Warm Mineral Springs Park — Attraction in North Port

I have lived in Bradenton, Florida for over 30 years and this was my first visit to the Warm Mineral Springs in North Port Florida. Almost everything at the park was closed and no reopening in site as far as buildings are concerned. There are two temporary trailers there and one is for a Ticket Booth (and other staff stuff) and then the other is a bathroom for the Men and Women. The men's room had 3 stalls, a couple of urinals and some sinks for washing your hands. No changing rooms, no showers, just a normal sized bathroom with very dirty floors. I'd assume most men would find it acceptable to change in. I assume the women's is equal, except with an additional stall or two in place of the urinals.

The cost to float around in this medium sized pond until 5:00 PM is $20 if you are NOT a North Port resident (not exactly sure what type of discount they get). The pond itself, which was reported to have been created by a sinkhole (pond being roughly an acre maybe?) some time back. It is somewhat nice in appearance, I'm sure it's lovely first thing in the morning with no one in it yet, maybe some mist coming off of the waters.

Anyway, back to the springs themselves, the pool of mineral water is full of green/brown algae blobs floating around in the circle. At the edge of the pond, the bottom is covered in the algae growing in the shallows. The spring empties from the pond via a small minnow infested stream. Some of the minnows do "escape" into the pond at times. I am sure that this "escape" is pretty much a death sentence. The water must be deadly to them considering the massive amount of dissolved minerals it contains. Yet, despite all of this (or because of it?), the water manages to be fairly clear. You will have no issues seeing your own toes on the bottom, so about 6 feet or 2 meters of very good visibility. I'm sure it's closer to roughly 20 feet or 7 meters of clarity if you get in the center, maybe a little bit more. It's also incredibly dark down at the bottom. Seeing it is not an option. It's also way past the ability of mortals reach via a free dive. I'm told that it's 200+ feet or about 67+ meters deep. However, I did do a little exploring of the drops edge and it's scary steep, nearly shear once you go out past the floats. NICE!

Many will dislike the floating green\brown globs of goop in their swimming experience. So, I caution any unknowing future guests about this part of the mineral waters. The small (sometimes LARGE) blobs of algae, the everpresent denizens of this generally clear water, can be a huge turn off for some people that make it past the smell. Neither are anything to worry about, but your nose and eyes will tell you otherwise. This water contains massive amounts of dissolved salts and minerals, 87 are proven to exist. Apparently, this is a record for mineral springs. The salts are VERY much there. The water is probably close to being as salty as the waters of the Gulf. Remember, these salts in this water are not just the normal Sodium Chloride (NaCl) from your table side shaker. There are probably dozens of others in there, and they all add up to water that is more dense than plain old fresh H2O. This all means that you do float slightly better, it also means that you WILL feel it on your skin when you get out of the water. Be CAREFUL of the SUN! You have been warned.

The seating provided will be either a plastic lounge or a simple chair, these being sprinkled all around the pond. Some are dirty (dirty feet being the most likely culprits), but most were fine with just a cursory wipe off.

So, was it worth it? It was an OK experience, but I see this as a one time event for almost anyone. The price of entry, $20 is a little steep. I'm sure this price keeps the attendance low. However, even with few people in attendance, the inability of others to respect any type of personal space will have some park goers absolutely on edge. Finally, we brought our lunch, lovingly packed by my dearest friend. For others, there was a lunch trailer in attendance, so you could get something...

There are a myriad of mixed reviews on this place which originally made me not want to go, but I did end up really happy that I did. It is expensive, but I personally did think the health benefits, relaxation, and experience was worth it. However, I can definitely understand how it isn’t for everyone.

Firstly, it is true that the facilities are run down. There used to be a cafe and gift shop that are currently closed. Currently there is the admission area and the restrooms and that is it. So when you go there are no inside space it is only the spring and then the grassy area around the spring. The chairs and loungers are dated as well and most do have broken slats, that being said, the area is perfectly serviceable. Parking is super easy and free, restrooms are okay and you can always find a chair to grab or space to sit for relaxing, reading, or sunbathing.

