Centered on significant clusters of springs in Crystal River and its tributaries, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge edges its namesake town.
Established in 1983, its focus is the protection of the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee.
Mother and baby manatee in a spring runResources
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Overview
Location: Crystal River
Headquarters: 28.88427, -82.59221
Address: 1502 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River
Fees: $7.50-20 per person to visit Three Sisters Springs, including shuttle service. $5 per vehicle parking at Kings Bay Park or Hunters Spring Park. Other city parking lots are free.
Restroom: At Visitor Center, Three Sisters Springs, and city parks
Land manager: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Phone: 352-563-2088
Open dawn to dusk. Visitor Center and headquarters open Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat 10-3.
Fishing permitted with a Florida saltwater license. No camping is allowed in the refuge.
Manatee season runs from mid-November through late March. Water access to springs is limited during these months (respect all posted barriers for the manatees’ sake) and admission to Three Sisters Springs is higher.
Access Points
Click on an icon to obtain directions. Three Sisters Springs has no parking on site except for several handicapped spaces. Walk in from downtown via Crosstown Trail, or use the in-town shuttle available (your admission fee includes it).
About the Refuge
Refuge is what this National Wildlife Refuge is most well known for, as one of Florida’s most significant wintering grounds for manatees.
Slow-moving half-to-multi-ton vegetarian aquatic mammals, they are vulnerable to seasonal drops in ocean temperatures.
Kayaker viewing manateesManatees travel up Florida rivers in winter seeking warmer waters around springs, where the water temperature is constant year-round.
Grazing seagrass, they are also vulnerable to being injured by boat propellers and to the health of the seagrass on the estuary floor.
Manatee surfacing behind boat with a propellerOne of the success stories of this refuge is the replanting of damaged and dying seagrass around spring basins and canals in Crystal River.
An organic effort by citizens to provide forage for manatees, it took hold after a major die-off and putrification of the seagrass beds after a hurricane-driven storm surge.
Replanted seagrass at the Kings Bay Park docksThis turnaround and other successes, such as the conservation of Three Sisters Springs, are explained in presentations at the Visitor Center.
Multimedia and interactive exhibits interpret the refuge and its inhabitants, and how the refuge interlinks with adjacent public lands to protect this coastline.
Learn about manatees at the refuge visitor centerThe waterfront porch of the visitor center overlooks several marsh-fringed islands under refuge protection, including Banana Island and Buzzard Island.
Frequently visited by tour boats for snorkeling tours, King Spring is a major gathering place for manatees along Banana Island.
View of the islands from the visitor centerMost visitors experience the refuge by getting into or onto the water. Multiple outfitters provide guided trips and equipment rentals.
Paddling, snorkeling, and swimming are key activities. But there are lesser-known ways to see the springs of the refuge (and the manatees) from land.
A minor spring along the King’s Bay River WalkHiking
Crystal River is a compact, walkable community. With the exception of the Visitor Center, pathways and sidewalks connect key points within the Kings Bay Manatee Refuge.
Three trails showcasing the springs of Kings Bay are largely accessible. Only the interpretive trails at Three Sisters Springs require a fee for entry.
Trail kiosk at Three Sisters SpringsTo limit overuse of launch point parking, fees are charged to park at Kings Bay Park and Hunters Spring Park, but free parking is just a few shaded blocks away.
Extending one linear mile, the Kings Bay Riverwalk provides an easy stroll along the bay with benches and overlooks for wildlife watching.
King’s Bay River Walk pedestrian access at US 19A separate 2 mile linear bike path, the Crosstown Trail, connects a downtown park and parking areas with the entrance to Three Sisters Springs.
At the springs, their limited parking is reserved for handicapped visitors. Walk-ins pay an entrance fee, but the boardwalk provides a good reason why.
A boardwalk wraps around Three Sisters Springs for manatee viewingThe accessible arc around the spring basin is part of a mile-long interpretive loop hike on level, packed ground along a scrim of coastal habitats.
A pond and wetland on the property provide outstanding birding, while the boardwalk itself is the destination for manatee-watchers in winter.
Manatee watching at the springsPaddling
Public put-ins are at Kings Bay Park and Hunter Springs Park. Hunter Springs provides the easier hand launch and landing, as well as a swimming beach.
Kings Bay Park has a launch slip at its boat docks, where tour boats depart. Outfitters leading guided trips and renting equipment have permanent corrals as well.
Rental kayaks at Kings Bay ParkKings Bay is broad and open, with a number of springs in the main channel. Its coastline is ragged and remains largely marshy where not developed.
Canals cut for waterfront access for subdivisions over fifty years ago make for a maze between houses on the approach to Three Sisters Springs.
Paddleboarders at sunrise on Kings BayPaddlers are welcome to navigate into the springs (including Three Sisters) when they are not otherwise cordoned off for resource and manatee protection.
There are private (fee) launch points at the Best Western along US 19, the Port Motel adjoining the Visitor’s Center, and Plantation Resort off Fort Island Trail.
Pelicans diving off old docks behind the Best WesternDisembarkation from watercraft is not allowed where posted by the refuge, but you can swim or snorkel at any spring that is not cordoned off.
Do not approach manatees you encounter in the water. Manatees are not the only swimmers here. Expect alligators, anhingas, and cormorants, and even the occasional dolphin.
Snorkelers on a tourTrail Map
Explore More!
Ways to explore the refuge and its surrounding waters
Three Sisters Springs An important gathering place for manatees during the winter months, this beautiful cluster of springs along Crystal River can be visited by land or by water.
Hunter Springs Park Besides access to its namesake spring for swimmers, Hunter Springs Park is also a popular put-in for paddlers headed to Three Sisters Springs.
Kings Bay Park Edging Kings Bay and spring-fed waterways flowing into it, this wooded downtown park provides some of the best views of Kings Bay.
Kings Bay River Walk Discover a variety of unexpected perspectives on coves, springs, and the expanse of Kings Bay along a marked walkway stretching around downtown Crystal River.Video
A visit to Three Sisters Springs
A winter morning walk along Kings Bay
Slideshow
See our photos of Crystal River NWR
Nearby Adventures
Chassahowitzka WMA Protecting more than 34,000 acres of coastal habitats along Florida's Adventure Coast, Chassahowitzka WMA offers extensive exploration on its network of limerock roads.
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park A set of interpreted ruins almost two centuries old sits under a dense canopy of ancient live oaks shared by a pretty picnic area in Old Homosassa. 
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park A former roadside attraction at the source of the Homosassa River, this Florida State Park showcases native Florida wildlife.
Crystal River Preserve State Park Crystal River Preserve State Park spans 20 miles of the Gulf Coast between Yankeetown and Homosassa, protecting key manatee habitats along estuaries of the Gulf.
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- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026
- Tradewinds Park - October 27, 2026