23 hidden Florida springs you probably didn't know about

Madison Blue Spring

8300 Northeast State Road 6, Lee
2 hours, 50 minutes away
Found amid the forests of one of Florida’s newest state parks, this small, but beautiful spring bubbles up into limestone basin along the west bank of the Withlacoochee River. It’s a picture-perfect setting that’ll leave all your Instagram followers stewing with jealousy.

Photo via bnuge86/Instagram

Silver Glen Springs

5301 North Highway 19, Fort McCoy
1 hour, 15 minutes away
This beautiful, scenic setting inspired Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s novel The Yearling, a story that takes place in the backwoods of Ocala. Immerse yourself in the history of Florida by spending a few hours floating here surrounded by the state’s infamous Big Scrub.

Photo via _andrew.thompson_/Instagram

Rock Springs Run

30601 County Road 433, Sorrento
40 minutes away
This eight mile river starts along a rocky riverbed where you can hop into your tube, drift along a forested riverbank where you’ll probably spot a few otters or tortoises, and then empty into pool that is shallow enough to play a game of water volleyball or Marco Polo, whatever suits your fancy.

Photo via charty32/Instagram

Wakulla Springs

465 Wakulla Park Drive, Wakulla Springs
4 hours away
One of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world, Wakulla is a scenic spot that’s popular for weddings, so you might spot a bride and groom on their happy day from the spring’s two-story observation and diving platform.

Photo via dustinthewind40/Instagram

Morrison Springs Park

874 Morrison Springs Road, Ponce De Leon
5 hours, 10 minutes away
This spring’s deep, clear water makes it a popular spot for snorkeling, but those that feel more comfortable on the water’s surface will enjoy the diving platform, big enough for a substantial running start for any cool flips or flops that’ll amaze fellow swimmers.

Photo via allana_jadeee/Instagram

Devil’s Den

5390 Northeast 180th Ave., Williston
1 hour, 30 minutes away
This underground spring is tucked inside a dry cave, complete with stalactites and fossil beds millions of years old. Regular swimming is prohibited, but you’re free to snorkel your way around the rocky cavern.

Photo via sabrinahorel/Instagram

Vortex Spring

1517 Vortex Spring Lane, Ponce de Leon
5 hours, 10 minutes away
This spring is an adrenaline junkie’s dream. If relaxing in a tube is your idea of a snorefest, try driving out to Vortex for access to a plethora of slides, diving boards, swings, high dives and deep scuba diving caverns.

Photo via funny_bones_jones/Instagram

Ichetucknee Springs

12087 Southwest U.S. Highway 27, Fort White
2 hours, 10 minutes away
You can splash around in the head springs or take a lazy tube ride down the Ichetucknee Springs. Just make sure you stick to the water: If you get stranded, it’s a seven-mile walk back to civilization.

Photo via jengricas/Instagram

Three Sisters Springs

915 N. Suncoast Blvd., Crystal River
1 hour, 40 minutes away
Three Sisters Springs is part of a wildlife refuge for manatees, so if you do see one of these gentle sea cows while out on your swim, make sure to mind your manatee manners: You wouldn’t want to be chased or touched without permission either.

Photo via acrrll/Instagram

Otter Springs

6470 Southwest 80th Ave., Trenton
2 hours, 15 minutes away
This recreation park and campground offers a mix of the natural beauty of Florida’s crystal-clear springs with the creature comforts we’ve all come to love. Swim a few laps in the screened in-ground pool or rinse off in the bathhouse with hot showers that’s sure warm up pruny fingers and toes.

Photo via erinnadler/Instagram

Ginnie Springs

5000 Northeast 60th Ave., High Springs
2 hours away
What could be more relaxing than stretching yourself across a floating circular tube as you drift lazily down the Santa Fe river? You can rent a tube or bring your own donut or swan vessel: There’s a free air station to fill up your float.

Photo via missykulik/Instagram

Poe Springs Park

28800 Northwest 182nd Avenue, High Springs
2 hours away
Just up the road from Gainesville, this spring is a popular locale for University of Florida students escaping the stress of chemistry labs and calculus exams. The water is shallow, but refreshingly cool on a hot day.

Photo via __clairepear__/Instagram

Fanning Springs

18020 Northwest U.S. 19-98, Fanning Springs
2 hours, 10 minutes away
Pack a picnic and head on down to the forests of Old Florida to this crystal-clear spring located on the Suwannee River. You might even spot a few manatees enjoying their own invigorating swim.

Photo via drew_dalton/Instagram

Juniper Springs

26701 E. Highway 40, Silver Springs
1 hour, 15 minutes away
One of the oldest recreation areas on the east coast, Juniper Springs lies beneath a dense canopy of palms and oaks, offering Old Florida charm in an oasis among the swamp scrub land.

Photo via thematowsshow/Instagram

Lithia Springs

3932 Lithia Springs Road, Lithia
1 hour, 35 minutes away
Why not stick around for a whole weekend to enjoy the calm, cool waters of this spring? The park offers 44 camping sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis, as well as a bathhouse, playground and picnic facilities that make for the perfect spring vacay.

Photo via dea.jahovaj/Instagram

Manatee Springs

11650 Northwest 115th St., Chiefland
2 hours, 10 minutes away
If the name wasn’t enough of a giveaway, West Indian manatees can often be found drifting in the headwaters of this state park’s spring. But you might spot some other wildlife in this forested swimming hole, including various water fowl and white tailed deer.

Photo via ecstasteve/Instagram

Alexander Springs

49525 County Road 445, Altoona
1 hour, 10 minutes away
Located in the eastern portion of the Ocala National Forest, this refreshing spring stays 72 degree year round, so no matter how horridly hot the Sunshine State gets, you’ll always experience a dip at just the right temperature.

Photo via joelmstrong/Instagram

Troy Spring

674 Northeast Troy Springs Road, Branford
2 hours, 30 minutes away
The remains of an old Civil War steamboat are scattered along the bottom of this 70-foot spring, which is not only a popular swimming hole, but a hub for regional scuba divers interested in finding out more about Florida’s forgotten history.

Photo via the.global.connection/Instagram

Salt Springs

13851 N. State Road 19, Salt Springs
1 hour, 30 minutes away
As the name suggests, you might notice a mild salty taste to this ancient subterranean spring. The water rises to the surface through salt deposits, giving it its unique flavor, but the water itself is still much clearer than you’ll find in any ocean near Central Florida.

Photo via emmiclouthier1997/Instagram

Lafayette Blue Springs

799 Northwest Blue Springs Road, Mayo
2 hours, 50 minutes away
Take a dip beneath a canopy of Spanish moss in this isolated forest spring that looks like something out of an medieval adventure novel, complete with a mossy stone wall on one side and the expanse of the Suwannee Riverbed on the other.

Photo via delanydean/Instagram