Visiting Florida in winter? Make sure you see hundreds of manatees in Blue Spring State Park with this all-inclusive guide!
By Bekah Whitney
On our drive from Daytona Beach, FL to Orlando, we had one night that we didn’t have a place to sleep. So we did what any van lifer would and looked for a cool looking state park and a big parking lot not too far away to sleep in. We found Blue Spring State Park and a big Publix parking lot and we were sold!
We had absolutely no expectations of Blue Spring State Park except to go swimming in the spring. Instead we found something much more exciting: Manatees! Hundreds of them, 218 to be exact (don’t worry we didn’t count them all, there was a board with the daily count displayed!) There were also Tarpon, Sailfin Catfish that ate algae off of the manatees, a bunch of Tilapia, and an alligator.
Before you head to Blue Spring State Park you may want to visit the website. During Manatee season (Roughly November to March) there is no swimming. Wearing bathing suits and towels slung on our shoulders, we were bummed when we first saw the sign, but only for a moment until we saw a manatee. If you are really wanting to see wild manatees, visiting this park is a must! We visited Blue Spring State Park on January 7th, 2022 and were not disappointed with the amount of manatees. For more information you can visit their official website.
Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/blue-spring-state-park
If you are planning on visiting multiple state parks while in Florida you can find my review of the pass on our “Ultimate Guide to High Springs, Florida” Post.
Fees: $6 per vehicle, or free with a Florida States Park Pass
Address: 2100 West French Avenue, Orange City, Florida 32763
Map:
If you are visiting during Manatee Season, the boardwalk is where you will spend most of your time. There are two different trails that you can walk down, the main boardwalk and the Hammock Trail.
The Hammock Trail goes through a hammock (a grove of trees that makes a shady area) that will take you to the Blue Spring Boil. This trail is short, enjoyable, and of course full of manatees. The boil is absolutely stunning. It blew my mind that 101 million gallons of water rushes out from a ten foot cave every single day. The trees are beautiful as well. Dogs are prohibited on the Hammock Trail.
The main boardwalk trail takes you towards the St. Johns River and this is where you will see large herds of manatees! You may walk with your dog on a leash on the boardwalk.
Unlike whales and other marine mammals, Manatees do not have a continuous layer of blubber to keep them warm, meaning the manatees must travel to warmer water to survive. Luckily, the water that comes from most of Florida’s springs is 72 degrees year-round, perfect for the manatees.
Note: Manatees’ roundness comes from their large intestines, not blubber, for digesting seagrass and other aquatic plants, much like the large intestines of a horse.
Manatees are protected under the Endangered Species Act and there have been many successful programs working on getting their numbers up. While in Blue Spring State Park, you are asked to practice “passive observation”. Since you are not allowed to enter the water in Blue Spring State Park while the manatees are present, this is an easy task to follow.
Yukon, my pup, is a hound meaning he barks at any little animal that moves. There are many squirrels and other critters that are running around and I was very glad I decided to not bring Yukon on this hike. If you do decide to bring your dog, you will not be able to go on the Hammock Trail, but the majority of manatees can be seen on the main boardwalk trail so if your dog doesn’t care about all the squirrels, it is a lovely walk for you and your pup!
Hi! I’m Bekah, but you can call me Beks, all my friends do! I travel full-time in a tiny home on wheels that my partner, Sawyer, and I built from a cargo trailer shell in 2019. We started out in beautiful Colorado and have been all over the United States over the years. This space is designed to inspire and guide the nature obsessed nomad, weekend warrior, and future roadlifer. I’m so excited you’re here!
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This park felt more like a zoo, in a good way! If you are visiting during Manatee Season and have been dying to see a manatee, like we were, you will not be disappointed. The clear water makes them easy to see and you can watch the fish swim as well. We even saw a small alligator floating around! Sawyer had been wanting to see the alligator head floating along like in the old Peter Pan movie and this alligator performed beautifully.
Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts on visiting the Blue Spring State Park and how many manatees you got to see! Remember to share with all your friends traveling through and planning their trips to Florida.
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