Why you have to visit Blue Springs State Park in Florida! Bucket List idea!
Where is Blue Springs State Park?
Blue Springs State Park is located in Orange City, Florida about 2 hours north from Orlando, Florida. Check out Google maps here
History of Blue Springs
Blue Springs State Park is a natural spring that feeds into the St. Johns River. It is about 2600 acres including land. From its early days as a Timucuan Indian Village to a fish camp, the springs were not an ideal environment for the West Indian Manatees. As such, very few manatees visited Blue Springs. However, in 1972 it was designated as a State Park. Efforts were made over the years to clean up the area making it a more suitable home for the manatees. The raised boardwalks for visitors to enjoy the park enabled the local vegetation to be undisturbed and allow the manatees to swim in blocked off areas during the winter months.
What is a Manatee?
A manatee is a large, slow moving aquatic animal affectionately called a sea cow. They are mostly herbivorous marine mammals and eat sea grass within their habitat. They also love lettuce. They are gentle giants and can weigh over 500 lbs. They live in the warmer waters around Florida but tend to move inland during winter to the natural springs of Florida where it remains a steady 72 degrees.
Today the West Indian Manatees frequent Blue Springs and enjoy its natural vegetation with their numbers significantly increasing in the winter months (November 15 – March 1). On one of our visits in 2020, they had a whopping 551 manatees that particular day.
Manatees are protected by the state of Florida and the Federal government. People are not allowed to approach them, bother or otherwise harass them. During the winter season, the springs is their home and it is roped off and not accessible to swimmers, boaters, kayakers or folks on paddle boards. Manatees are allowed to approach people outside of their winter habitat. However, be aware that since they are a protected species, you cannot reach out and touch them no matter how friendly and curious they are. It is a special moment to be near a manatee and a favorite memory of mine.
For manatee encounters, you can visit Crystal River. I highly recommend this. It was something I did many years ago before smart phones and have never forgotten the experience.
Can you swim at Blue Springs State Park in Florida?
Blue Springs is a delightful place to swim and scuba dive in Florida’s hot summer weather. The constant 72 degree springs can definitely cool you off. The crystal clear springs are surrounded by tall trees and a variety of animals that call it home.
What is there to do at Blue Springs?
In the winter months from November 15 to March 1, Blue Springs is roped off to protect the manatees in their winter home. But you can have a wonderful day walking the boardwalk to view the large number of manatees and may even spot some babies in the group. It is one of the busiest times of year. So if you want to see a manatee, make sure you go early because I guarantee you will be in a long car line if you try to get there any later than 10 am.
Aside from viewing manatees, there are playgrounds for kids, picnic tables and plenty of green space to just hang out with family. If you do visit in the summer, the springs are open for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling and tubing. For those that are certified, you can scuba dive with a partner. Cave diving is reserved for the more experienced diver trained in cave diving. Camping, hiking, and Segway tours are also fun ways to enjoy the park. Check out Blue Spring Adventures for more information.
One of my favorite things to do at Blue Springs is Paddle board and kayak. You can rent a kayak, paddle board or canoe there or bring your own. I brought my inflatable paddle board and pumped it up on site. My husband and son got to pumping up their 2-person inflatable kayak before we set off on the launch site. For more information on paddle boarding, read Paddle Boarding for Beginners.
Are there alligators at Blue Springs?
In Florida we have a saying. Any body of water has the potential to have an alligator in it. This was something I had to get used to coming from Missouri where we definitely don’t have gators. I never had to worry about canoeing at a favorite watering hole in Missouri. That said, it’s rare to have an alligator attack here in Florida. Alligators tend to stay away from people. I have seen small ones on other water ways when I went kayaking and they stayed to themselves.
What animals live in Blue Springs?
Manatees are the most well known animal at the Park. But Blue Springs is also home to bass, catfish, long nose gar and bream that share the water with manatees.
On land you will see a variety of birds including over 150 species that have been recorded including osprey and eagles The park also has its typical squirrels, armadillos, and reports of bears though they are good at hiding so you’re not likely to see them.
Blue Springs in Florida is not the only springs here. There are nearly 900 springs that you can swim, snorkel or paddle throughout the state. So if you’re tired of the theme parks and need a different vacation and relaxation spot to unwind, consider checking out Florida state parks and springs.
