How early should I get to Blue Springs?

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.



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Park Capacity Information Madison Blue Springs State Park experiences frequent closures between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends and holidays due to high visitation. The park closes when it reaches capacity but may reopen to additional visitors at a later time that day.

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The park frequently reaches capacity and may temporarily close. Closures occur intermittently and may last several hours.

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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.

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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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Manatees at Blue Spring State Park From mid-November to March, hundreds of manatees congregate in the spring run to seek shelter from the cold.

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Phone: 386-775-3663. Hours: Open from 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year. Day use admission $6 per vehicle, $2 for pedestrians, bicycles.

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Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park has very high visitation on weekends and holidays and will close when capacity is reached. When this occurs, only registered campers will be allowed to enter. Cash and credit cards are accepted for entrance fee.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The spring itself is over 310 feet deep, one of the deepest in the United States. This gives it a vivid blue color that one must see to believe.

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Blue Springs' history is tied to the migration of settlers on their westward journey. Pioneers found the area to be an ideal stopover due to the abundance of cool, clean water from a spring of the Little Blue River - hence the name Blue Springs.

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Crystal River is the best place in the whole world to view the manatee in their natural habitat! World renowned Three Sisters Springs is right here in our backyard and plays home to hundreds of manatees in the winter. We welcome our thousands of visitors each year from around the world.

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