Spring Near The Villages
 

DW and I are coming for a Lifestyle visit. i hear there are springs near the village one can go to swim in. Can you please advise the name of the springs so I can research them?

A lot of info here.
Florida Springs Map – Florida Springs Institute

Great list of springs for swimming.
12 Natural Springs in Florida where you can Swim + Go Tubing

Rainbow Springs isn't too far. Rainbow Springs State Park | Florida State Parks

If you want to do a little kayaking check these guys out. Rainbow River Canoe, Kayak, & Pontoon Boat Rentals | Dunnellon, FL | Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak

Blue Springs is very nice also.

Just watch out for gators, they can be in places you would not expect.

The clear water springs are typically gator free. They like the cover of murky water for sneaking up on their prey.

Thanks had no idea

Springs
 

My favorite, especially when you have young visitors, is Ichetucknee Springs. Great for tubing. It's about 1.5 hrs from the intersection of Hwy 466 and 301; west of Gainesville. It's part of the state park system. Beautiful! No need to bring tubes. As you get close to the park, there are places where you can rent them. The store will tie them to the top of your car, and when done tubing, you can leave them at the designated area at the end of your run. The complete float trip is about 2 hrs. but you can also end it sooner at marked areas. .

You should check out the "Chrissa Travels" utube channel. She does videos on Florida destinations focusing on the Orlando and surrounding area. There are quite a few about the springs in the area.

For sure! And also, the spring waters are usually too cold for them

The smaller ones are fine to swim with. They know when prey is to large.

Look up Silver Springs alligator:
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are there alligators in florida springs - Google Search

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m35mKJJ3RE

Expect them every where not so much at a spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3efsrh92fg8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tefHwPqQFDA

NOTE: Unsure of conditions right now due to hurricane. Best to call ahead and check these.

I've been swimming at 5 so far:

Alexander Springs has kayak rentals and an area where people snorkel and swim. It closed down for a while a year or two ago due to a gator in the swimming area but reopened.

Juniper Springs has a pretty swimming area with an old mill. The swimming area is so self-enclosed that a gator would probably never venture in during the day. Also kayak rentals available but I haven't been kayaking at this location.

Salt Springs. People swim and snorkel here. Be aware that you have to be a good swimmer here because there is no shallow area to stand around if I remember correctly, despite what the website says. Can actually see some cool rock formations down in the spring if you are good at holding your breath.

Rainbow River - Go directly to the park and swim in the spring, or you can rent a kayak from KP Hole, paddle up to the head spring, tie up at the park entrance and swim in the spring, and float back. On the right (east) side as you paddle towards the head spring there is a little shallow tributary where you can divert and swim as well (google maps location 29.090347027426045, -82.42578515166015). The land becomes private up this path so people don't go too far up this but it's all over instagram because it's so pretty. They also have tube rentals and pickups where the tubing ends.

Citrus Blue Springs aka "Big Blue" (28°58'10.2"N 82°18'52.1"W) - Can only get to this one by a 2 1/2 hour kayak paddle (and no rentals at the put-in place - Spruce Boat Ramp). But once there, there is a cool rope swing. Probably the most fun at the spring itself and you can "float" back downstream. This may be "browned out" now due to hurricane Debby.

Just be aware that 72F, the temperature of the springs, can feel like ice cold water even on a hot day. If you just want to swim somewhere that is not a pool, pay the money (I think it's up to $7 now, on the honor system on a weekday but there are rangers) to go into Carney Island at Lake Weir and there is a designated swimming area (actually 2 - little lake weir and big lake weir). Check hours on Marion County website.

Here is the Alexander Springs attack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1-fLsEwaM

Usually? Uh oh

I think those encounters were in Silver River—not Silver Springs. Silver River is still part of the park, so the news mentioned Silver Springs State Park. I’ve been to springs around the state many times and have never seen a gator in the actual spring—just in the rivers flowing from them. The various state parks have swimming areas in them. They are safe, but the water is freaking cold.

BTW, Silver Springs was used to film movies and TV shows such as Tarzan and Sea Hunt. They have glass bottom boats that take you around the spring and down the river. It used to be a major tourist attraction before Disney came to the state and destroyed the economics of the amusement parks around the state.

Always. Same temperature year round because the water comes from deep in the earth. I think it’s 72°. Gators are cold-blooded creatures and the colder they are, the slower they move.

The various springs are the best places to see manatees in large numbers. They swim up to the springs during cold snaps because the water gets too cold in the rivers. Cold water causes their skin to blister. A tour guide at Blue Spring told me that the spring had so many manatees that they were shoulder to shoulder during one cold spell.

Well, we've been here for over 20 years and my brother and sister for over 40 ... rule of thumb: if there's water, just assume that there's an alligator in it. Just sayin'.

Better safe than sorry

What's a DW?

Please keep in mind that you are far more likely to die in a crash on the way to a spring than to be attacked by a Gator (unless you are an FSU fan! 😉).

Dear wife.

Last few years looks like in football, Seminoles playing against a bunch of females,:bigbow:

My husband and I went to Rainbow Springs this past Wednesday. $2/person entrance (keep receipt if you go back to your car and want to reenter w/o paying again), roped area for swimming, lots of people in the water yet plenty of room. Everyone had a noodle since the water is deep from right off the dock to the far rope, 3 ladders to climb out. We snorkeled and it was a lot of fun! Pool is open til 7pm, no lifeguard but rangers are around and a park boat cruised into the area several times. Lots of open land to set up chairs, visitor center/gift shop/food, paved trails on the opposite side of swim area that lead you thru woods - remains of "old" Rainbow Springs: zoo area, rodeo site. All the waterfalls along the trails are still working, great for selfies. Saw deer. Stopped at Swampy's on the way home, it's on the river.

Never considered how much I have in common with Floridian creatures like Gators & Manatees. Cold drains my energy so I avoid it. Makes hives on my skin too. I wouldn’t want to count on a small cold gator not having the spirit to bite me.