Blue Spring State Park — Attraction in DeBary

I visited three natural springs in the area and Blue Springs was my second/almost first favorite. This one was a little farther out for me and it's a good combination of Rock Springs and Wekiwa, the two other I visited, in that it's a lazy river, but also a good place for a proper swim.

The biggest tip is to ARRIVE EARLY. I got there at 8:10 and there was a fairly long line to get in, and it moves slowly. It was fully 8:40 by the time I parked. Most folks are going to park near the snack stand, but there is more parking by the boat dock as well. A long boardwalk runs from the boat dock in the St. Johns river all the way up to the "boil" where the spring bubbles up. The parking lot and canteen are towards the springs end, with a swimming area right there, and an upper entrance closer to the boil. Both entrances are metal stairs so you don't have contact with the embankment. Regardless of where you get in, you'll have to navigate against the current to get up to the boil. It's fairly deep, but an adult can touch in most places along the whole stretch. Still, you'll need to be a relatively decent swimmer.

There is a snack bar and gift shop, but the bathrooms nearby are in a trailer and not the best. Better bathrooms are down by the boat dock. There is a place to rent tubes, but I remember it being pretty expensive and in the end I didn't use one at all. But most folks brings some sort of flotation. There are no lifeguards here, but there are some volunteer manatee spotters (who also spotted an alligator at one point! It was small but most everyone got out of the water.)

I also booked a 2-hour wildlife boat trip, which was 100% worth it! It's down at the other end of the park, where the water isn't clear anymore, and our guide spotted tons of birds, alligators, and even a couple of manatees! I also spotted a manatee in the clear spring water when I first arrived. You can also rent kayaks to explore the St. Johns or the spring run between the boat dock and the lower swimming entrance.

This is how my day worked out, as a first time visitor - my boat tour was scheduled at 10, I parked only a little before 9, so after I walked up and down the boardwalk to get my bearings, I didn't have time for a swim, so I waited for the boat, did that from 10-12, ate lunch at the canteen, and then went swimming. My first time, I swam/walked up the entire length, from the lower entrance to the boil, swam around the boil some (I liked trying to swim over it, but it takes some effort.) Then swam back down to the lower entrance. The second time, I walked to the upper entrance, swam up to the boil and around some, then swam back down. Most folks walk to the upper entrance and float down from there, or make the effort to get closer to the boil then float down. I really really enjoyed it here and would come back in a heartbeat, but I also liked Kelly Park/Rock Springs...

The park is well known for manatee viewing and as a lifetime Florida resident, I have never seen more in one place at one time.

The boardwalks along the spring run give you great views of the manatees. The water is as clear as can be.

The area where the spring comes out of the ground was still closed off at the time of our visit in late December in 2024. You can walk from where the gift shop is, down the spring run to where it meets the St John's River. - a good distance.

Crowds can get big when the manatees are there in mass it is best to plan to go early as we were told, staying in a cabin, that leaving and trying to reenter could be difficult.

There is plenty of spaces for picnics but outside of the river, there is little to do at this park. Hiking is basically on some dirt roads that seemed more fitting for regular vehicles.

We took the boat tour, going early allowed us to not be crowded in. I think there were several trips you could take, the one we were on did not go very far at all. I enjoyed it, but it really was not that insightful in seeing much of the river.

The house that you can tour is interesting to see. It is however just opened up and self-guided with you only being able to access a few rooms.

If you don't like crowds, you'll want to try to avoid the busy time of weekends or holidays. The park gets very full, and children and dogs are everywhere. People were quite loud, and I found it difficult to enjoy much of nature while listening to these large crowds more interested in hearing themselves than any sounds that you might find in nature.

The viewing decks would be several people thick up to the railings. You would have to wait to get to the railing and there were always people waiting behind you.

I would also not recommend sitting on the ground unless you're comfortable being on ground that is used as a very busy dog run for the large number of pets that are welcomed. They are cute and loveable, but it is something natural to them to relieve themselves on any tree, patch of grass, etc. So, keep that in mind if you consider a picnic. Find a table.

I do want to visit in the season when you can swim here, which is not available for obvious reasons when the manatees need this spring run. The water is stunning.

The rest of the park is well kept, but it has a high volume of people coming in and the park is dedicated to trying to handle as many of those guest as is possible so you have a lot of open fields, parking lots and very little in the way of trails. The boardwalks along the spring run are the high point of this park.

If you want to see the manatees, and in mass numbers, check with the park as they count them each day. Going a day or so after a cold snap comes through is when you will see the largest numbers. There were over 900 on one day of our visit. It truly...

*Note- when coming in take your first right if you want to go to the swimming hole. This was very beautiful to see, the water extremely refreshing. I’m one to feel cold water to my bone, but this felt wonderful. The sun came through to the water and warmed it slightly , and it was perfect. There was a lot of Gar on the walk up, in the closed off areas, and I had never seen them congregate so much, with tilapia running through too. Saw a turtle as well. Just really clean too. The water felt clean, you could see everything perfectly when you were snorkeling. Which, I don’t care what age, you should definitely do. It’s a whole new world, and you miss sooooo much not doing it. Grab a mask! The walk way had nice little sprayers that kept your feet cool so to walk on the boardwalk comfortably. If you want to rent a float, there’s an adorable and super staff friendly gift shop. You really don’t want to miss it, but bring chaching if you are toting a couple little ones , they’ll definitely find something that will be memorable and heartwarming. The walk isn’t terrible, if you park at the first parking lot on the right. For some reason the sign is backwards and you see that information on the way out. I wished very much I could have went to the dock and fished, but we all had enough walking at that point, and made it something we would do first next time. There is places to put a chair and cooler, but be mindful there is some construction going on, nothing deal breaking, but it looks close to being done. You can go in to swim at the water dock in front of the store (there is a snack bar too, with covered seating) and a swimming run if you take a right up the boardwalk. The Thurman House isn’t open right now, and I was a little disappointed because it’s important for children and adults alike to know this was more than a spring, and the historical value of a place that Indians lived and raised their family’s. I always felt that reminding my children of the value of such a pristine place made them appreciate it, and keep it beautiful. I’ve been there in the winter and the manatees are a memory you want to share with your family, but I was grateful to swim this time, and glad the swimming are has...