Did you know that Florida is home to some of the coolest places to swim in the country? It has over 1,000 known springs in the state, some of which are just a trickle of water but others which are much, much bigger and provide unique recreation opportunities for both locals and tourists. We snorkeled in each of the springs listed below but keep in mind that if you are into SCUBA diving you can do that at many of them as well. Below are our top picks for the Best Springs in Florida!
Admission to most of the Florida State Parks is $6 per vehicle or $2 for pedestrians and cyclists. If you’ll be visiting a lot, consider getting a Florida State Parks annual pass.
Wakulla Springs State Park | 465 Wakulla Park Drive, Wakulla Springs
This was the first spring that we visited. We went into it without any expectations other than the lady said the water temperature is about 69 degrees year-round. The spring has some wading and swimming areas and a platform that you can jump off of which was really fun. We learned later on that it’s the deepest spring in the world and that they’ve filmed several movies there. It wasn’t very busy on the day we were there but we’ve heard that in the summer it can get super busy.
Ichetucknee Springs | 12087 SW U.S. Highway 27,
Fort White
We went in both the head spring and the blue hole. They were both amazing. The head spring is easy to access, it’s literally right off the parking lot. The blue hole isn’t too far either, just about a half mile down a pretty, shaded sandy trail. There’s steps that lead down into both so getting in is no problem. We both got a little freaked out at the Blue Hole because of our fear of alligators but we got in anyway. The water was the most beautiful color and as clear as could be. We swam over the deep part and let the current push us gently back towards the steps several times.
Salt Springs | 8737 US Highway 19 North, Port Richey
There is a large swimming area at this spring as well as a place for boaters to moor up and hang out. It was crowded on the Saturday in March that we visited, tons of kids and parents. If you’re looking for a chill, quiet spring, this is not it. But it does have a fun sort of anything-goes kind of vibe to it. Lots of people picnicking, radios playing all kinds of music and of course people playing in the water.
Silver Glen Springs | 5271 FL-19, Salt Springs
This spring is literally like something out of a movie. It’s paradise! You have to walk a short trail to get to it but it’s more than worth it. We went snorkeling and couldn’t get enough of the spot where the water comes pushing out. There’s a force to it that is fun to swim around. We saw some fish, too! The water is really clear at this spring and the visibility is excellent. Oh, it’s also easy to get in and out of thanks to a couple small sandy beaches.
Rainbow Springs State Park | 19158 SW 81st Place Road, Dunnellon
We visited this spring on a day when it was thundering and lightning and couldn’t get in the water. We did, however, make some time for walking around and wow, the springs here are gorgeous! There’s also a lot of colorful, beautiful plants like the one on the trail above. You can rent canoes and kayaks here at the springs. If you want to go tubing, you can rent those about 9 miles up the road and then float on back! Rainbow Springs is also Florida’s fourth largest spring.
The Best Florida Springs Recap
If you’re looking for some fun in Florida, we highly recommend checking out some of the springs listed above. I’m sure there are some awesome ones that we didn’t list here and we’re eager to get back and explore more of them! Do you have a favorite that we should know about? If so, which one?!
Curious about our snorkel gear? Head on over to our Gear Guide to see what we’re using in the water these days.
Oh and if you liked this, be sure to check out some of our Favorite Trails in Florida!
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