Blue Spring State Park

In 1775, botanist William Bartram marveled at Blue Spring, writing “what a surprising fountain it must be, to furnish such a stream.”

He didn’t mention the manatees, but perhaps it was the wrong time of year.

Ever since “Save the Manatee Club” was formed in 1981 by Jimmy Buffet and Governor Bob Graham, we’ve been visiting Blue Spring near DeLand to see their numbers grow.

It can be almost impossible to visit the park while the manatees are here, unless you reserve a cabin or campsite well in advance.

A manatee calf follows its mother

Cars line up at the front gate hours before opening time and once parking capacity is reached, the gates close. Even to pedestrians and cyclists.

All year round, however, there is plenty to do at this popular state park, including ecotours that show off the river basin.

Swimmers walking up the boardwalk in summer

Like Bartram, paddlers also can explore the wild reaches of the St. Johns from the same dock where tour boats depart.

An accessible boardwalk provides the connection between busy picnic areas and the spring itself.

Back gate from Spring to Spring Trail

Hikers and cyclists can also follow miles of trails far from the crowds to explore lesser-visited wild spaces in the park.

With a nicely situated campground and a handful of cabins, many visitors make Blue Spring State Park an outdoor vacation destination.

Taking a break while overlooking the park from a bridge

Table of Contents

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Orlando & Central Florida: An Explorer's Guide

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Overview

Location: Orange City
Trailhead: 28.9516, -81.3337
Address: 2100 W French Ave, Orange City
Fees: $4-6 per vehicle
Restroom: Near the boat docks and concession area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-775-3663

Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.

For information on ecotours, call Blue Springs Adventures at 386-775-0046.

Directions

Follow Interstate 4 east from Orlando to exit 114. Head northeast on SR 472 for 3.5 miles to US 17/92 south. Take US 17/92 south towards Orange City for 1.5 miles. Turn right on W French Ave. Follow it for several miles. The state park entrance is near where it ends. Once you drive into the park, the campground is the first turnoff of the park road. The next turnoff on the right is the upper parking area closest to the spring. The following turnoff on the left is for the cabin area. The park road ends in a large parking area below the Thursby House, adjoining the boat dock and both trailheads.

About the Park

Established in 1972, the park provided protection to a spring basin that was seeing degradation from casual use.

It also made it possible to manage the spring run for the sake of the manatees, which only numbered 14 during the park’s first winter census.

Blue Spring Run

By comparison, more than 600 individual manatees wintered here in 2019. It’s not unusual to see 300 or more in the spring basin on a winter’s morning.

This is one of the few spots in Florida where you can, from the boardwalk, count them yourself and delight at the number of baby manatees you see.

A manatee calf and its mother

The park has also restored a scrub ridge where the natural forest had been ripped out a century or more ago for orange groves.

That initial loss of scrub habitat throughout Volusia County was followed by a more recent wave of home building on scrub ridges.

Cormorants at the entrance to the spring run

Florida scrub-jays are very picky about their habitat, and they were in decline. These restoration efforts have brought them back in the park.

Birders will also appreciate being able to see osprey, cormorants, anhingas, and the many types of herons and egrets that feed on the fish found in the spring basin.

There are hidden ponds to bird in the uplands off the bike path

Blue Spring Adventures manages the upper concession area near the swimming area.

They cook hot food, provide rentals of floats and other watercraft, and have a camp store that campers may want to look into.

Lady in front of soda machine at building

Manatee Gift Shop area

Hiking

Blue Springs State Park has several hiking options. The most popular one and an accessible option is the half-mile boardwalk that parallels the spring run.

Near the upper concession area and campground are a marked series of woodland paths and forest roads with “FVA” signs for Florida Volksmarch Association.

Upper portion of the boardwalk near the spring

Starting from the lower parking area, the Pine Island Trail offers a 7.3-mile round trip out to the St. Johns River through a gradient of habitats.

Power walkers and runners may also find the new paved bike path a pleasant place for a long walk or run.

Blue Spring Boardwalk

If you’ve never seen manatees by the dozens, let alone a hundred or more at once, there is no better place in Florida to watch these gentle giants than the Blue Spring Boardwalk in the wintertime

Pine Island Trail

Showcasing habitat diversity along the St. Johns River basin, the Pine Island Trail treats you to ancient oaks, open scrub, and the bank of the river itself

Biking

The newest trail to be added to Blue Spring State Park, the Spring to Spring Trail is a paved bike path that glides along its eastern edge.

It’s obvious when you drive in on the park road, as you can see cyclists on the other side of the fence.

Sandra riding bike next to fence and road

The bike path just east of the road

A walk-thru / bike gate offers access to the Spring to Spring Trail close to the campground. There is also a connector trail across from the park’s front gate.

The trail follows the eastern boundary of the park through a forest canopy to the north and through scrub forest to the south.

Bench and garbage can next to paved path

Benches are provided periodically along the trail

The Spring to Spring Trail will eventually connect to three other major springs in Volusia County: De Leon Springs, Gemini Springs, and Green Springs.

For now, more than 7 linear miles of bike path with no road crossings along it can be accessed directly from the park.

Cyclist riding uphill on paved trail in scrub forest

Spring to Spring Trail Central

Ride this surprisingly hilly bike path through tunnels of live oaks and Florida scrub-jay habitat while marveling at the beauty of the St. Johns River bluffs near Blue Spring

Paddling

The launch at Blue Spring State Park adjoins the boat docks and concession, where kayak and canoe rentals are available.

