Discover breathtaking natural springs near Orlando.
Want to add a little zen to your Orlando itinerary? Our natural springs are the perfect diversion, offering crystal clear water and breathtaking views just a quick day trip away from the city center. We’re taking you beneath the surface of our serene waterways to explore some of the most captivating springs near Orlando — including hands-on tours and excursions for the adventurous types and laid-back options for the “inner tube and chill” crowd. Best of all, these natural springs are all two hours or less from Orlando, so you can easily spend the day in nature and be back in time for dinner. Let’s dive in!
Discover: Outdoor Orlando
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Wekiwa Springs State Park
Located just 25 minutes north of downtown Orlando, Wekiwa Spring State Park is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the area. It’s welcomed visitors for over 100 years, with azure waters, multi-use trails, horseback riding, paddling, swimming and snorkeling in 72-degree spring water.
An accessible ramp and chair lift make spring entry a breeze, and an ADA compliant boardwalk trail offers a new way to see native flora and fauna. Pack a picnic or grab lunch from the onsite concession and restaurant for a laid-back day in the sun. Reservations are required to visit Wekiwa Springs State Park. Learn more and make reservations here.
Discover: Accessible Outdoor Adventures
Want to explore even more fun near the springs? Take it easy with watercraft and cabana rentals, an onsite restaurant and bar, guided boat tours and more at Wekiva Island. If you prefer to walk (or paddle) on the wild side, rent a kayak or canoe and explore multiple points of interest along the Wekiva River, one of just two National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the entire state.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Venture Outdoors: Guided kayak tours (Wekiva River)
- Wekiva Island: Canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals (Wekiva River)
- Wekiva Wild River Tours: 1-hour guided boat tours (Wekiva River)
- Wekiwa Springs Adventures: Canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals or guided tours (Wekiwa Springs State Park)
Kelly Park & Rock Springs Run
Just 35 minutes north of downtown Orlando is Kelly Park, a natural oasis with several opportunities for aquatic exploration. Its main attraction is a free-floating natural spring, which remains a refreshing 68 degrees year-round. Think of it as nature’s lazy river. You can bring your own inner tube or rent one outside the park gates at Rock Springs Bar & Grill.
If watersports are more your style, you can also bring your own canoe, stand up paddleboard (SUP), or kayak and hit the water from Camp Joy. Please note that rentals are not available at this location. Whatever you do, make sure you arrive early! This popular spot fills quickly each morning, with only 330 vehicles permitted per day.
You can also paddle Rock Springs Run, one of three main tributaries feeding the Wekiva River Basin, with a variety of tours and rental companies in the nearby area. Rent canoes, paddleboards or kayaks from King’s Landing and set out to spot wildlife along the Emerald Cut, a stunning slice of paradise named for its colorful water and lush foliage. There are also several sublime guided tours in the area, including the following options.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Get Up and Go Kayaking: Clear kayak and paddleboard tours
- Gray Line of Orlando: Nature excursion with roundtrip transportation from your Orlando hotel; includes inner tubes plus access to Kelly Park followed by a scenic tour of the Apopka North Shore Wildlife Drive
- King’s Landing: Canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals; kayak and clear kayak tours; sunrise and sunset tours; primitive camping partnerships with Wekiwa Springs State Park
- Venture Outdoors: Kayak tours
Blue Spring State Park
Blue Spring State Park boasts 72-degree spring water with paddling, snorkeling, scuba diving and guided boat tours. But for many Orlando visitors, the main draw is the manatees. Blue Spring State Park is one of the largest manatee gathering sites in Florida, particularly from November to mid-March, when these majestic creatures gather in search of warm winter water.
Discover: Places to See Manatees Near Orlando
The spring and spring run are closed during manatee season, but you can spot these so-called sea cows from the boardwalk trails, in an underwater viewing area, on the year-round nature cruise, or on a guided kayaking adventure. Other adventures on land include hiking, birding, camping and visiting the historic Thursby House.
Plan your visit for the spring and summer months if you want to cool off in the spring water, or visit during manatee season to spot sea cows in the wild. Blue Spring State Park is one hour north of Orlando and makes for an unforgettable day trip either way.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Blue Spring Adventures: Nature cruises; kayak tours; canoe, kayak and e-bike rentals
- Venture Outdoors: Guided manatee discovery tours
De Leon Springs State Park
One hour north of Orlando is De Leon Springs State Park, named after explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. The region’s early inhabitants, the Macaya Indians, called the springs Acuera, or healing waters, and you can still see the remnants of a so-called Fountain of Youth from the park’s days as a popular roadside attraction.
Discover De Leon Springs’ fascinating 6,000-year history at the visitor center, then head outside to soak up a bit of that magic for yourself. Swim, snorkel and splash in the swimming area, where depths range from 18 inches to 30 feet at the spring boil.
You can also rent kayaks and canoes, take a guided boat tour, or suit up with a certified and insured instructor for instructional scuba diving (recreational diving is not permitted). Hiking is another popular activity, with a wheelchair-accessible paved nature trail and an all-terrain wheelchair available for use (inquire at the ranger station).
