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Blue Spring State Park

Photo: Ebyabe / CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

💧 Springs

Blue Spring State Park

Orange City, FL · Central Florida

About

Blue Spring is Florida's premier manatee sanctuary, a first-magnitude spring that pumps out crystal-clear 72-degree water year-round into a short run off the St. Johns River near Orange City. From mid-November through March, hundreds of manatees crowd in to escape the cold, and a riverside boardwalk lets you watch them drift below. In warmer months the same spring becomes a favorite for swimming, snorkeling, and tubing.

Highlights

Winter manatee refuge, with record counts topping 900 animals on cold daysBoardwalk along the spring run for close, dry-land manatee viewingCrystal-clear 72-degree water for swimming, snorkeling, and certified scubaTubing and paddling the spring run when manatee season endsHistoric Thursby House overlooking the St. Johns River

Getting there

2100 West French Avenue, Orange City, FL 32763

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Curated guides that feature Blue Spring State Park.

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