Visiting Manatee Springs State Park in Florida

Florida State Parks

Manatee Springs State Park Sign. Photo copyright Julia A. Keirns

We didn’t get to visit near as many of the Florida State Parks as I would have liked while we were here for the month of December, but I am so glad we visited Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland. By visiting in the winter month of December, we were fortunate enough to see wild Manatees just off the dock in the Suwannee River.

There was a family of three swimming around in the river at the end of the boardwalk. We stayed for over an hour watching and filming and taking lots of photos. What a pleasure it was to watch these gentle giants slowly roll around in the water swimming, wrestling, and eating. They were far enough away that we were not able to get good photos of them close up down in the water, but we believe one of them was smaller and could have been young.

Manatees in the water. Photo copyright Julia A. Keirns

The manatees in Florida are West Indian Manatees, also known as the North American Manatee. They are not endangered yet, but are vulnerable as their population is decreasing each year and they are protected under federal law. The best time to see them in Florida is during the winter months when they migrate south to the warmer spring waters.

Boardwalk at Manatee Springs State Park. Photo copyright Julia A. Keirns

The boardwalk is 800-foot long and plenty wide enough for wheelchairs. We took our time and stopped often along the way. We heard an owl but couldn’t find it. We saw a pileated woodpecker and followed it from tree to tree. I tried to get a photo of it, but it was simply too fast. The pileated woodpecker is not as common in Florida as the red-bellied woodpecker so it would have been nice to get a photo of it. There were several Great Egrets and I photographed them all. These birds are sometimes called Great White Herons.

Great Egret. Photo copyright Julia A. Keirns

The spring itself is clear and beautiful. It flows directly into the Suwannee River by just a short distance. You can swim in the spring but I just stuck my foot in the water. It was a bit chilly the day we were there. There is a nice pavilion beside the spring with picnic tables. They serve sandwiches and ice cream. We spent half the day here, but if we had walked some trails we could have stayed longer.

The spring at Manatee Spring State Park. Photo copyright Julia A. Keirns

If you are ever in this area of Florida and get the chance to visit this park it is a must visit place.