Florida has at least 21 documented springs, nearly all clear freshwater pools that hold a steady 72 degrees year-round rather than geothermal hot springs. 2 are free swimming holes and 19 are paid state parks or private sites. Silver Springs near Ocala and Wekiwa Springs near Orlando rank among the most visited, both large spring-fed parks built for swimming, snorkeling, and paddling.
The Ocala area in central Florida holds the densest grouping inside Ocala National Forest, with spring-fed swimming parks like Silver Springs, Juniper Springs, and Alexander Springs set among sand-bottom pools and clear runs.
Around Orlando, a second cluster draws families to Wekiwa Springs, Rock Springs, and Blue Spring, the last a winter manatee refuge on the St. Johns River. The Gainesville and High Springs area adds snorkeling and dive springs such as Ginnie Springs and Devil's Den.
The Suwannee River corridor near Live Oak and Branford holds a run of clear river springs, including Troy Spring and the free Little River Springs, popular with divers and paddlers across north Florida.
Florida is different because its springs are cold, not hot, fed by the Floridan aquifer at a constant 72 degrees that feels cool in summer and mild in winter. The water is famously clear, drawing snorkelers, cave divers, paddlers, and winter manatees rather than soakers. Sites like Weeki Wachee Springs pair swimming with historic attractions, and most are developed state parks with easy, 15-site wheelchair access across the central and northern parts of the state, with primitive free sites limited to the Suwannee River corridor.
Highlights are drawn from the springs documented in this directory. These are cold freshwater springs, and others may exist across Florida's spring country.
Largest documented spring park: Silver Springs near Ocala is among the largest documented artesian spring parks in our records, famous for glass-bottom boat tours over clear sand-bottom pools on the Silver River.
Winter manatee refuge: Blue Spring near Orlando becomes a winter gathering site for hundreds of manatees drawn to its 72-degree water, with a boardwalk along the St. Johns River run.
Snorkel and dive sink: Devil's Den near Gainesville is a prehistoric spring inside a dry cave, reached by a staircase into the rock for snorkeling and scuba in clear blue water.
Free Suwannee swimming hole: Little River Springs near Branford is a free spring on the Suwannee River with a sand beach and a cave-diving entrance popular with north Florida paddlers.
Historic mermaid show: Weeki Wachee Springs near Tampa pairs a deep spring with the state park's long-running underwater mermaid theater and a summer water park.
Natural lazy river run: Rock Springs Kelly Park near Orlando offers a natural lazy-river tubing run down a clear spring-fed channel, one of the most popular family springs in the Orlando area.
