the spring area instead. The facilities, including the changing rooms and restrooms, were clean and well-maintained. Swimming in the crystal-clear spring was amazing, the water was refreshing, and we spotted several fish. There are no alligators in the swimming area. The experience was enjoyable and safe for everyone. After our swim, we spent some time at the playground, which our infant loved a lot. I highly recommend visiting Blue Spring State Park, it's a beautiful spot where whole family can relax and have fun. A couple of tips: arrive early as the park fills up quickly, and if you plan to float in the spring, bring your own tube or rent one there for a memorable tubing experience.

It was an overcast day so it was cold but fun. We brought our own floats but you can rent really good ones on site. I recommend wearing water shoes because the ground in the water is very rocky and it’s easier to walk upstream than swim with your inner tube. There’s 2 entrances into the water. Both have you downstream to start but once you get all the way upstream you can dive down and snorkel the caves. You can take a short but sweet leisurely float back down stream to the first entrance where you can many times see and swim with manatee. When the weather becomes super cold, all the manatee cram into the spring to stay warm. During this time, 100s of manatees literally fill the river like a herd of well.. manatees

We did the nature cruise. It was beautiful. Our guide was super friendly, funny and had lots of good facts for us about the river and the animals. Really good time. We did go for a swim in the beautiful clear spring after. That was wonderful! Great time for great prices. Would love to go back to kayak and go back during manatee season.

What an amazing journey!!! This is quite easily one of the most beautiful spots in the area!!! I fished waters provide a safe haven for life to thrive and we are so blessed to observe.

Beautiful! There is no bad time of year to visit though you can not swim year round. Also note you cannot take paddleboard and kayaks into the swimming area before 5pm and there is no docking boats and boards along the banks inside the spring. With that being said there are plenty of places along the Saint John's River and even a dock at the picnic area at the mouth of the spring. Highly, highly recommend!

So pretty and water is cold 🥶 but with the sun beaming on you felt good. Definitely recommend coming during the week. We weekends are a little too busy. The cream Ale beer was super good, and I got some local wildflower honey reasonably priced. Definitely recommend this place. Just be respectful of the wildlife and environment!

The best! Such a beautiful place. During the summer you can float and snorkel and in the winter you can see the manatees. I love this place!

Beautiful!!! Please bring a mask, snorkel and fins.....you won't regret it! Oh! And get in the the water quickly. It's less of a shock..more importantly, have fun! Life is short, so enjoy it