Where to swim in crystal clear springs near Orlando?

Central Florida sits on top of dozens of freshwater springs that push clear aquifer water to the surface at the same temperature all year. Several are one to two hours from Kissimmee, which makes them an easy break between park days. Everything below comes from the official park pages as checked in October 2026. Fees and entry rules change, so check again close to your trip.

What are the closest springs to Orlando for swimming?

The closest springs to Kissimmee are Wekiwa Springs and Kelly Park (Rock Springs), both in Apopka, north of Orlando, about an hour by car. Blue Spring and De Leon are in Volusia County. Rainbow, Alexander and Juniper are full day trips.

Spring	Drive from Kissimmee (approx.)	Entry	Water	Reservation
Wekiwa Springs State Park	35 mi, about 1 hr	$6 per vehicle (up to 8 people)	72 °F (22 °C)	Required
Kelly Park / Rock Springs	43 mi, about 1 hr	$5 per vehicle	68 to 72 °F (20 to 22 °C)	No, first come first served
Blue Spring State Park	57 mi, about 1 hr 20 min	$6 per vehicle (2 to 8 people)	72 °F (22 °C)	Required since July 15, 2026
De Leon Springs State Park	69 mi, about 1 hr 35 min	$6 per vehicle (2 to 8 people)	72 °F (22 °C)	Not required
Alexander Springs (Ocala National Forest)	71 mi, about 1 hr 45 min	Daily fee per person, paid at the gate	72 °F (22 °C)	No
Juniper Springs (Ocala National Forest)	80 mi, about 1 hr 50 min	Daily fee per person, paid at the gate	Not published	No
Rainbow Springs State Park	108 mi, about 2 hr 10 min	$5 per vehicle (2 to 8 people)	72 °F (22 °C)	Required since April 29, 2026

Sources: Florida State Parks, Orange County Parks and Recreation and the U.S. Forest Service. Drive distances calculated by road from downtown Kissimmee, without traffic.

Water at 72 °F feels cold on a 92 °F afternoon. If you are expecting pool-warm water, the first plunge will wake you up. To compare other ways to cool off, see the Orlando water parks and the best beaches near Orlando.

Do you need a reservation to visit Florida springs?

Yes, at three of them. Florida State Parks requires a day-use entry reservation at Wekiwa Springs, Blue Spring and Rainbow Springs, including for annual pass holders. You book at Reserve.FloridaStateParks.org, the entry fee is charged online at booking, and there is no extra reservation fee.

At Blue Spring, reservations open up to 60 days ahead, each one covers a single day, and same-day bookings are possible until the limit is reached. Bring the barcode receipt on your phone or on paper. Without a reservation, the car does not get in.

Kelly Park is first come, first served. Orange County says the park admits 280 vehicles in the morning and often fills by mid-morning. Once it is full, the first 50 cars in line get a voucher to come back at 1 p.m., and 50 more cars get in after 1 p.m. with an afternoon parking pass.

What is swimming at Wekiwa Springs like?

Wekiwa is the easiest spring to reach from Orlando, and its swim area is shallow, with an average depth of 4 feet. The state park is in Apopka and is open from 8 a.m. to sundown every day of the year.

Rules posted by the park:

• The water stays at 72 °F year round.
• There are no lifeguards. Children and non-swimmers must stay with an adult who swims.
• Because it is shallow, diving and jumping are not allowed.
• Individual-size flotation devices are allowed in the swim area.
• The swim area closes 30 minutes before the park does.

The park also has 13 miles of trails, and the concessionaire rents canoes and kayaks for the Wekiva River. The official park guide warns that it is very popular on summer weekends.

How does tubing at Kelly Park work?

At Kelly Park you get into Rock Springs and float down the run to the swim area. The park belongs to Orange County, sits at 400 E Kelly Park Road in Apopka and charges $5 per vehicle (effective August 11, 2026), payable in cash or by Visa, MasterCard or Discover with a photo ID.

