Florida is known for its beautiful natural springs, Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of Florida’s natural springs that offer families an escape into the beauty of the Sunshine State.
As spring approaches, visitors from around the country head towards Florida Springs, in this article we’ll explore 11 Best Springs In Florida For Families, such as Weeki Wachee Springs, Ginnie Springs, Silver Glenn Springs, Homosassa Springs, Wekiwa Springs, and more.
Each offers unique charm and fun-filled exploration and relaxation opportunities amidst stunning natural landscapes.
1. Wekiwa Springs
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Wekiwa Springs is a 7,000-acre state park located in Apopka, Florida, which is just about an hour north of the attractions in Orlando. Here you can see the natural Florida beauty and swim or snorkel.
Through Wekiwa’s crystal clear spring waters. In addition to the swimming area, there are also miles of trails for a nice long bike ride through the park. This is a very popular park for a day trip, it has a large swimming area and is known for its excellent kayaking.
There are over 13.5 miles of hiking trails. And you can start your walk along the boardwalk that runs along the spring. This boardwalk is approximately one-eighth a mile long and will take you through the swaths of the river hammock to a dry sandhill and then end at the trailhead for the main trail.
One of my favorite things to do in Wekiwa is to go kayaking, you can rent kayaks directly from the park, and Wekiwa Springs empties into the 16 miles of the Wekiwa River.
There is no better way to see the natural beauty that the springs have to offer than taking a canoe or kayak down the river.
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2. Blue Spring
Blue Spring sets within its state park’ it is located in Orange City, Florida, which is just over an hour north of Orlando. One of the big things that Blue Springs is famous for is the hundreds of manatees, that flock to the warm waters of this spring during the winter, between November to April, Blue Springs State Park closes all of their water recreation, like swimming and kayaking, to create a refuge for these beautiful creatures. And winter is my favorite time to visit Blue Springs because of this. In the summer, Blue Springs is an amazing place to go swim, snorkel and scuba dive.
During the summer, if you do want to spend more time out on the water the park also has kayaking rentals which you are required to reserve ahead of time. But if you don’t want to get into the water, the park also has a beautiful boardwalk that takes you all along this spring, right up to the springhead.
3. Rainbow Spring
Springs State Park is located about an hour and a half north of Orlando and Tampa and just miles north of Dunellen, Florida. This park consists of over 1400 acres and has three main entrances. The Head Springs day-use area, the tubing facilities, and the campground.
Rainbow Springs is known for their crystal clear swimming area. And if you want to venture down the Rainbow River, you can also kayak,
which is what we did from the Head Springs entrance of the park. Canoes and kayak rentals are available throughout the year, the park offers very affordable kayak rentals for the day.
Another thing that Rainbow Springs is known for is the beautiful waterfalls on the hikes. The gardens and the waterfalls at Rainbow Springs State Park are cultural assets that remain from the days when the spring heads were a private attraction. These waterfalls have been renovated and replanted while preserving their historical significance.
4. Weeki Wachee Springs
Weeki Wachee spring is just beautiful. Not only does it have real mermaids, a water park and incredible crystal-clear water, but a few other adventures that you’ll want to experience with your family.
Weeki Wachee Springs is located just north of Tampa and on the west side of Florida, it is one of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions Founded in 1947.
Weeki Wachee has been the mecca for mermaid enthusiasts, you can still see mermaids in Weeki Wachee springs to this day.
The spring circulate 117 million gallons of fresh spring water every day, it is so deep that the bottom has never been found.
The opening of this spring is also home to Weeki Wachee’s Famous Mermaid Show. Right behind the Mermaid Theater is Buccaneer Bay, which features two tremendous water slides, a sandy white beach, and, crystal clear spring waters that stay a refreshing 72 degrees all year long.
And if you want to relax even more, you can rent an inner tube for a cool, lazy float on their natural, lazy river that flows around the swimming area. If you want to stay dry while at Weeki Wachee, they do also have a couple of other activities, like a 20 minute riverboat ride that you can take down Weeki Wachee River, as well as a Ranger experience that features all sorts of wildlife, including turtles, snakes and some alligators.
