Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring is the winter home (November-March) for an ever-increasing population of the endagered Florida manatee, as well as being a favorite recreation area.

: See the 1872 Thursby House.

: Spot Native American shell mounds.

The SettingBritish naturalist John Bartram first explored this lush area before American independence. Today, Blue Spring, in north-central Florida, is the winter home for an...

Blue Spring is the winter home (November-March) for an ever-increasing population of the endagered Florida manatee, as well as being a favorite recreation area. Popular activities include swimming, fishing, canoeing, and camping. Visitors may hike the 4-mile trail through pine flatwoods and cypress swamp, or marvel at the 1872 Thursby House that sits atop an ancient Timucuan shell midden.

Blue Spring State Park, located north of Orlando in Orange City, offers visitors a more relaxed and natural Florida setting away from the crowded, noisy attractions and theme parks of the area. Spend an afternoon or plan an overnight stay here in a cabin or at a campsite to take in all it has to offer. The park encompasses over 2,600 acres, features the St. Johns Rivers biggest spring plus is...

The largest spring on the St. Johns River, Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home (mid-November through March) to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. For centuries, the spring area was home for Native Americans. In 1766 it was visited by Colonial American botanist John Bartram, but it wasn't until 1856 that it was settled by Louis Thursby and his family. The...