Florida springs?

[BOBSMITH]

Hey.

What is the best park in Florida with a freshwater spring as its centerpiece? We're planning to visit one of those in May, but we can't decide which one. There are so many! We had a great time at Juniper Springs, which is a National Forest campground. My wife wants to stay at a park with electric this time, so it will likely have to be a state park rather than a National Forest campground. We went to Salt Springs last year to go swimming, but my wife really did not like their campground, even though it has full hookups (no trees!).

We'd probably like to keep the location north of Orlando and east of Tallahassee. So if any of you have visited any of the nice state parks with springs, let me know what you thought.

[Lorene W]

Bob,
I've camped at Manatee Springs (long ago), Blue Springs (long ago) and Wekiwa Springs (3yrs ago).

I have not camped at Rainbow Springs... yet. The campground there is not actually on the same property as the spring head (sorta like Silver River). As far as I know, the other state parks that feature springs do not offer camping.

Naturally, all 3 have their positives. Manatee has a nice boardwalk and access to the Suwanee River for canoeing. I've never seen a manatee there but I think my visits were all in warmer weather.

I have seen many manatee at Blue Springs but only during cold weather, of course. That park also has river access for canoeing. I recall Manatee Springs being a little more picturesque...

Wekiwa Springs has the advantage of being part of the Wekiva River/Rock Springs Run canoe trail network. Nicer to me than the rivers at the other two parks.

The campgrounds at all 3 do have trees... or did when I was there. I would go back to any of these parks in a heartbeat. When are you going? I can be ready in about an hour...

[Lorene W]

... but I have to add that none of the parks/springs are quite as beautiful as Juniper Springs. It's still my favorite.

[BOBSMITH]

... but I have to add that none of the parks/springs are quite as beautiful as Juniper Springs. It's still my favorite.

We stayed at Juniper Springs last April. We had a blast, but my wife wants hookups this time, since we're going in warmer weather and our generator won't run the A/C and everything else. We also visited many of the other springs in the Ocala National Forest area on that trip. One weird thing was that a woman was killed by a very large alligator at the end of Juniper Springs Run the week after we left. The ranger had told us to keep an eye out for it and told us where it went up on the bank to sun. He said it was a 16-footer, the biggest any of the rangers had ever seen. They destroyed it after it killed the young woman.

We might even go back to Ichetucknee Springs and stay at a private campground. We're still deciding. We'll look over the Wekiwa Springs website.

Thanks!

[Carolyn Patterson]

I'm VERY familar with the springs in Florida. My husband and I used to live there, but due to a job transfer had to move to the cold winters of Ohio. (yuk!)

We used to spend our weekends diving the springs of northern Florida, since the cool clean spring water is soo much easier on the dive gear that we own. My personal favorite is Rainbow River in Dunnellon. We used to own a vacation home there and have spent several weekends tubing down from the K.P. Hole (Located just across the river from the campground!) It's so beautiful there, crystal clear water, spanish moss hanging from the trees...ahhh, home! (Sniff, Sniff) Rainbow Springs Campground is the only place on the river to stay. There's a small dock, and if you and your wife wanted, a 15 minute drive across to the other side, you could rent a canoe or kayak and paddle up to the head springs. Or there's a place in town that rents pontoon boats for the day. You'll see otters, small bass, a snake here and there. They claim there's a gator somewhere, but in all my 30 years of tubing/paddling/swimming/diving the River, I've never seen one. There's a slight current to the River. The Head springs is now a state park with gardens and some small festivals held on the property overlooking the headspring itself. I remember 20 years ago I'd take my boat up to the spring itself and get jugs of fresh spring water to take home. Now (for conservation reasons) boats with motors are no longer allowed up that far.

The town of Dunnellon is quaint, has a Walmart, Tractor Supply, McDonalds etc, but if you go, have lunch/dinner one day at Skeets BBQ. Real cheap, and the BBQ is good and plentyful! There are antique shops for rainy days, and if you really need supplies - Ocala is about 30 minutes east. Until moving to Ohio 7 years ago, I'd been visiting the Rainbow River for over 30 years and it hadn't changed much!! I still get misty-eyed thinking about it! It was a 'best kept secret' but is slowly being discovered!! Yet, the River is pristine. No cups or anything that can be disposed can go down in a cooler on the River. If the boat police find that you have even a disposable water bottle in your cooler, I believe it's $100 fine for each bottle!

My 2nd favorite location is Ginnie Springs in Ocala. Camped there one year for my birthday in a pop-up camper. It rained all 5 days of camping. Yet since we're scuba divers, we went to get wet anyway. We'd go to the shower house and fill our wet suits with warm water, put our dive gear on and 'run' to the water - which is 72' year round (most springs are!). The spring water was warmer than the wet cold air and it felt good! The spring itself is very blue, but it's attraction is actually the cavern down below. It has a private campground.

Crystal River is pretty, but I don't believe there is a campground on the River proper. I've been swimming with the manatees there once (actually 5 years ago this coming saturday for my 40th Birthday) and it's kinda hard to see the entire river if you don't have access to a boat. They do have rentals at a couple of the marinas if that is of interest to you.

Homosassa River, south of Crystal River is nice as well. Again, I don't know about a campground 'on' the River itself.

Well, I've shared with you some of my very favorite places, #1 being the Rainbow River. Going there would be my choice hands down. It's where my heart is.

I miss crystal clear water (and right about now, warm sunshine!!!).
::Sniff, Sniff::
Carol

[Des Nolan]

I've VERY familar with the springs in Florida. My husband and I used to live there, but due to a job transfer had to move to the cold winters of Ohio. (yuk!)

I miss crystal clear water (and right about now, warm sunshine!!!).
::Sniff, Sniff::
Carol

Thanks Carol, for your infectious enthusiasm and for sharing your personal experience with the springs of Florida. We bumbled through the area last year, found and enjoyed Manatee Springs. Next time, maybe even when we dig out our boler again from under its snowdrift, we will know exactly where else to go.

Des & Diane

[Pete Dumbleton]

Here are some photos of Blue Springs Park in Gilcrist County. They have hookups.









BTW, there are lots of Blue Springs in Florida, even a state park!

Another not-well-known CG is Chassahowitzka CG near the Homasassa. I recommend taking a full day to see the Homasassa Wildlife Park, esp listening to the presentations -- You might even get to feed a manatee and you will certainly see them.

[BOBSMITH]

Thanks for all of the information, everyone!

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<div align="center">My wife took this of me in Salt Springs in 2006.</div>

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<div align="center">My son, lead paddler on Juniper Springs Run.</div>

[Pete Dumbleton]

Bob, I family-camped at Salt Springs a long time ago (197?), when one could walk up that little incoming stream that now has a bridge across it and is off-limits. There were pits in the limestone bed, about 3' round and the same deep, filled with sand and up through which the springs would flow. That created actual quicksand and you could stand on it and slowly sink, then try to get out. I've had sand in my swim suit before but NEVER like that! Very hard to get that stuf out when there's so much of it and a lot of it is very fine.

[BOBSMITH]

Well, we narrowed it down to either Wekiwa Springs or Blue Springs State Park. We were seriously considering the county park also called Blue Springs, but it would have cost us $52 a night! That's outrageous! So we're passing on that one and driving a little farther south. Right now it looks like we'll do Blue Springs State Park.