Visiting Manatee at Blue Spring State Park

It doesn’t often get “cold” in Florida, thankfully. But when the weather gets cooler, Blue Spring State Park is the place to go. You see, when temperatures dip, manatees look for warmer waters and head to the always 73 degree water of Blue Spring State Park. It’s amazing to walk into the park and just see hundreds of manatee hanging out in the crystal clear water.

This weekend is the Manatee Festival, one of the most popular events of the year in these parts! Here’s some event info:
Jan. 25 & 26
Valentine Park, Orange City (They will bus you to the state park!)
The Festival is a Fund Raiser for the Orange City Community. The proceeds will benefit “Friends of Blue Spring State Park”, Educational scholarships, and other Greater Orange City Organizations.
Admission:
Adults – $8
Children Ages 4-10 – $2
Children 3 And Under – FREE
Dogs – $10

We aren’t planning on going to the festival this year, but we did manage to hit the park this past week and saw over 200 manatee in the warm waters. Be sure to hit the Blue Spring Trail to see the trail head. It’s pretty cool to see this big black hole where the water comes out. It’s also fun to see all the manatee trying to get into the hole.