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June 6, 2024
Away from the beaches, lie the lush and pristine freshwaters of the Florida Springs. Most springs average a consistent temperature of about 72 degrees fahrenheit year-round. They offer a place to cool off in the summer months and a quiet oasis in the winter months. A Florida Department of Environmental Protection's fact sheet states that geologists estimate there are 1,000 springs in the state of Florida making it potentially the largest concentration of freshwater springs on Earth! Florida has 27 first-magnitude springs and 70 second-magnitude springs, more than any other state in the nation! It's impressive! And I had no idea before going to Florida this time around!
Where:
Florida springs that allow swimming and recreation are mainly located in the Panhandle, North and Central Florida. We stayed in St. Augustine, FL and loved the close proximity to many centrally located springs. Other great options for these springs would be the Orlando area, Ocala, Daytona Beach, even Tampa area (with some driving). For access to springs on the Santa Fe River and other springs, Gainesville to Tallahassee would be a good choice. Here is a map of the springs in Florida provided by the Florida Springs Institute.
What:
Florida springs provide various activities to get moving outside such as swimming, snorkeling, freediving, scuba diving, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and hiking. Some springs are in a National Forest, others are state parks and some are even privately owned; every experience is unique! The prices can range from $6 per carload to $20 per person, so it's best to know before you go! Many locations have gift shops selling gear, floatation devices, outdoor products, shirts, etc. Some locations also have a cafe and bar! All of the springs I visited have a place to change and use the restroom.
Know before you go!
Some springs are more likely to have alligators over others. Some springs are very large and have natural sides, making it potentially easier for an alligator to enter the spring undetected. Some springs have concrete built-up sides that may also be more closed off to wildlife entering the spring. Stay alert and never approach an alligator or a nest. Springs are home to plenty of other wildlife such as fish, otters, manatees, various birds and turtles.
Know before you go!
1. Try not to stir up the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Save the SAV! Keep your feet up and be gentle around plantlife.
2. Never chase, touch or disturb wildlife. Be a passive viewer.
Sequence of springs:
Somehow we managed to visit 6 springs in an order that made perfect sense as beginners to this underwater environment. The order allowed for a gradual increase in spring intensity: the first spring we visited was crystal clear, then some began to have more submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and more fish.
1 - Silver Glen Springs
2 - Juniper Springs
3 - Rainbow Springs State Park
4 - De Leon Springs State Park
5 - Alexander Springs
6 - Salt Springs
Silver Glen Springs
Location: Ocala National Forest - 5271 FL-19, Salt Springs, FL 32134
Price: $13 + tax/per person
Note: summer months may require weekend reservation
Thoughts: This was the clearest spring we swam in! Also the spring with the strongest current! Swimming towards the spring vent requires some energy. Away from the single, walk-in entrance point there is no place to touch very well. I would recommend flotation devices, especially for children. The spring has minimal SAV to view, but maybe that’s because we were too chicken to venture into the far, unoccupied corners of the natural-sided spring. This was a great first spring because there were not any fish that we saw that day, it was incredibly clear and minimal SAV. We saw the spring vent and 1 crab.
Juniper Springs
Location: Ocala National Forest - 26701 FL-40, Silver Springs, FL 34488
Price: $13 + tax/per person
Thoughts: This spring was one of the most accessible and kid-friendly. It is smaller with built-up concrete sides offering access from all sides and making it easy for parents to keep an eye on kids. There is a water mill here and trails as well. The water was clear but had a lot of small minnows in the water and some small pieces of algae as well. At times, the minnows would try to nibble on your leg and toes but it isn’t something to be concerned about. There is a patch of SAV in the middle of the spring and we saw an otter near the mill area. There are areas along the edges where children could touch the ground while enjoying this spring.
Rainbow Springs State Park
Location: 19158 S.W. 81st Place Road, Dunnellon FL 34432
Price: $2/person
Thoughts: This spring was so fun! We kayaked the river for 1 hour ($20/hour tandem or $29/hour single) and then swam in the spring. There is a bar and cafe here. This spring has a large platform that many used to jump into the water. Otherwise, you enter the spring using a ladder. There is no place to touch the ground with your feet in this spring so I would recommend floatation devices for children and weaker swimmers. The water here is very clear and there are plenty of small to large fish to see here. You will also see many smaller springs stirring up sand and SAV on the outside of the spring perimeter.
De Leon Springs State Park
Location: 601 Ponce Deleon Blvd, De Leon Springs, FL 32130
Price: $6/vehicle
Thoughts: This spring has some highlights! There is an Old Sugar Mill Pancake house where you can make your own pancakes. You can also order food from their grill/restaurant. There is a platform made for jumping into a deep area of the spring, which was pretty fun! This spring has built-up concrete walls and overflows into the river. There are some shallow areas on the edges but the spring vent is quite deep (30 ft!!!). There is a children's swim area and this is the only spring we visited that had a separate area for small children. The water here was surprisingly murky with algae and other particles in the water, making it impossible to see the spring vent without diving deep down. We saw many turtles here but you needed to swim deeper to see them beyond the cloudy water.
Alexander Springs
Location: Ocala National Forest - 49525 County Road 445 Altoona, FL 32702
Price: $13 + tax/per person
Thoughts: This is where things got interesting!! We had heard of 3 people being bit by alligators here in 2023 and we were hesitant to go for so long but finally went and loved it so much! We ended up visiting this spring twice and loving both times! This spring is large and has natural sides. The is a unique place to swim because it is the only one in Ocala National Forest that allows scuba diving. One day we saw a handful of people in full scuba gear exploring the wide mouth of the spring vent. There is a good amount of SAV here with plenty of fish to see all over! The drop off for spring vent is very beautiful to see and swim down into. Near the steps to enter the spring, there are shallower waters. We loved swimming into the mouth of the spring and checking out the SAV! Definitely stay alert here!
Salt Springs
Location: Ocala National Forest - 49525 County Road 445 Altoona, FL 32702
Price: $13 + tax/per person
Thoughts: Here’s another place we were hesitant to go thinking the waters were salty! Nope, they are just brackish waters, meaning it has more salinity than freshwater but we did not notice. This quickly became my favorite spring. There are steps to enter the water and almost the entire pool is shallow enough to touch the bottom for most older children and adults (however I have read that this may not be true during certain times of the year). This spring is large and has built-up concrete walls for onlookers to peer down into the spring vents around the spring edge. The spring vents are quite unique here; they resemble more of a deep crack than a wide opening that could fit many divers in it like at Alexander Springs. There are 4 vents; some vents are large enough to dive down into and some are so tight you can barely fit! This spring has the biggest fish and offers some special opportunities for encounters with various native freshwater fish, invasive catfish and blue crabs.
The Florida Springs are a local favorite and hidden gem all at the same time. Locals love them and tourists are yet to figure out that Florida is more than saltwater and beaches! With a day at the springs, one has the opportunity to literally dive into another ecosystem under crystal clear, fresh spring water. No other experience I’ve had in the water rivals the close encounters made with wildlife in the Florida Springs. The springs are home to many and for a moment, they let you in to see their world. When you take your next trip to America’s favorite peninsula, be sure not to skip out on the beauty of the Florida Springs!
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