Blue Spring State Park

For about half the year, Blue Spring State Park is a 72°F swimming hole on the St. Johns River — clear water, sandy banks, a quarter-mile spring run shallow enough to tube. For the other half of the year, the spring run closes to humans entirely and fills with manatees.

In the winter of 1970, park rangers counted 14 manatees here. In 2024 they counted 932 in a single day. Blue Spring is now the most important West Indian manatee refuge in Florida — and one of the easiest places in the world to see a wild manatee from arm's reach.

The trick is knowing which season you're visiting for, and arriving before the gate closes.

• Location: Orange City (Volusia County), 45 minutes north of Orlando
• Address: 2100 W. French Ave., Orange City, FL 32763
• Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, 365 days a year
• Vehicle entry: $6 per vehicle (up to 8 people); $4 single-occupant
• Water temperature: 72–73°F year-round
• Magnitude: First-magnitude (~102M gallons/day)
• Swimming season: April 1 – approximately November 14
• Manatee viewing season: November 15 – March 15 (boardwalk only — spring run closed)
• On-site lodging: 51 campsites + 6 cabins

The park sits in northwest Volusia County, just off I-4 at Orange City. Approximate drive times:

• Orlando: 45 minutes (I-4 west to Exit 114, SR-472)
• Daytona Beach: 45 minutes (I-4 west to Exit 114)
• Jacksonville: 2 hours (I-95 south to SR-44 west)
• Tampa: 2 hours (I-4 east to Exit 114)

From I-4 Exit 114, head west on SR-472 about 2 miles, then right on Saxon Blvd., then left on W. French Ave. to the park entrance.

Blue Spring operates on two completely different schedules depending on the time of year.

April through mid-November: The Swim Season

The spring run reopens around April 1 and stays open through approximately November 14 for swimming, snorkeling, tubing, scuba diving, and kayaking. The run is about a quarter mile from the headspring boil down to the main dock — shallow at the entry point, deepening to about 20 feet at the boil. Water is consistently 72–73°F and the visibility is glass-clear. Scuba divers must stay shallower than 60 feet, dive in designated areas only, and complete dives one hour before sunset.

November 15 through mid-March: Manatee Season

The spring run closes to all water activities — swimming, snorkeling, scuba, tubing, kayaking. The 1/3-mile elevated boardwalk above the run stays open, free with park admission, and provides the best wild-manatee viewing experience in Florida. Hundreds of manatees crowd into the 72°F water to escape the cold St. Johns River. The park posts daily manatee counts online and operates a live webcam during the season.

Whichever season you're visiting, the boat tour and most other park amenities operate year-round.

Blue Spring Adventures runs a 2-hour narrated boat cruise on the St. Johns River at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily, year-round. The flat-bottom boat (49 passengers, wheelchair-accessible) leaves from the park's lower dock and travels through wildlife-rich oxbows. You'll see manatees, alligators, ospreys, bald eagles, herons, egrets, and anhingas; in winter, manatee sightings are essentially guaranteed.

Tickets are approximately $35–$38 adult / $30 senior / $20 child (3–12). Reservations strongly recommended — tours sell out, especially in winter. Book at bluespringadventures.com or 833-953-2583. If you have a confirmed boat tour reservation, you'll be admitted even if the park is otherwise at capacity.

• Manatee viewing from the 1/3-mile boardwalk (free with admission) — best November through March, but the boardwalk is open year-round.
• Swimming, snorkeling, scuba, and tubing April–mid-November in the spring run.
• Kayaking and SUP from the St. Johns River boat launch — paddle downstream to Hontoon Island State Park for a memorable day trip. Spring run paddling permitted before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. only during swim season.
• St. Johns River boat tour (see above).
• Hiking — the Pine Island Trail (3.6 miles one way) crosses Florida scrub habitat where Florida scrub-jays are sometimes spotted; the Sand Pine Scrub Trail is a 0.25-mile loop ideal for birding.
• Thursby House — a 19th-century plantation home on a shell mound at the spring run's confluence with the river, on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Fishing from the accessible dock on the St. Johns River (not permitted in the spring run itself).

The park's 51 RV/tent sites sit in the sand pine scrub, walkable to the spring. Each site has water, electric, picnic table, and grill. RVs up to 40 feet. Tent sites pay $24/night plus tax; RV sites pay an additional $7 utility fee.

Six air-conditioned cabins are available at $95/night plus tax, two-night minimum.

Reservations: reserve.floridastateparks.org or 800-326-3521.

Most dining is in DeLand, about 12 miles north of the park.

• Cress Restaurant — 103 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand. Globally inspired fine dining, lamb and duck specialties, Wine Spectator awards. Reservations on OpenTable.
• Persimmon Hollow Brewing — 111 W. Georgia Ave., DeLand. Craft taproom in the historic district.
• Swamp House Riverfront Grill — DeLand waterfront, casual Florida seafood.
• Orange City (~2 miles from the park) — chain options along US-17/92: Cracker Barrel, Denny's, fast-casual chains.

• Arrive at opening in winter. Manatee season turns this into one of the busiest parks in the system. The park hits capacity and closes by mid-morning on cold days. Have your boat tour reservation in hand if you need guaranteed admission.
• Check the daily manatee count. Posted online; counts are highest after cold fronts and lowest in the afternoon as manatees disperse.
• Quiet observation rules apply in winter. No splashing, throwing objects, or attempting to touch manatees. Federal law — and rangers enforce it.
• In summer, the spring run is the main draw. Arrive by 9 a.m. on summer weekends; the run is shallow at the entry and family-friendly.
• The boardwalk is open year-round. Even when the run is closed to swimming, you can still see the spring boil and (in winter) the manatees.
• Alligators are present in the run once it reopens in spring — watch the posted advisories.
• No lifeguards. Children must be supervised.
• Boat tour reservations can be made weeks ahead — recommended for winter visits.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. Manatee season dates vary year-to-year based on actual manatee presence; confirm current closure dates at floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/blue-spring-state-park before visiting. Manatee photos by Homer Edward Price, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.