5. Ginnie Springs
Ginnie Springs is a privately owned spring that’s located in High Springs, Florida, about two and a half hours north of Orlando and boasts seven natural springs that you can do everything from kayaking, tubing, snorkeling, diving, and camping.
I highly recommend making sure that you go and check out each and every single one of these beautiful little springs. During the summer this park is a very popular destination for locals and tourists combined, if you don’t want to kayak down the river, you can do tube, paddle board or canoe through the area.
You are also able to camp at Ginnie Springs if you want to spend even more time here. There are over 250 acres that run all along the Santa Fe River and they also offer cabins if you don’t have a tent, camper or RV of your own.
6. Silver Glenn Springs
Silver Glenn Springs is a very popular swimming hole that is located in the Ocala National Forest, which is a little over an hour North of Orlando. This first magnitude spring emits 65 million gallons of water per day and comes from two large events, which keeps the water a refreshing 72 degrees all year long.
In Silver Glenn you can picnic, swim, snorkel, and kayak, if you are kayaking, you’ll get into your kayak at the edge of the spring basin and self-launch from here. You can paddle the entire spring run, which is just about three-fourths of a mile of crystal-clear water all the way out to Lake George, which is the second largest lake in Florida, just behind Lake Okeechobee.
There are also two unique hiking trails to explore, The Spring Boils Trail is very short, and only about three-fourths of a mile round trip under the lush canopy of Florida greenery. What is cool about this trail is that at the end of it, you’ll find these amazing little sand boils, and these pools are created when water escapes the underground aquifers and creates this illusion of boiling sand under the water.
The Lake George Trail is a longer 2.3-mile trail round trip and goes towards the shoreline of Lake George, if you’re looking for a way to get away from the crowds for a while while you’re visiting over Glenn Spring, then you’ll want to explore this trail. It’s a very popular location for boaters.
So if you’re looking for a quiet spring to get away from the crowds for the day, I would have to say that this isn’t one of them.The spring itself is very beautiful, but you want to expect it to be crowded and pretty loud, especially if you visit on a beautiful day over the weekend.
7. Homosassa Springs
Homosassa Springs is in Florida state park and located on the West coast of Florida, There are two separate entrances to this park.
Homosassa Springs has been a tourist attraction since the early 1900s, and at the time, trains would stop to let passengers walk the trail of the spring while it got loaded with cargo. But today, the park is owned by the state of Florida and operates as a sanctuary for animals who are unable to survive on their own in the wild.
Once you’re inside the park, you have two trails to explore. If you had to the left, you’ll walk around the springs loop, which is a beautiful half mile walk around the main springhead. While you’re here at the springhead make sure to explore the fishbowl underwater observatory.
There is an observation deck that goes all around the top, but if you go down these stairs, you’ll head into this underwater observatory where you can see fish and perhaps a few manatees up close. If you head to the right at the entrance, you’ll make your way around to the wildlife walk, which is a half mile loop, where you get to see all of the animals that currently reside in the park. All sorts of animals call Homosassa Springs home.
8. Three Sisters Spring
Three Sisters Spring is located in Crystal River on the west side of Florida, about an hour and a half north of Tampa. Three Sisters Spring isn’t a particularly big spring, but it is very beautiful.
There is a boardwalk that goes all around it, but there’s no access to the spring from land. If you do want to swim in the spring, the only way that you can enter is by going through the waterway.
Three main spring heads make up Three Sisters Spring, and in the winter, this entire spring is filled with manatees. But it’s a popular place in summer to cool down in the Florida sun’s heat because the spring water is 73 degrees all year. The water here is crystal clear.
You can even find the little turtle hanging out at the bottom of one of the spring heads as paddling over it. If you want to have the chance of having the spring all to yourself, I highly recommend coming here as early as possible because it can get pretty crowded in the afternoon.
