Blue Spring offers swimming in a crystal-clear spring run. Swimming or diving with the manatees is not permitted. For the safety of visitors, climbing onto the spring banks or trees is prohibited.
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Welcome to Blue Spring State ParkThe refreshing 72-degree waters of Blue Spring greet visitors at this gem along the St. Johns River.
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.
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.
Swimming with manatees is a great activity to do if you are visiting central Florida during the winter months and want to do something outside of the theme parks. You can swim near the animals and observe them while snorkeling in a wet suit.
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.
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.
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.