Photos: Jackdude101 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) / U.S. Federal Highway Administration / Public domain · (WT-de) Mistoffeles / CC BY-SA 4.0
Every spring on this list stays between 68 and 74 degrees all year, and from mid-November through March the manatees move into Blue Spring and Three Sisters. You watch them from the boardwalk.
24 places · Florida
Must-seeThe half-hour boat tour leaves every 15 to 20 minutes and passes Mammoth Spring. Then rent a clear-bottom kayak and paddle the Silver River five miles to Ray Wayside Park, where a van brings you back.
Must-seeThe diving platform stands over 70-degree water, in the one marked area at the spring where swimming is allowed. The soda fountain in the 1937 lodge has the world's longest known marble bar.
Must-seeThe Devil Spring cave system pulls in divers from around the world, while everyone else rents a tube at the general store for the float down to Twin Spring. The clearest river water comes in summer and early fall, along with the liveliest crowds.
Must-seeIn summer, bring a swimsuit for Buccaneer Bay, Florida's only spring-fed waterpark, with slides and a white sand beach. Kayaks and riverboat cruises head down the Weeki Wachee River too.
Must-seeGo on a cold morning for the biggest gatherings, and watch from the boardwalk above the springs. Paddlers can't come in by water until April.
Must-seeKeep an eye out for limpkins on the float down. The headspring is open for a dip all year.
Must-seeAfter a swim, walk the 1930s gardens. Tubers launch from a separate entrance April through September, so check which gate you want before you drive.
Must-seeFrom the boardwalk beside the run you can see the manatees up close and stay dry. When manatee season ends, snorkelers take over the same water.
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SpringsOther lists that cover the same ground.
26 placesThis list has 26 of Florida's 175 or so state parks. Book Blue Spring before you drive: it needs a day-use reservation.
7 placesSeven places to see wild manatees in Florida, picked for how many turn up on a cold winter morning. Go between mid-November and March, after a cold snap drops the bays and rivers below 68 degrees.
14 placesGo in winter if you can. Manatees crowd the warm springs from mid-November through March, and the wading birds are thickest on the same cool, dry mornings.
44 placesThe big Orlando parks are all here, for the first trip. So is the rest of the state, for the one after that.