9. DeLeon Springs
DeLeon Springs is a historic spring that has been drawing people in for hundreds of years. This wonderful spring is located in DeLand, Florida, which is a little over an hour north of Orlando.
One of the most unique things about this spring is that it has a delicious pancake house located within the park, The sugar mill restaurant is a very popular restaurant located within a hundred year old replica of an 1830 sugar mill.
This restaurant is well known for its all-you-can-eat pancakes that you can cook at your table. If you’re thinking of heading over to the park to enjoy these, I highly recommend getting to the old Sugar Mill restaurant as early as possible because the wait times within the park can be over an hour long.
DeLeon Springs is a natural spring that pumps out 22 million gallons of water per day. The water in the swimming area also stays 72 degrees all year long, and this spring also has a roped-off shallow area where you can swim with your kids. But the spring itself can also get as deep as 30 Feet near the spring cave.
If you do want to head out into the water, they also offer a boat tour that departs a few times throughout the day. You can also rent a kayak from DeLeon Springs. Where you can take the morning to enjoy the entire lake yourself.
If you prefer to stay on land while you’re at this spring. There are also a few different trails that you can explore while you’re here, as well as the ruins of the original sugar mill that functioned in the spring.
There are also remnants of when the spring used to serve as a popular roadside attraction, and most of the actual trails here were pretty well covered, which helps you stay cool from the heat of the Florida sun.
And while you’re exploring the trails and don’t miss your chance to see old Methuselah, which is a huge bald cypress tree that is more than 500 years old and somehow managed to survive throughout the years.
10. Silver Springs State Park
Silver Springs State Park is located just outside of Ocala, Florida, which is about an hour and a half north of all the major theme parks in Orlando. There are a number of things to do in Silver Springs,
One of the most popular is to take a glass-bottom boat tour. These world-famous glass bottom boats have been a part of Silver Springs’s history since the 1870s and give you an amazing underwater view of several of the springs throughout the park.
There are two tours that you can take the 30-minute tour and the extended hour-and-a-half tour that is available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If you want to spend even more time on the water, there are also several miles for kayaking and canoeing. You can rent a canoe either hourly or all day.
The paddle trail is absolutely beautiful and makes you feel like you just transported to a different world. One of my favorite things about kayaking in Silver Springs is that there’s a family of manatees that call these Springs home.
Another thing that you should look out for while you’re kayaking through Silver Spring is the monkeys, they are very famous for the monkeys that you can find throughout the park.
11. Devil’s Den
Devil’s Den is located in Williston, Florida, which is about 2 hours north of Orlando. This subterranean spring is a popular place for snorkelers and scuba divers. This spring is kind of in the middle of nowhere.
Before you even get into your car to make your way over there, you are required to make reservations through the Devil’s Den website. Visiting this spring is by appointment only, and each time slot is about an hour and a half long, which is plenty of time to enjoy this spring.
There is no general swimming that’s allowed in Devil’s Den, so you will have to rent snorkel gear if you don’t have any of your own. Once you get there, it’s a short descent into the den where you’re able to see a small platform in the middle of the water and the natural light that is coming down from the giant hole in the top of the cavern.
The platform is small and as a courtesy to others, you’re not allowed to leave anything on it, so you’re only able to bring into the den what you can carry and swim with. Everything else has to be left above ground, either in your car or on one of the picnic tables.
One of the nice things about getting the devil’s den so early is that there are not as many people here. So if you want to have a chance of having the cavern mostly to yourself, you’ll want to be one of the first ones to get into the den.
The water stays a constant 72 degrees all year long, and on the cold winter mornings, you can see steam-like smoke rising from the chimney opening. And that’s why early settlers gave the name of Devil’s Den.
Final Thoughts
Florida Springs offers families an idyllic retreat, it’s a blend of natural beauty with endless opportunities for fun and relaxation. Whether splashing in crystal-clear waters or picnicking amidst lush landscapes, these springs create lasting memories for families seeking unforgettable experiences in the Sunshine State.