No food or drinks allowed inside tubes. Food and drinks are allowed when kayaking. There are accessible covered pavilions with accessible grills. All pavilions are first come, first served.
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Inflatable floats and tubes are allowed in the spring and adjacent river. Visitors may bring their own float. To help protect the spring and river, no food, drink, pets, tobacco, alcohol or disposable items are allowed.
Tip: the best time to visit Blue Spring State Park is in the mid morning before the sun is fully up and warming the waters. As the day goes on, the manatees work their way back into the St Johns River. In the morning there are also smaller crowds, so it's much more pleasant.
Can you swim in Blue Springs? Yes, swimming and scuba diving are permitted at Blue Springs, Florida. Check at the entrance if you are required to register. However, the spring run closes during the winter to protect the migratory manatees.
It's best to get to the spring before 10am. We were there on a Friday around 9:30am, it wasn't crowded at all. But when we left around 12:30pm, more and more people started showing up at the park. Just arrive early and enjoy the spring.
Blue Spring State Park is unique because visitors can view manatees in the crystal-clear spring water from the boardwalk, which stretches 1/3 of a mile from the St. Johns River to the headspring.
Rainbow Springs is a State Park that has a $2 entry fee and offers a two hour float rental for $26. Personal tubes and coolers are allowed and coolers are available for rent on site also.
While the French Broad is a lazy river, it's not the kind you find at a water park with a smooth concrete bottom. There are rocks and we want you to be safe from injury. Wearing shoes while tubing is an absolute must. We sell inexpensive river shoes at the outpost for the whole family.
Blue Springs Ranch has three different float options to suit every guests needs. We offer a 10 mile float, a 5 mile float, and a lazy river that is equivalent to 1 mile.
Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is in the north central part of the state, an area well known for the many spectacular freshwater springs found along the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers.