Julie's State Parks

Blue Spring State Park is just a bit north of Orlando, Florida, and during the winter months is a great place to go to see manatees. Today, there were about 65 manatees in the spring. The park spring is into its regularly scheduled closure for all water-based activities from November 15 to March 1, so there were no boats or swimming allowed; but, in the summer months, you can rent canoes at this state park, as well as camp, hike, or rent some cabins.

There were a lot of baby manatees today.

I would imagine that they are park people, since during the time that the manatees are there, no boats or other water activities are allowed. During summer, you can swim in the spring.

I cannot imagine having a better job than this guy!!

Some of the manatees came right up to the boat.

I guess it was a curiosity.

The manatees were the main attraction for me today, but the rest of the park is really nice also. There's a nice camping area, some cabins you can rent, lots of picnic space and pavilions, and a lot of hiking areas (including the boardwalk along the spring). This park is home to not only the manatees, but also black bears, alligators and a large variety of wading birds. During the summer months you can rent canoes or take a guided boat tour along the river. It was a very nice state park!

It was nice to see all these kids outside and enjoying the park and learning about manatees. This sure beats video games!

It's not like I was going to jump in this water anyway!

Me, enjoying the beauty of this park!

Wekiwa Springs is a beautiful state park with something for everyone! Enjoy the more than 13 miles of shady hiking trails, or canoe or kayak along the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run. There’s also a cool 72 degree natural spring that you can swim in (the water is crystal clear!). It’s a great place for kids to run around or to have a nice picnic. The Wekiva River is one of two recognized National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida. There’s lots of wildlife here, and if you’re lucky you’ll see deer, turkey, fox squirrels, shorebirds and even Florida black bears. Also of note, there is a little wildlife/reptile/nature center were I met a very nice volunteer who showed me snakes, an alligator, and a bunch of different kinds of turtles. It was very interesting; be sure and stop by it if you visit this beautiful park.