Florida Springs Near Daytona & Orlando

The springs at a glance

Spring	Swim?	Entry	Book?
Blue Spring	Apr 1–Nov 14	$6 per vehicle	Required
De Leon Springs	Yes	$6 per vehicle	No
Gemini Springs	No	Free	None listed
Green Springs	No	Free	None listed
Wekiwa Springs	Yes	$6 per vehicle	Required
Kelly Park / Rock Springs	Yes, tubing	$5 per vehicle	Online ticket
Alexander Springs	Yes, scuba too	$14.50 per person	Summer weekends, holidays
Juniper Springs	Pool only	$14.50 per person	No, first-come
Silver Glen Springs	Yes	$14.50 per person	None listed
Silver Springs	No	$2 per person	Boat tours advised

The $14.50 fee at the three Ocala National Forest springs is plus tax. Children 5 and under get in free at those three springs and at the main Silver Springs entrance. Blue Spring’s $6 vehicle fee covers 2–8 people, and Wekiwa’s covers up to 8.

Blue Spring: manatees in winter, swimming in summer

• Manatee season: November 15 to March 31. All water activities are closed then. Swimming season runs April 1 to November 14.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year.
• Entry fee: $6 per vehicle (2–8 people), $4 for a single-occupant vehicle, and $2 for pedestrians, cyclists and extra passengers.
• Day-use reservation required for every visitor. The park often reaches capacity.
• Also here: the 4.5-mile Pine Island Trail, canoe and kayak rentals, a river cruise and the historic Thursby House.
• Address: 2100 W. French Ave., Orange City, FL 32763. Phone: 386-775-3663.

The park counted a record 729 manatees in 2023. For viewing tips, see where to see manatees near Daytona Beach. Official park page ↗

De Leon Springs: swim, then pancakes

Flooding closure (as of September 30, 2026): flooding has closed the fishing pier, boat dock and boat ramp, and boat tours are suspended. Check the park page before you go.

• The spring: 72°F, from 18 inches deep to 30 feet. There are no lifeguards, so stay in the roped areas. Snorkeling is allowed in the swim area only, and there’s no swimming in Spring Garden Run.
• Hours: the park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset. Swimming runs from 8 a.m. to a half-hour before sunset, and closes when lightning is within 6 miles.
• Entry fee: $6 per vehicle, $4 for a single occupant or motorcycle, and $2 for pedestrians.
• Old Sugar Mill Pancake House: cook your own pancakes at the table, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with a take-out window. Park admission is required.
• Good to know: floats have size limits, alcohol isn’t allowed, and there’s a chair lift into the water.
• Address: 601 Ponce De Leon Blvd., De Leon Springs, FL 32130. Phone: 386-985-4212.

Official park page ↗ · Swimming rules ↗

Gemini Springs and Green Springs: free, but no swimming

Gemini Springs Park (37 Dirksen Dr., DeBary) is a free, 212-acre Volusia County park where two springs put out about 6.5 million gallons of water a day. Swimming isn’t permitted until further notice. You can fish from the dock with a license, walk the ¾-mile nature trail, use the dog park or tent camp. No glass. Open sunrise to sunset. Phone: 386-736-5953. Official park page ↗

Green Springs Park (994 Enterprise/Osteen Rd., Enterprise) is a free, 31-acre county park around a green sulfur spring. No swimming or fishing. It’s a trailhead for the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail (5.7 miles to SR 415). Open sunrise to sunset. Official park page ↗

North of Orlando: Wekiwa Springs and Kelly Park

Wekiwa Springs State Park (1800 Wekiwa Circle, Apopka, FL 32712; 407-553-4348)

• Day-use reservation required since September 2, 2025.
• The spring: 72°F. The swim area is just over half an acre and about 4 feet deep on average. No lifeguards. Snorkeling is allowed.
• Rules: single-person floats only, and no diving, jumping or scuba. No swimming in Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run or the Wekiva River. No grills, pop-up tents or canopies on the lawn.
• Hours and fees: 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year. $6 per vehicle (up to 8 people), $4 single occupant, $2 pedestrians, cyclists and extra passengers.
• Also here: a second-magnitude spring that puts out 43 million gallons a day, canoe and kayak rentals, and a swim lift (400-pound limit).

