Blue Spring State Park

What's not to love?!

We went on "firefly nights" and it was unreal!
Thousands of fireflies everywhere.
We learned so much and had so much fun.

We love the park, the kids love the playground and loved picking up the garbage with the provided buckets and pickers.

Honestly ZERO complaints!

My husband and I visited Blue Springs State Park for the first time this past Monday, and it was GORGEOUS! The sign at the entrance said that the manatee count was 1, but we were lucky to see 4 different manatees. Two of them were tagged, and two were not. There were also several catfish, gars, carp, and other fish. The park has a beautiful boardwalk along the bank with several viewing decks, a river tour, a swimming area, concessions, a souvenir shop, kayaks for rent, picnic tables, pavilions, and a playground. We went on the two-hour river tour and it was so nice and relaxing. We saw several different bird species, including a stork. I did not realize just how big and intimidating they look. We saw several alligators and even a mother gator with two different litters of babies. The captain had a great sense of humor and was very knowledgeable about the local plants and animals as well as Florida history. The park also houses the Thursby House, which was built in the late 1800's by the landowner. There are a lot of signs and pictures throughout the house entailing the area's history. We would love to come back when it's colder so we can see more manatee and when it's hotter so we can enjoy a dip in the cool spring.

Rating from F to A+++, I give it an A+++!

This park is worth the wait to get in during Manatee season (cold weather). It took an hour to get inside, but once we did the park didn't seem crowded at all. We had excellent views of the 560 manatees spending their winter days in the spring water.
We even bought lunch in the cafe and enjoyed the sunny day eating under the pavilion.
We had burgers, a hot dog and pulled pork sandwich. All was delicious.

If you visit during manatee season, be sure to arrive early and pack your patience. There will inevitably be a line of cars waiting to get into the park; however, the line does move and it helps to manage the traffic flow well (shoutout to the rangers!). There are two large parking areas - it really doesn't matter which one you park in as they are both along the pathway near the blue spring. There is a nicely maintained path that allows you to see the blue spring and the manatees (when the St. John's River water is too cold for them!). We enjoyed the park visit overall, including packing our own picnic to have lunch after we took in the manatees. We would definitely return, especially since we know the procedure and how many manatees you can see during the winter!

Blue Spring is a wonderful little State Park. If you've never visited, it's worth the trip. It is especially worth visiting in the winter because the Manatee migrate to Blue Spring because the water is warmer.
Of course there's camping available & trails you can walk or bike on.

We came for manatees and Blue Spring State Park delivered! We came on a cool day in January and the manatee numbers had been record breaking- the count was over 700 in the springs on the day we went. The price is great- just $6 a vehicle- and it's easy to navigate. Once you get on the boardwalk it's just manatees everywhere! We saw hundreds of them, and it was a joy just to sit and listen to them coming up to breathe. We also saw some birds on the boardwalk and an armadillo!

I can't comment on other activities, but if you're here to view manatees you made the right choice!

This was such a fun day! I've got family that lives about 90 minutes north of here and convinced them to go on a road trip so I could experience a different part of Florida. We booked a two hour boat tour to get the full experience but one could easily make a half day adventure here by just visiting the springs and enjoying the spacious grounds.
This park peaked my interest because of the manatees visiting the spring in the cooler weather and it did not disappoint! I've never seen water this crystal blue and there were over 120 manatees on the day I went. There were babies and watching all of them glide through the clear springs was so peaceful.
There's a boardwalk that takes you to a few docks for viewing with informational placards.
Also in the park are a gift shop, snack shop, historical house and playground area. Kayaks can be rented as well. For $6 a car, you get a pretty affordable family day!
Doing the boat tour was the icing on the cake.
Our captain took us on a 2 hour trip on the St Johns and it was awesome. I learned so much about wildlife and the ecology of the river. We saw baby gators, mama gators, ibis, gray blue heron, egrets and more. The boat is covered and for parts they go slow so you can get up out of your seat and look out either side.
I loved it.
Now, given all this park has to offer, it gets crowded! They recommend arriving at least 90 minutes before your tour. We arrived around 10:30 and waited about 30 minutes to enter. Our boat tour was at 1:30 but if it were earlier, the ranger directing traffic would ask for your ticket and direct you right over to the kiosk. Quite honestly they had a really good system to manage crowds and direct traffic.
I've heard wait times can exceed an hour to get in during weekends, so come with plenty of patience or try during the week. They do the boat tours most days.
Overall, a gem in the Florida state park system and a great way to spend a day.

This is my favorite state park!! During manatee season (winter) it brings the greatest joy to see these floaty potatoes enjoying themselves in the crystal clear spring water. You cannot swim in the spring during manatee season. Can't guarantee a lot of manatees every time you go, but i have been a few times during manatee season and have always been able to see at least a few. Over the years, it has become more and more popular and my most recent visit in November 2023 was the most crowded it has been! No issues with parking or anything though- not crowded enough to be a deterrent!

You can walk along the boardwalk of the whole spring and spot manatees at the different viewing points. There is also a tiny trial at the end (barely a hike) which brings you to the end of the spring which is a really pretty alcove.

Entrance to the park is a reasonable price of $6 a car (I think it is cheaper if you go solo).

The park has a gift shop with cute merch, and a small mini mart/ deli if you get hungry with simple convenience foods. There are public toilets as well.

Highly recommend this unique spot, especially if you have never seen a real live manatee before in the wild! Protect the precious manatees!

I went to this park after hearing good things from family. Even though my visit didn't happen during peak manatee season, I enjoyed seeing a few manatees during my visit. I returned to the park at night for their firefly nights, which occur for a few weeks a year. It was really cool being able to see so many fireflies in total darkness. I do wish that there were more staff ensuring that visitors comply with expectations (such as no lights that aren't red or green, as some people were using regular flashlights that fireflies shy away from). However, we were able to find a quiet dark spot to enjoy the fireflies on our own for a bit. I'd love to return in the summer when water activities are allowed as I think swimming and snorkeling would be fun here.

Didn't see any manatees when we came but was still happy we checked this place out! Some family and I brought our tubes and floated in the (very cold) springs for a few hours. You can bring your own tube or rent one for a few bucks. The area to tube is not very large, but it's still relaxing and a nice way to get out of the summer heat. We came in October on a Friday and it wasn't too crowded. After tubing we walked the boardwalk which is nicely maintained! Hope to come back when the manatees are more likely to be out and about!