The park frequently reaches capacity and may temporarily close. Closures occur intermittently and may last several hours.
People Also Ask
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.
You can even take a guided tour, so be sure that you've allowed yourself plenty of time. What is this? 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.
Each day, from a depth of 120 FT, 104 million gallons of 72 degree water surge up from the limestone caverns below. But where does all this water come from? Something's boiling!
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.
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. The boardwalk provides a wonderful opportunity for safely observing the manatees.
Tubing in the Spring is available during summer months only. Single tubes start at $7 for the first hour with double tubes starting $9.96. Guests can repeat the tube route as many times as their rental length allows.
The water temperature at Gilchrist Blue Springs remains constant at 72 degrees Fahrenheit/22 degrees Celsius. Because the spring is 24 feet deep, it's possible to swim over and around it.
Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is an experience you will not forget. Float your canoe, kayak or SUP down the quarter-mile spring run as it flows from the main spring headwaters to the Santa Fe River.
It takes anywhere from 50 to 100 years to reach the Blue Spring from its source. Why is the water so blue? The beautiful clear blue-green of the Blue Spring and Te Waihou is due to its purity as particles are removed during its journey through underground acquifers.