If you live in Florida or are considering visiting, hopefully, you have heard about our springs. These refreshing bodies of clear water are particularly great to visit during the summer! If you are trying to decide where to take your family for an outdoor adventure this summer, then check out this list of the 10 best Florida springs for families.
What makes these the best for families?
We have visited many Florida springs. The springs I am including in this list were the ones my kids enjoyed the most. We also enjoyed them because, as you know, “happy kids = happy trip”.
Ok, I just made that up…but it is true.
These springs either had shallow areas for kids to explore safely, sandy shores for them to play, or wide platforms for them to safely get in and out of the water.
I hope that taking these factors into consideration will help you narrow down your options!
Note: Not all of these springs have camping options. Here is a list of the best springs with camping.
Where are these Florida Springs located?
I have created this map with the 10 best springs for families to help you plan your adventure by location.
The best Florida springs for family adventures
Lithia Springs
While this is not the prettiest spring, it is the most kid-friendly one we have been to. It is also the furthest one south that we know of.
A large portion of the spring is shallow, which is great for two reasons. First, this is ideal for little ones as they can walk and explore safely. The other reason is that the shallow water is a bit warmer. This may seem like it defeats the purpose, but it is actually still quite cool.
You can camp here, but there is a catch. This park is part of the Hillsborough County system, and it first-come, first-served. We were very nervous heading over, and we called in the morning to ensure there were sites still available. Your best bet would be to go during the week, which is difficult to do for working families!
Another drawback is that access to the springs is not included with the camping fees. This caught us by surprise! This was not enforced during the week when we went, but there were people checking for the admission headbands to access the springs on Saturday before we headed back.
Rock Springs at Kelly Park
These have been my favorite springs so far. Not only are they the most beautiful ones I have seen, but also there is a sandy beach area that the kids loved. You can reach the sandy beach area either directly from the parking lot or swimming/tubing from the head spring.
The spring portion does not have many shallow spaces, although there are lots of flat rocks to hang out. The issue is that lots of people launch their tubes right from the head spring and often end up crashing into you!
Rant: I wish they restricted the head spring portion to swimming and snorkeling only. There is a platform past the head spring that is ideal for launching tubes. Ok. Rant over.
You can camp here, although the system is not convenient. This park is part of the Orange County system, and you can only make reservations up to 45 days in advance through their website here.
Blue Springs
This is one of the busiest springs in central Florida, partly due to the proximity to Orlando. This makes it a bit difficult to find camping spots. The last time we visited, we actually stayed in a cabin. This is a great alternative, especially when visiting during the hot summer months! Check my article about Florida State Park Cabins here if you would like to learn more about this option.
One thing to know about Blue Springs is that the head spring can only be reached by swimming or kayaking to it. This is both good and bad. The reason it is good is that it keeps the number of people low around the head spring. However, if you have little kids and you want to take them, then you need to accommodate for that. We used a little inflatable boat to take them, and we found a shallow spot where they could hang out.
Manatee Springs
We have camped at Manatee Springs State Park TWICE! Although the first time was during the winter months, and therefore too cold to get in the water. We have gone in the summer and it is fantastic. There are also multiple hiking trails, and the boardwalks offer gorgeous views of the Suwannee River.
What I love about this Florida springs is that there is a small, shallow area that was perfect for the kids to play and explore. There are also multiple platforms to enter the water, which keeps them from getting too crowded.
The campground is very well maintained, although it is notorious for ticks. Campers have been feeding the deer in the park, and they can get very close to your sites! Some may think that this is a good thing, although as a biologist I frown upon this practice.
Silver Springs
While swimming is not allowed here, I decided to include it on this list because there plenty of kid-friendly adventures! Also, it is a great spring to visit during colder months when you would not want to go swimming anyway.
While swimming is not allowed, there are many miles of kayak trails. During the cold winter months, you will see manatees resting or feeding at the bottom, as well as alligators basking on the shore. If you get lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the wild monkeys that make this park famous.
There is a glass-bottom boat tour that the kids truly enjoyed! You can spend a few nights here in well-kept campsites, or you can go rent cabins instead. For a full review, check out my Silver Springs State Park article here.
Salt Springs Recreation Area
We loved camping here because the sites actually have full hookups! But getting to the springs from the campsite required biking or driving, as they are not particularly close.
The springs themselves have nice platforms to get in the water. I say nice because they do not get slippery! These steps are also nice for the kids to hang out in a fairly shallow area.
Fanning Springs
A nice thing about this spring is that there are multiple platforms to enter. The platforms are also large and wide, so they did not feel crowded. However, there are no shallow areas for the kids to stand, which makes it a bit difficult.
There is only primitive camping available here. The alternative is to stay in a cabin, which is what we did and really enjoyed! The cabins are quite spacious, with a large screened porch and large patio in the back. The spring was easy to walk to from the cabin.
Hart Springs
These springs are part of the Gilchrist County park system. While these are a bit “developed”, they have nice platforms around the springs to hang out and relax in the water.
The campsites available through Reserve America with full-hookups! There is also primitive camping, or you can rent the Hart Springs house if you would prefer a bit more glamping.
We had a wonderful experience at Hart Springs and our kids LOVED it! Here is a full review!
Gilchrist Blue Springs
While small, this kid-friendly spring offers a large shallow portion for kids to play in, as well as a fun platform to jump into the head spring! There are also large grassy spaces as picnic tables around the area, making it easy to hang out and spend the day.
There is camping in this State Park. We have not experienced camping here, so I do not have an opinion in that sense. I do know the campground is rather new. When we visited, we actually camped at O’Leno State Park, only a 20-minute drive!
Wakulla Springs
We visited these springs for the day during our Florida panhandle spring break trip. I loved that there is ample shallow space for the kids to play, and multiple platforms in the water for people to hang out! You cannot see the actual headsprings from here, though.
A big drawback of this place is that it gets quite packed during the summer. These springs are close to Florida State University, and it is a popular getaway for college students. We went during the “winter” months and they were empty and quite enjoyable!
There is no camping in this park, but there is a historic lodge if you would like to spend a night or two. Another option is to camp in other state parks nearby. We camped at Three Rivers State Park and drove about one hour to get to Wakulla.
Other Springs to Consider
Certainly, there are plenty of other Florida springs you can visit! Here is a list of other springs for your consideration:
- Rainbow Springs (Dunnellon, FL)- We camped here for three nights. We visited the head spring, but it did not go well! While the head spring is not ideal for little ones, there are plenty of shallow spots along the river to swim. Here is a full review!
- Wekiwa Springs (Apopka, FL)- While this is somewhat kid-friendly, it is also quite crowded and a bit too developed. It felt like a large swimming pool, and there was not much to see for those who enjoy snorkeling.
- Ichetuknee Springs (Fort White, FL) – We have spent a few nights renting a house by the river, and have also gone tubing. We have yet to see the actual head spring, though. There is no camping here, so you would need to camp in O’Leno State Park or rent a house along the river.
- Ginnie Springs (High Springs, FL)- This privately-owned park is particularly popular! A downside for families is that alcohol is permitted in the springs, and it is a hot spot for University of Florida college students.
And that’s a wrap!
In this article, I compiled the top 10 best Florida springs for families with little kids. I hope that you can use this list to help you plan your outdoor family adventures!
