Blue Springs, Orlando, Florida

Blue Springs Fl state park on the St John river is popular for Florida cave diving, Florida canoeing, snorkeling Florida, and it's a designated manatee refuge, well known for its manatee migration during the winter months and popular with the Orlando Florida Tourist. Manatees are sometimes called Sea Cows, and resemble a mini submarine.

Blue Springs Florida State Park is about 30 miles North of Orlando, just 2 miles West of Orange City along French Avenue. I have always found, without exception that Florida State Parks are always well organized for the visitor, well patrolled by wardens, and a really safe place to visit. I hope you find this free Orlando vacation guide useful on your visit.

Manatees are very sedate creatures, non-territorial, and they are herbivores, living on a wide variety of sea grasses, algae and other vegetation. Their normal lifespan is between 50 and 60 years. Manatees in Florida swim from the ocean and up the St John's River to the Blue Springs park as soon as the cooler weather sets in, which lowers the sea water temperatures. The Manatees are very easy to see and to get close to in the shallow waters during cooler times of the year, but they seek deeper water during the hotter months.

To provide a safe warm water refuge for manatees during the winter season, the spring and spring run in Blue Springs park is closed to all water related activities which this fl state park is well known for, this includes swimming, snorkeling, cave diving, scuba diving and boating from November 15 through March 1.

Blue Springs state park draws a year-round mix of families, nature lovers, picnickers, water enthusiasts, sun-worshippers and romantics. A single day can include a scenic river boat trip, a guided or solo canoe or kayak trip, bird or wildlife viewing, a picnic under the spreading Live Oaks, and a classic sunset over the historic St. Johns River. A large wooden house, the Thursby house, built in 1872, still stands in a prominent position in the park. There is also a store selling supplies and novelties. The park offers excellent camping facilities; a hiking trail and diving for certified scuba divers with a partner, but you must check-in first and register to scuba dive. A self-guided boardwalk guides visitors through a thickly wooded area to Blue Spring, where there is an excellent view looking down into the spring gently pouring out of the ground.

Blue Springs Fl is just one of the many Orlando springs, and is the largest spring on the St. Johns River. The crystal clear waters remain at a constant 72 degrees. The spring originates from a large slit cave which drops down to 120 feet. A restriction to cave diving at this point limits further exploration. At 60 feet, open water divers will encounter a sign warning them to not proceed any further. Cave divers may continue, but may be confronted with a strong flow that's known to blow the mask right off a cave diver. The Orlando Florida tourist to the park can swim in the beautiful clear spring water, but swimming or diving with manatees is not permitted and is strictly enforced.

The entrance fee into most State Parks is $5.00 per carload for up to eight people.

Action Tip: Go early in the day, as this state park Blue Springs is very popular with the Orlando Florida Tourist, and once the capacity is reached, the gates are closed until some people start to leave.

Hopefully, you will have enjoyed your time at Blue Springs as much as we used to. If you would now like to see otters, gators and raccoons as well as bird life in the wild, you may like to visit the Dora Canal in Lake County at the southern end of Lake Eustis on the Harris chain of lakes on highway 441. The best views are from a tourist boat which can be boarded just opposite the public boat launch, or there is a small public park mid way along the canal just off highway 19.

Watch my video opposite for a taste of the sights and sounds you can find here.

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