Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Blue Spring State Park, Orange City, FL

Photo: Tetraminoe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Blue Spring State Park

2100 W. French Ave · Orange City, FL

Why you should go…

Blue Spring State Park surrounds the largest spring on the St. Johns River, where the water stays about 72 degrees all year. From mid-November to March, hundreds of manatees crowd into the spring run to escape the cold, and you watch them from a boardwalk along the bank. Once the manatees leave, the run opens for swimming, snorkeling, tubing and scuba diving. The three-story Thursby House near the river recalls the area's steamboat days.

  • #state park
  • #manatee viewing
  • #natural spring
  • #swimming
  • #kayaking

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Blue Spring State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Daytona International Speedway

    $25–$50

    Ride an open-air tram around the 2.5-mile home of the Daytona 500 and visit the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

    23 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Tours
    Local Gem

    Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

    Under $25

    A one-hour pontoon ride through Winter Park's chain of lakes, past mansions and moss-draped canals.

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    4 Rivers Smokehouse

    Under $25

    Central Florida's home-grown BBQ chain, famous for brisket and banana pudding, started right here in Winter Park.

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Harry P. Leu Gardens

    Under $25

    Fifty acres of camellias, roses, and shaded oak canopy on the shore of Lake Rowena.

    26 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Lake Eola Park

    Free

    Downtown Orlando's signature park, ringed by a walking path and dotted with resident swan boats.

    28 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Quirky Fun

    Gatorland

    Under $25

    Alligator wrestling shows and a zip line over gator-filled swamp at Orlando's original reptile park.

    39 mi awayMore like this