Sequins and Sea Breezes: Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park

3/03/2016

Blue Spring State Park

Happy Thursday lovelies! If you follow me on Snapchat {pamelanicole84} you probably saw that I was in St. Augustine for an "offsite meeting" all day yesterday so that's why I was absent in the blogging world. I didn't even sit down in front of a computer yesterday (which wasn't necessarily a bad thing) but I did get to enjoy a day at the St. Augustine Distillery which is absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to share more about it with you later when I have a chance to go through my pictures and recap it. I was gone for 12 hours yesterday and spent more than 6 in a car so I'm beat. So for now I'm sharing a bit more of the natural side of Florida with you.

Blue Spring State Park

A few weeks ago I posted about my adventures at Rock Springs/Kelly Park and mentioned we had originally wanted to go to Blue Spring but it quickly hits capacity. Well, I finally got a chance to make it out to Blue Spring and while it was MUCH busier than Rock Springs it was still gorgeous and such a great experience. If you ever are in Orlando and want to get away from the theme parks for a day but don't want to trek to the beach I highly recommend checking out some of the Florida springs.




I recommend checking out Blue Spring during the cooler months in Florida as one of the main attractions of the spring is the fact it's home to hundreds of manatees between November and March. Since the water stays 72 degrees year round, the manatees all make their way into the spring which the temperatures dip to stay warm. On the day we went it was a bit warmer so there weren't as many manatees in the spring as there were the weeks before but there were still about 150 manatees out. The park often hits capacity early so I recommend getting there before 10 am to ensure you get in otherwise you have to wait in a queue for someone to come out before you can go in.


You can't swim during manatee season but there are boardwalks set up with numerous viewing areas to look down on the spring and spot manatees and if you walk back through the wooded area (don't worry, you're still on a boardwalk) you can go all the way back to where the spring starts. It doesn't have as many hiking trails as Rock Springs had but I did manage to get about 2 miles worth of walking in.


The swimming area opens up in late March and then you're able to swim, snorkel, scuba dive and tube in the spring. Shortly after swimming season starts, firefly season starts! I haven't witnessed firefly season yet but since I haven't seen fireflies since I left Cincinnati I will definitely be going back to check this out next month. The park technically closes at dusk but during firefly season they let guests stay after dark to experience the "light show".

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30 comments

  1. MONICA SORSMarch 3, 2016 at 5:29 AM

    Nice place ;)

    XX

    MÓNICA SORS

    MES VOYAGES À PARIS

    NEW POST: MY THAILAND VIDEO DIARY!!!

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  2. Alexis @ Chemistry CachetMarch 3, 2016 at 5:43 AM

    That looks like such a pretty place! I love manatees, they are so adorable!!

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  3. Tara | The MixMarch 3, 2016 at 5:57 AM

    It looks so pretty...I'd love to see manatees!

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  4. Christina @ Simple and DelishMarch 3, 2016 at 6:02 AM

    Blue Springs looks so pretty! I'll be putting this on list of places to see!

    Christina :: Simple and Delish

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  5. P!nkyMarch 3, 2016 at 6:05 AM

    Such pretty pictures! I remember visiting something similar to this park when we were young. It was so amazing seeing all the manatees!

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  6. JennMarch 3, 2016 at 6:30 AM

    What a cool place!

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  7. BLovedBostonMarch 3, 2016 at 7:18 AM

    This makes me miss Florida so much...those manatees!! What a fun little escape from the hustle of everyday! xo, Biana

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  8. EvelinaMarch 3, 2016 at 7:51 AM

    I have never seen a manatee before! They're so cool. I definitely want to check out this park if I ever find myself in Orlando again!

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  9. Caroline The Petite FashionistaMarch 3, 2016 at 8:05 AM

    Love the manatees, they are so cute! :-) Looks like a fun and pretty park too.

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  10. Pink and FabulousMarch 3, 2016 at 8:12 AM

    That sounds gorgeous and so fun! I love manatee season, they're the most amazing creatures!

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  11. Owen Davis @ Davis DuoMarch 3, 2016 at 8:17 AM

    Wow SO cool! I love manatees! We are headed to Orlando tomorrow and I cannot WAIT!