Official park page ↗ · Swimming rules ↗

Kelly Park / Rock Springs (400 E. Kelly Park Rd., Apopka, FL 32712; 407-254-1902)

• Tickets: online only at OCPORTAL.net, up to 30 days ahead. $5 per vehicle. The park is cashless, has a limit of 280 a day, and has no re-entry.
• The float: about 25 minutes down the run, then about a 10-minute walk back. The water is 68–72°F.
• Tubes: there are no tube rentals inside the park. Your own float must be under 5 feet.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from March to early November, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from November to March. The waterfront and trails close an hour before the park.
• Rules: no pets and no alcohol. Life jackets are fine, but water wings aren’t. Lifeguards aren’t on duty year-round, and the concession stand runs from spring break to early October.

Official park page ↗

Ocala National Forest: Alexander, Juniper and Silver Glen

All three charge $14.50 per person plus tax, and children 5 and under are free.

• Alexander Springs (49525 CR 445, Altoona, FL 32702; 352-669-3522): a first-magnitude, 72°F spring with a sloped, sandy beach entry. It’s the only site in the Ocala National Forest where scuba diving is allowed. Day use from 8 a.m., and the gate closes at 6 p.m. from November to March. Vehicle reservations are used only on summer weekends and holidays. Canoe and kayak rentals, and the 0.9-mile Timucuan Trail. No pets in the day-use area, and no glass, alcohol or personal grills. Cell service is limited. Forest Service page ↗
• Juniper Springs (26701 E. Highway 40, Silver Springs, FL 34488; 352-625-3147): a 72°F swimming pool beside a 1930s mill house built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Swim in the pool only, with no wading or fishing in the runs. First-come, first-served. Kayaks are $65 single and $75 double or canoe, plus a $15 shuttle for the 7-mile Juniper Run, which isn’t for beginners. The gate closes at 6 p.m. from November to February. No pets or alcohol in the day-use area. Forest Service page ↗
• Silver Glen Springs (5271 FL-19, Salt Springs, FL 32134; 352-685-2799): a first-magnitude spring of about 72°F that puts out about 65 million gallons a day. Day use only. Snorkeling is fine, but no diving or scuba. Walk the Lake George Trail (3 miles round trip) or the Spring Boils Trail to Jody’s Spring (0.75 mile round trip), and stay off the shell middens. No pets. Bears live here, and the restrooms are portable toilets. Forest Service page ↗

Silver Springs: glass-bottom boats, no swimming

• No swimming anywhere in the park. You see the spring from a glass-bottom boat or a kayak, and manatees are sometimes seen.
• Glass-bottom boats: 30 minutes for $17 (adults) or $15 (seniors 55+ and kids 3–12). 90 minutes for $35 or $30. Under 2 free. Reservations recommended.
• Kayaks: a single kayak rents for $30 for the first hour. Bringing your own boat costs a $4 launch fee. The canoe and kayak launch closes 90 minutes before the park closes.
• Entry: $2 per person at the main SR 40 entrance (5 and under free). The campground and equestrian entrances charge $8 per vehicle (2–8 people), $5 for a single occupant or motorcycle, and $2 for pedestrians.
• Silver River Museum: weekends 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $2.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset. Address: 5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Silver Springs, FL 34488. Phone: 352-236-7149.

Official park page ↗ · Boat tour FAQ ↗

State park reservations: how they work

1. Who needs one: every visitor to Blue Spring and Wekiwa Springs, including annual pass holders.
2. Where and when: book at reserve.floridastateparks.org up to 60 days ahead. Same-day bookings work until the daily limit is reached, and you get one reservation per day.
3. Paying: you pay the entry fee online, with no booking fee. Show the receipt on your phone or printed.
4. Leaving and coming back: get a re-entry ticket from the ranger station before you leave.
5. Change of plans: cancellations are refunded, but no-shows aren’t.

Florida State Parks reservation info ↗