Florida Springs – Flint Family Blog

The entrance to the spring head is via these steps which looks more ominous than it really is. You must duck at the bottom depending on your height to get to the platform which is currently submerged due to rain. When we went, it was waist high. We stood there for a few minutes to acclimate to the 72 degree water which at first is cold, but just takes a minute or two. Other people just went right in.

The spring is crowded on weekends, we went on a holiday weekend, which of course has a few more visitors. They do limit the number of people who are in the den and there is a rotation of people coming in and out. This is about as full as it gets. It’s most crowded on the entry platform pictured below where people are getting in and out.

There was still room to explore once you got off the ramp. Some of us lingered on the ramp a little longer than others ; ) It was cold! But I was fine after about 3 minutes, lol. Here is Jeff patiently waiting for me…It really is magical. Felt a bit like a set for an episode of Star Trek. They give you a 2 hour limit and that really is plenty of time for one day.

The park has a few other diving ponds (see below) however they were closed the day we went.

They have food trucks, picinic tables, and a few games but other than that, the spring is really the only attraction at this campground which is small and basically just dirt, grass, and trees. So when camping here, you will want to venture out for some fun beyond the spring.

We enjoyed this ice cream shop : )

We also recommend a day trip to Rainbow Springs State Park to go tubing which is about a half hour drive from Devil’s Den. Here’s a video to get a glimpse of what tubing is like at Rainbow Springs. You need to rise and shine, because the park limits the number of visitors and often fills up by 10 am and you will see lines of cars waiting for people to leave so you can get in. Rainbow Springs does have a nicer campground than Devil’s Den, but it does not have the full hook ups that our rig needs.

Happy Camping! – Holly

Not only do snowbirds return to Florida in the winter but so do the Manatees. One of their favorite spots when the weather cools down is in Blue Springs where the water remains a constant 72 degrees from the millions of gallons of fresh water that continually flow up into the spring.

That first evening of our last visit, the kids saw over 40 manatees! Here’s an underwater view…

We had hoped to go tubing, but the spring run was closed to protect the many manatees.

We also observed tarpon and other fish in the crystal clear water.

There are 6 cabins at Blue Springs which need to be reserved many months in advance through Reserve America. They have plenty of tent sites too.

The cabins are clean and fully equipped and we had a great night sleep in their beds. Plenty of picnic tables and a handy grill and campfire ring with enough room for 7 lawn chairs. All appliances worked in the kitchen – oven, microwave, dishwasher and all were clean. I will probably bring a few of my own pots and pans next time though and a pack of 9×13 foil pans from SAMs club were indispensable as well as pre-purchased firewood because collecting firewood on-site is prohibited at all state parks.

Beautiful scenery, relaxing weekend, great kids, multitudes of manatees… November days well spent at Blue Springs State Park