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  12. kerri @ cheshire katMarch 3, 2016 at 8:30 AM

    yeah! so glad you got to see them finally. i love those lil sea cows. they remind me of jack lol. the water is so clear it's just gorg. you don't even feel like you're in orlando!

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  13. Nichole @ casadecrews.comMarch 3, 2016 at 9:17 AM

    I had no idea you could even see fireflies in Florida!! I'm in Tampa, but we love visiting all over the state and discovering, so this is going on the list :)

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  14. Shannon JenkinsMarch 3, 2016 at 9:19 AM

    Ahhh I love Blue Springs!! It's just so pretty!! We still have yet to g even though it's down the st haha! Loves your snaps yesterday too!

    <3 Shannon
    Upbeat Soles

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  15. Christina Lea LovesMarch 3, 2016 at 10:20 AM

    These pictures are gorgeous!! I love manatees (they are so cute!) so these were really cool to look through!

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  16. Amanda Elizabeth - Meet @ the BarreMarch 3, 2016 at 10:20 AM

    All the natural beautiful sources in Florida! I really need to check it out!

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  17. behindmyheelsMarch 3, 2016 at 10:30 AM

    Oh wow. Those pictures are stunning and I bet it's 10x prettier in person! If we ever get a chance to go to Florida again, I would so love to take my kids there, they'd love it!
    -Beth
    www.bandgsparrow.blogspot.com

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  18. awhiteMarch 3, 2016 at 11:10 AM

    Manatees! So cute + pudgy, lol.
    I love seeing your nature snaps, lady!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  19. Kate at Green FashionistaMarch 3, 2016 at 11:25 AM

    Love Blue Spring! I've been in the warmer months to go tubing, and in the cooler months to see the manatees which is always spectacular! Such a beautiful park all year round <3
    Green Fashionista

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  20. Emily @ Martinis | BikinisMarch 3, 2016 at 11:28 AM

    How beautiful! I haven't been to neither of these springs and I LIVE here! lol I have to go to see those cute manatees floating around. How far is the drive for you?

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  21. Kristen @ See You In A PorridgeMarch 3, 2016 at 1:56 PM

    oh this looks so awesome! next time i see a firefly, i'll send you a snap. funny story, one night i saw a flashing outside our window and thought someone was standing outside with a camera (because that's logical) and i freaked the heck out. it was a firefly. haha. oops.
    i would love to see manatees! that is so awesome. maybe next time :)

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  22. Amanda | Kids and CabernetMarch 3, 2016 at 2:37 PM

    This place looks so awesome! I would love to visit the springs next time we're in Orlando. I didn't even know they exsisted!

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  23. Mattie @ Northwest NativeMarch 3, 2016 at 2:45 PM

    I love the manatees! Ahhh. I so want to see them. Also I've never ever seen a firefly. Ever.

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  24. Ashley LillisMarch 3, 2016 at 3:39 PM

    Seeing all of the manatees would be so awesome, not to mention getting to explore such a beautiful part of Florida! There's a short window of time to see the fireflys in Texas, and it's always one of my favorite times of the year!

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  25. Carly MessmerMarch 3, 2016 at 4:41 PM

    Oh my gosh, I love manatees! That would be such a fun place to visit. Last time we were in Bradenton a manatee came up along the shore - it was awesome.

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  26. Kristen WoolseyMarch 3, 2016 at 5:07 PM

    I love living in Florida! So many gorgeous spots like these.
    -Kristen
    www.pugsandpearls.com

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  27. UnknownMarch 3, 2016 at 6:24 PM

    Wow! Such a cool experience! The water looks so clear! Tubing in the springs would be so much fun :)

    Taffeta & Tulips

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  28. Lindsay LatimerMarch 3, 2016 at 8:29 PM

    This is too beautiful to be real! I would love to visit it one day!

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  29. Emelia at Dream Big & Buy the ShoesMarch 3, 2016 at 8:50 PM

    I saw your snaps and was pretty jealous that I was inside while you were on an adventure! So pretty and natural...some of the best places to see and visit are so simple and beautiful like this!

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  30. CarlyMarch 4, 2016 at 2:33 PM

    This is so cool! I can only imagine how cool it looks with fireflies!

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