Since there is regular boat traffic in the river itself, paddlers tend to head for the lagoon, which is just a little bit south of where the spring run meets the river.

Sandra drifting across the lagoon (Niki Butcher)

Continue a little farther past the lagoon and there is a place to cross the river and enter the Snake River on the other side.

The Snake River is considered a dead river as it leads nowhere other than to parallel the St. Johns to the west briefly.

Paddling Snake River (Niki Butcher)

Overhanging vegetation prevents most boats from getting very far into this marshy area. And yes, there are snakes on the islands.

Paddlers can also go up or downriver along the shoreline. The eastern shore is best for this. Still expect to get tossed about by boat wakes.

Kayaking along the floodplain forest on the eastern shore (Niki Butcher)

During the winter manatee season, the spring run is blocked off to all casual paddlers. Only park staff may enter by water.

Floating barrier across the spring run

Camping

As we discovered, the big bonus to camping at Blue Spring State Park is guaranteed entry if you book during manatee season.

We also were able to walk down to the boardwalk to watch the manatees before the crowds showed up after the park gates opened.

Being at the spring run early means better photography

Cabins

When Florida State Parks first started building large modern cabins in their parks, Blue Spring was home to some of the first, which we stayed in when they were new.

The six cabins have two bedrooms and a sleeper couch. Each feels like a small house, with a living room, dining room, full kitchen, and porch.

Especially for families or groups of friends, the cabins are a great value at $95 a night. One cabin is wheelchair accessible.

Campground

The campground at Blue Spring State Park is in the upland area not far from the main entrance, with easy access to the bike path.

Other than the sounds of trains passing along the edge of the park, it’s relatively quiet, being down the bluff from residential Orange City.

This is a popular destination for families to tent camp, since the campsites are tucked in a forest. Sites have picnic tables and grills, plus 50 amp power and water.

The campground has two bathhouses with hot showers and laundry. Maximum size for RVs is 45 feet. All sites are back-in.

Camping rates start at $24. Leashed pets welcome.

Hickory trees provide shade

Wildlife Watching

Manatees at Blue Spring

There is something special about this spring run to the West Indian manatee, which spends part of its life cycle in the Atlantic Ocean.

In winter, they swim up the St. Johns River from its mouth in Jacksonville to this spring run each winter to keep warm and feed their young.

As the water temperatures drop below 68°F, manatees crowd into this and other Florida springs to warm up in the constant 72°F water, essential for their survival.

Mother manatee and calf

As a result, more than 500 manatees may crowd into the spring run all at once. The park posts a daily manatee count.

Normally, the park counts at least 600 distinct individual manatees each season. Some are tagged for tracking.

Manatee being cleaned by a fish

Others bear obvious permanent scars on their backs, flippers, or fins from boat propellers. Each adult manatee can weigh more than a ton.

The manatees will head into the river to feed during the day and return to the warmer waters of the spring run at night.

Manatee with propeller scar

Florida Scrub-jays

For Florida scrub-jay sightings, birders have several choices. One is to follow the Pine Island Trail.

It leads to a T at a bench where you can go in either direction along and into an extensive area of restored scrub habitat.

Following the sandy road through the scrub

The other is to use the back pedestrian / cyclist gate off the park road to join the Spring to Spring Trail.

Follow it south to reach the east edge of the same large scrub area.

A bridge over the railroad tracks provides a perfect perch for scanning the scrub with binoculars.

We heard scrub-jays while looking over this panorama from the bridge

Swimming

The upper spring run and Blue Spring itself open to swimmers after manatee season is over.

This varies according to the volume of manatees still lingering in the spring run through springtime.

People standing on landing over spring water

The manatee observation deck is used as the lower landing for casual tubing in summer

Once the upper run opens, you are welcome to swim, snorkel, or float between the landings.

Paddlers may only come up to the edge of the swimming area, which is clearly marked.

Paddler just outside the swimming area

Historic Site

On 133 acres surrounding the spring, the Thursby family built a two-story home atop a midden with a view of the St. Johns River.

Their landing became a regular stop for steamboats plying the river after the Civil War, and for local growers to ship their produce.

Large historic home with wrap around porches

The Thursby House

A short line railroad later connected the landing to Orange City, which was growing as more people moved to Florida in the 1880s.

The home contained a museum for many years, but it has not been open to the public on our recent visits.

Thursby House as seen from the boardwalk

Tours

Departing from the landing at the floating dock, the St. Johns River Cruise is a 2-hour pontoon boat tour on a smooth-riding, quiet boat.

Wheelchair accessible, these narrated nature tours take you up the St. Johns River towards Hontoon Island and Lake Beresford.

The boats venture into some of the side channels, like the Snake River, for birding and wildlife encounters.

Tours are provided by Blue Spring Adventures and can be booked online in advance. They also lead guided Segway tours.

Book a Nature Cruise

View from the tour boat

Trail Map

Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos from Blue Spring State Park

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Hontoon Island State Park

An island in the St. Johns River, Hontoon Island State Park is accessible to boaters thanks to a marina big enough to accommodate a houseboat and to everyday visitors by a free ferryboat. It’s worth the short trip to see the bounteous wildlife of the St. Johns River, from wading birds to manatees to turtles lying in the sun.