You can easily spend the full day here, so arrive early and be sure to pack a lunch or join the waitlist for the historic Old Sugar Mill Pancake House. They’re famous for their flip-your-own pancakes with your choice of pancake batter and mix-ins.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- De Leon Springs Adventures: River cruises; pedal boat, kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals; guided kayak tours
Natural Springs Within Two Hours of Orlando
Silver Springs State Park
90 minutes north of our main tourism districts, Silver Springs State Park is an iconic piece of Florida history going back at least 10,000 years. It combines breathtaking natural beauty with a fascinating past for one of the most unique springs experiences in Central Florida.
Take a ride on a glass bottom boat tour for unique views of marine life, plus see underwater movie props from the old Hollywood movie days. Scenes from major pictures like Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Moonraker (1979) and Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) were all filmed here over the years.
Discover: Movies Filmed in Orlando
You can learn more about the area’s geology and natural history at the Silver River Museum (open on weekends), plus explore a replica of a 19th century pioneer settlement with 10 a.m. guided tours offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
If you’re looking for some good old-fashioned outdoor fun, you can also rent kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, hit the trails, and stay overnight at cabins, RV and tent sites.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Epic Paddle Adventures: Clear kayak or paddleboard tours; choose from Manatees & Monkeys or the Silver Springs Gator Tour
- Get Up and Go Kayaking: Clear kayak tours
- Silver Springs State Park: Glass bottom boat tours; canoe, clear kayak and paddleboard rentals; guided canoe, clear kayak and paddleboard tours with a “bring your own” option
Rainbow Springs State Park
One of the largest natural springs in Florida, Rainbow Springs was once a major tourist attraction with man-made waterfalls, gardens, glass-bottom boat tours, a zoo, gift shops, and even a monorail with leaf-shaped gondolas. The springs closed in the 1970s and reopened two decades later as Rainbow Springs State Park, a natural paradise spread across 1,472 acres.
Today it offers swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, tubing and canoeing, with plentiful fish and turtles for underwater viewing. The gardens and waterfalls are still maintained to this day and can be seen from various hiking trails — including Rainbow Falls, the second-tallest waterfall in the state of Florida. Reservations are required and can be made here.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Get Up and Go Kayaking: Clear kayak tours
- Adventures Unbound: Onsite canoe and kayak rentals
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Want even more old-fashioned Florida fun? Take a day trip to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, a former roadside attraction that’s hosted mermaid dive shows for nearly 80 years. It’s home to one of the deepest underwater caverns in the country — so deep, in fact, it’s said that the bottom has never been found.
Catch a classic mermaid show from the submerged auditorium, then head outside to take a dip in the spring water at Buccaneer Bay. The year-round aquatic wonderland features two water slides, a natural lazy river with inner tube rentals, a kid’s cove, and a white sand beach with a tiki bar. Mermaid makeovers are also available for kids ages 2 – 10.
If you’re craving something a little more adventurous, Weeki Fresh Water Adventures also offers kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, plus guided kayak tours — perfect for unwinding and spotting wildlife along the Weeki Wachee River.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Buccaneer Bay: Inner tube rentals
- Weeki Fresh Water Adventures: Kayaks, canoes, and guided paddle tours
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
West of Orlando, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park boasts natural springs, a river and plentiful native wildlife, including manatees in the winter months. The park and springs are a bona fide nature sanctuary, so there is no swimming, diving or snorkeling allowed.
Take a boat tour to the park’s west entrance instead to see captive wildlife that could otherwise not survive in the wild. Spot deer, alligators, panthers, black bears, birds and more along the accessible boardwalk trail, then peer below the surface at manatees and fish from the floating, underwater observatory. The park also boasts paved nature walks and a spectacular birding trail that will take you all the way back to the parking lot.
Guided Tours
- Gray Line of Orlando: Guided day trips with roundtrip transportation from Orlando; includes visits to Homosassa State Park and Crystal River
Gray Line Orlando
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
Finally, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is the only place in the USA where you can legally swim and snorkel with manatees. It’s located 90 minutes west of Orlando near Florida’s Gulf Coast, but some of our tour operators offer guided visits with round trip transportation to Crystal River for a fun and memorable day out at the springs. Please note that touching or otherwise disturbing the manatees is not permitted. Boat tours, fishing and kayaking are also available throughout the year.
Rentals & Guided Tours
- Crystal River Preserve Adventures: Crystal River boat tours and sunset voyages, guided kayak or fishing tours, pontoon and kayak rentals, chartered scalloping trips with snorkel gear and fins
- Crystal River Watersports: Manatee adventure tours, chartered boat tours, river sightseeing tours, sunset cruises, snorkeling and scuba diving adventures, scalloping trips
- Gray Line of Orlando: Guided day trips with roundtrip transportation from Orlando; includes visits to Homosassa State Park and Crystal River
Map of Orlando-Area Natural Springs
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