What to know before you go:

• The park opens at 8 a.m. From March to early November it closes at 8 p.m. From November to March it closes at 6 p.m. The waterfront closes one hour earlier.
• The park does not rent tubes. You can rent one outside the park, or bring pool noodles and floats no larger than 5 feet in length or width.
• Life jackets and puddle jumpers are allowed. Water wings are not.
• Alcohol, glass, foam containers and pets (other than service animals) are not allowed.

Can you swim with manatees at Blue Spring?

No. Swimming or diving with manatees is not allowed at Blue Spring, and the rule is enforced. The state park in Orange City is the winter home of more than 300 manatees that come for the 72 °F water when the St. Johns River cools down.

That is why the spring and spring run close to all water activities (swimming, tubing, diving and paddling) from November 15 through at least March 15. The dates can start earlier or end later depending on the manatees. The park lists the swim season as April 1 to November 14. If you are going in the second half of March, check before you leave.

In summer, Blue Spring has a short float of about an eighth of a mile, from the upper entry back to the main swim dock. Tubes can be up to 6 feet tall or wide. In winter, the visit is a walk along the 0.4 mile boardwalk to watch the manatees from above. The park often reaches capacity in summer, on weekdays and weekends. Manatee season also comes up in what Orlando is like in January.

Manatee viewing rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) sums it up as look, but don’t touch. Do not feed manatees or give them water, do not chase them, do not separate a mother from her calf and do not enter areas marked as manatee refuges. Under Florida law, harassing a manatee can bring a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail. Under federal law, the penalty can reach $50,000 and one year in prison.

Are De Leon, Rainbow, Alexander and Juniper worth the drive?

Yes, if you set aside a full day. Each one is different.

De Leon Springs, near DeLand, has a walled spring pool at 72 °F, from 18 inches to 30 feet deep at the boil. There are no lifeguards. Swimming runs from 8 a.m. until half an hour before sunset. The Old Sugar Mill restaurant inside the park serves pancakes you cook yourself on a griddle at the table, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rainbow Springs, in Dunnellon, has the deepest swim area on this list, 10 to 18 feet. Inflatables are not allowed at the headsprings entrance, but life jackets and pool noodles are. When the headsprings parking fills, the park closes to everyone. River tubing uses a separate entrance that opens daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, on weekends only in April, May and September, and closes from October through March.

Alexander Springs, in the Ocala National Forest, has a gently sloped sandy entry and a large basin at a constant 72 °F, about 25 to 28 feet deep near the vent. The Forest Service says sites fill on weekends and may close when they reach capacity.

Juniper Springs, also in the Ocala, has a spring swimming area and a kayak run that the concessionaire describes as technical and not for beginners. Alcohol and pets are not allowed in the day-use area. The Forest Service suggests checking site status before you go. More ideas are in the best day trips from Orlando.

When is the best time to visit the springs?

The best time is right at the 8 a.m. opening on a weekday. The parks themselves say Wekiwa, Blue Spring and Rainbow fill up in summer, and Kelly Park often turns cars away by mid-morning.

By season:

• April to October is when the warm air makes the water feel great and Blue Spring is open for swimming. The water itself stays the same all year.
• November to March the air cools down. Blue Spring closes to swimming and becomes a manatee walk, and the Rainbow River tubing entrance is closed.
• Summer weekends and holidays, including Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day, are the busiest. Book as soon as the 60-day window opens.

In practice: with young kids, Wekiwa is the safest pick because of the shallow water and the short drive. Book entry online, leave Kissimmee before 7 a.m., bring life jackets for non-swimmers and a picnic lunch. Head back in the early afternoon and spend the rest of the day at the house pool.

Pack water shoes, sunscreen, towels, snacks and dry clothes for the ride back. To plan the rest of your non-park days, see what to do in Orlando besides the theme parks. If a pool at the house is part of the plan, browse our vacation homes with a private pool.