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Visit Manatee Springs: Paddle with an Alligator

Posted on April 25, 2019May 13, 2019 by Explorcationblog

Manatee Spring is the third Florida natural spring we visited during a long weekend in April. Initially we were going to visit Fanning Springs, but there ended up being a large event the day we visited. We were looking for an area to paddleboard and kayak and the Park Ranger at Fanning suggested Manatee Springs State Park, which was close by.

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Manatee Springs State Park is located in Chiefland, Florida. It opens every day at 8 am. The entrance fee is $6 per car for up to eight people. Additional information about visiting the park is located on the Florida State Parks website.

Blue water at Manatee Springs headspring in Chiefland, Florida.
Main Spring – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

This park offers quite a few activities for those who want to experience nature in Florida. There are hiking trails, bike trails, caves for scuba diving, a swimming/snorkeling area and a kayak/canoe/paddleboard launch. These activities can be enjoyed for free after the entrance fee if you bring your own equipment.

The launch area is located near the north west corner of the parking lot by the Manatee Spring. There is a loading area one can use to easily access the launch point.

Paddle launch area at Manatee Springs in Chiefland, Florida.
Launch Area – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

If you are looking to rent equipment, there is a rental company on site – Anderson Outdoor Adventures. They also offer BBQ at this location.

We started our day paddling from the launch area to the Suwannee River. The water was calm and clear and we were able to see hundreds of fish.

Two paddle boarders and a kayaker returning to Manatee Springs from the Suwannee River.
Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

We paddled around the area where the spring meets the river and here we encountered more wildlife. We found a (large) snake taking a nap in a tree and an alligator hiding in a boggy area in the water.

Snake in a tree at the Suwanee River at Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, Florida.
Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation
Alligator in the Suwanee River at Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, Florida.
Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

This was our first experience with an alligator in the wild. I spotted the gator and was quite spooked at first. Skylar thought I was seeing things as he had passed the area with the gator and didn’t see him, but he was there! The gator didn’t move the entire time we were paddling around. Skylar, of course, had to take a selfie with the friendly gator.

Man taking selfie with alligator in the Suwannee River at Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, Florida.
Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

After making it to the river we decided to paddle back and swim and snorkel in the spring before calling it a day.

Tree at Suwanee River at Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, Florida.
Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

There is a designated swimming area at the Main Spring. The water here was clear and was a beautiful blue color from above.

Man and woman in front of blue water and Manatee Springs headspring in Chiefland, Florida.
Main Spring – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

Here we found another snake soaking up some rays on a rock. He also didn’t move the entire time we were swimming.

Snake at Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, Florida.
Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

The water here was a cool 72 degrees, but our bodies adjusted quickly.

Man and woman entering Manatee Springs headspring to snorkel.
Main Spring – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

There was a bit of a current we had to fight against to swim toward the bottom, but the force wasn’t anything like the Blue Hole at Ichetucknee Springs. This was a spring you could float around and relax at.

Woman snorkeling at Manatee Springs headspring in Chiefland, Florida.
Main Spring – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation
Underwater picture of man at Manatee Springs headspring in Chiefland, Florida.
Main Spring – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

We also learned that Manatee Springs is home to over 5 miles of underwater caves. Certified cave divers can explore these passages. Three entry points access the caves – the Main Spring, Catfish Hotel and Friedman Sink. Visit the Florida State Park website if you are visiting with intentions to explore the caves. This activity is strictly regulated. The rules and regulations are identified on the site.

We could have spent more time enjoying Manatee Springs but this was our last spring stop of the day.

Man and woman in front of blue water at Manatee Springs headspring.
Main Spring – Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland, Florida/Explorcation

After swimming around in the Main Spring we drove out to Cedar Key to enjoy some greasy food while watching the sunset over the water. Eventually we made it back to our hotel in Crystal River to rest up for day two of our Florida natural springs tour.

For video footage of our time at Manatee Springs check out the video below on our YouTube Channel Explorcation:

https://youtu.be/otU-lTT3OWM

We are working on more posts about Florida Natural Springs. If you enjoy our content subscribe to our blog and YouTube Channel.

If you are planning a trip to any Florida natural spring Florida Spring Life is a great resource for maps, pictures, videos and blog experiences.

Thanks to Linda for accompanying us on our Florida natural springs tour and for helping us document our time at the springs.

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6 thoughts on “Visit Manatee Springs: Paddle with an Alligator”

  1. Just My Thoughts says:
    April 25, 2019 at 12:12 pm

    That looks amazing there!

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    1. Explorcation says:
      April 25, 2019 at 3:35 pm

      Thanks! It is cool to know there are even more springs like this in Florida!

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  2. Extracts of Alex says:
    April 25, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    Wow! I would have never of thought Florida would have something like this? This looks like the Philippines not Florida! I’ll have to visit here.

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    1. Explorcation says:
      April 25, 2019 at 3:28 pm

      Right? Most people think of beaches and Disney when planning to visit Florida. We’ve lived in Florida for a while now and it took us over 4 years to visit one of the many springs. I don’t know why it took us this long because they are beautiful 🙂

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  3. Sunshine with Savannah says:
    April 25, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    Great post! I love how beautiful this is, and how clear the water is! I probably would’ve been quite spooked by both the gator and the snake. Lovely photos, and it sounds like an amazing day! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Explorcation says:
      April 25, 2019 at 6:15 pm

      Thank you so much. I was spooked at first, but when neither of them moved an inch it kind of seemed that if we didn’t bother them, they wouldn’t bother us. Thankfully neither were aggressive.

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