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Three Sisters Springs

Photo: Keith Ramos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain · source

💧 Springs

Three Sisters Springs

Crystal River, FL · Nature Coast

About

Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River is the only refuge created specifically to protect the Florida manatee, and in winter its sapphire spring run fills with hundreds of them seeking the warm 72 degree water. Follow the boardwalk above the springs for postcard views, or, when conditions allow, swim with the gentle giants in the clear shallows. Go on a cold morning from mid November through March for the biggest gatherings.

Highlights

Only national wildlife refuge made for the Florida manateeHundreds of manatees crowd in during winterClear, sapphire blue spring run with high visibilityElevated boardwalk with views over the springsSwim with manatees when conditions allow, mid November to March

Getting there

601 Three Sisters Springs Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429

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Part of these collections

Curated guides that feature Three Sisters Springs.

Best Florida Wildlife14 places

Best Florida Wildlife

Where to see Florida's wildlife up close: manatees, alligators, roseate spoonbills, the Florida panther and the tiny Key deer, across springs, swamps and refuges from the Panhandle to the Keys.

Florida Springs24 places

Florida Springs

Florida sits on top of one of the largest gatherings of freshwater springs on Earth, and they run a constant 68 to 74 degrees no matter the season. Some are first-magnitude giants pushing hundreds of millions of gallons a day, others are quiet blue sinkholes you can have to yourself at dawn. These are the ones worth the drive: the glass-bottom boat tours, the lazy-river tube runs, the cavern dives, and the winter springs where the manatees come in from the cold.