Second, the spring itself. It DOES smell like rotten eggs-it is SUPPOSED to smell. This is a mineral spring and this one contains the most mineral content of any mineral springs in the US. It contains sulfur which, naturally, smells bad but also gives it the majority of the health benefits that the spring does have. It also does have algae around the edges of the spring that does get stirred up the more people are in the spring. So by the middle of the day there is a lot of algae in the center and a lot of dirt kick up. If you want it to be less dirty, go as soon as the springs open and leave early afternoon. In the morning, most of the algae is on the sides of the pool instead of floating around and the water is clearer. The water itself isn’t really dirty-it just isn’t the crystal clear water that is characteristic of other Florida springs and the minerals probably cloud the water. Definitely not the best place to snorkel. As for the temperature, it is warmer than the other springs in Florida, but it’s not a hot tub-warm not hot-meaning it’s going to feel a bit cold getting in but you aren’t going to freeze. Its comfortable enough once you are in to stay a couple hours.

Third, the health benefits. Here is what I noticed: -immediate skin benefits, acne/dermatitis/eczema relief and intermediate skin purge (under the skin pimples may come to the surface of the skin) -pain relief- for about 6-8 hours after exiting springs muscle and joint pains completely vanished for this time but comes back after the time period. After one soak the benefits seem temporary but for those with chronic pain it is so nice to have a day without the normal pain. -body detox-mostly just know that you may need to be near a restroom a lot for 2-3 days afterwards 😆

Overall, I do think this spring is worth it for the health benefits, but you have to remember it’s a natural spring/sinkhole with an ecosystem of fish and algae and NOT a luxury spa. There’s grass and dirt and therefore ants and bugs and small lizards. It smells, and you are going to smell like sulfur for about 48 hours. Bring your own towel, lots of water, and some snacks. You will be hungry and thirsty after! From research on mineral springs do two sessions about 45min-1 hour in the water with a break in between and wait a couple hours...

Grateful to have the opportunity to experience the rumored Florida Fountain of Youth! I took a Wednesday day off work and drove 3 hours to visit this place on my birthday. I loved the time in nature and the lovely people who frequent this place. The age range was retiree age. There were three ways that most people enjoyed the mineral spring. Walkers - these were people who waded along the outer perimeter shallow mineral spring depth of 4 foot 10 inches or so. This area is marked with a rope with buoys attached. Some people even had water aerobics weights. Swimmers/floaters - these people swam or floated inside of the roped area with pool noodles. This area is a depth of up to 200ft, according to the employees, and located in the center of the warm spring pool. Loungers - these people sat in the lounge chairs while reading, relaxing, or sunbathing

A nifty factoid is that this place is a natural warm mineral spring. There were small and medium sized fish that were present in the water. The water smelled faintly of sulfur and there are entry ramps surrounding the body of water. There are two lifeguard towers. The lifeguards appeared to rotate potions roughly every 45minutes .

Reality - this natural warm mineral spring is an awesome “Florida to do list” item. Although, I must mention that I moved from Colorado where there are natural HOT springs and this experience was not that 😆 yet I still enjoyed people-watching and nature-watching and bird-watching. In Colorado the hot spring is hotter than the outdoor temperature and perfect to visit in winter. In Florida the warm spring felt cooler than the Florida “winter” temperature on the day I visited and that shocked me. I say this to suggest going into the experience open-mined without expectations… maybe practice “beginners mind”.

Would I drive 3 hours to go back here? No, yet I’m grateful for the experience and think it’s worth a road trip with a loved one you want to spend time with and enjoy their company for a mini road trip. Maybe even a good litmus test for a new partner 🤣 and traveling together for the first time.

Amenities were lacking: There are several buildings on the property are fenced off and boarded up. Restroom: yes Showers: no (Luckiky I brought baby wipes or I would have smelled like sulphur water for the long drive back.) Trails: No Shade: Minimal. I overheated from the direct sun and lack of a hearty breakfast. Some of the chairs are near trees that provide shade. There are no shade structures. Store/supplies: No, I recommend bringing water, sunblock, towels, pool noodles, and a snack) Food: No. Around noon a Ukrainian Food Truck parked in the parking lot. I tried the $4 cabbage pastry and it was a delicious. Re-entry: Yes, with a stamp. Adult entry $20 - Was the 20 dollar bill worth the experience… yes and no. I was happy to be off work and experiencing something new. My ex-partners family would have been disappointed by the value for the money. AED machine - No, I did not see an AED machine that was accessible. There was a sign pointing one out behind a condemned area...