If freshwater diving is something you’ve always wanted to try, there’s only one place where you can get more than your fill: The Sunshine State. Florida is home to over 700 natural springs, 18 of which have state parks named after them. Activities at these parks can include swimming, diving, river rafting, camping, and other local entertainment, so not everyone in your group need be a diver to enjoy what the springs have to offer. Walking trails lead through miles of beautiful, natural land where you can view all manner of native wildlife, and the sights beneath the surface are unique to each location. Be sure to stop by one of these freshwater springs in Florida if you happen to be traveling through the area!
Blue Spring
The 2,644 acre Blue Spring State Park is located 35 miles from Orlando close to Orange City. The spring is a winter gathering place for manatees. In the spring and summer, its caves attract adventurous divers. The park includes a four-mile hiking trail. Famed naturalist John Bartram was the first to document the area’s animal and plant life in the 1760’s.
Silver Springs
Located east of Ocala on State Road 40, Silver Springs is the most famous of all the freshwater springs in Florida. Millions of visitors have ridden in its glass-bottom boats, and it has served as the scene of many movies, including the Tarzan movies filmed in the 1930s and 1940s. Available activities at Silver Springs include glass-bottom boat rides, Jeep Safari, Lost River Voyage Fort King River Cruise, snake and reptile shows, and live concerts.
Rainbow Springs
Rainbow Springs contains five main springs and hundreds of smaller ones. It boasts a swimming and diving area feeding a stream which pours into the Withlacoochee River. The grounds contain gardens filled with exotic flowers along a couple of two-mile hiking trails. The campground, with 92 campsites, is just 6 miles from the day-use area, making this a great place to spend the day with family and friends before setting up camp for the night.
