{"id":6855,"date":"2018-05-31T17:43:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T17:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escapecampusa.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=6855"},"modified":"2023-06-06T23:50:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T23:50:16","slug":"manatee-springs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/blog\/manatee-springs\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Swim with Manatees in Florida: Manatee Springs and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your guide to the best places to see and swim with manatees! Visit the crystal clear manatee springs that dot Central and Northern Florida.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":6862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,142,198,200],"tags":[],"blog_locations":[],"class_list":["post-6855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renter-guest-posts","category-trip-ideas-guides","category-winter-road-trips","category-women-on-the-road"],"acf":{"title":"","background_image":{"ID":17979,"id":17979,"title":"Natural Springs Florida","filename":"natural-springs-florida.jpg","filesize":114281,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/natural-springs-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"natural-springs-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 18:00:33","modified":"2018-12-07 18:00:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":798,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-300x244.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":244,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-768x625.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":625,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-1024x834.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":834,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":798,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":798,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-1200x977.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":977,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":244,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":326,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":489}},"title_color":"dark","add_overlay":[],"content_sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"<h4>By Katy Clarke<\/h4>\n<p>Recently, a friend and I took a phenomenal camper van trip from <a href=\"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/areas-served\/miami-campervan-rentals\/\">Miami<\/a> to Atlanta. We started in the Everglades (awesome!) and continued heading north. We logged a ton of miles, but we had an absolute blast. The goal was simple: Discover some of the unique spots Florida has to offer, mainly the natural springs that dot Central and Northern Florida. Why? Because that\u2019s where the water is crystal clear and the manatees live. One thing you need to know about me is that my spirit animal is the majestic manatee. I love them. I mean, I really love them. Irrationally love them. Judge me if you will.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":17979,"id":17979,"title":"Natural Springs Florida","filename":"natural-springs-florida.jpg","filesize":114281,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/natural-springs-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"natural-springs-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 18:00:33","modified":"2018-12-07 18:00:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":798,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-300x244.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":244,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-768x625.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":625,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-1024x834.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":834,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":798,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":798,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida-1200x977.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":977,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":244,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":326,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":489}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"<h2>Standup Paddleboarding at Homosassa Springs<\/h2>\n<p>Earlier that morning we had an amazing time taking a standup paddleboard adventure in Homosassa Springs, FL. We spent the morning paddling on the Homosassa River, ventured back into the natural spring, and got to paddle with quite a few manatees given the time of year\u2026 even a momma and baby! I was dying.<\/p>\n<p>Once we hit the road, I thought our manatee adventures were over, but I was wrong. Driving along we passed a little sign that read \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridastateparks.org\/parks-and-trails\/manatee-springs-state-park\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manatee Springs State Park<\/span><\/a>\u201d We instantly turned around and our plans for the day were changed immediately.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":17982,"id":17982,"title":"Stand Up Paddle Boarding with Manatees Florida","filename":"standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","filesize":244842,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 18:00:48","modified":"2018-12-07 18:00:48","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1156,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida-1024x576.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":1156,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":1156,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida-1200x675.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":675,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":169,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":225,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/standup-paddle-boarding-with-manatees-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":337}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"<h2>Manatee Springs State Park<\/h2>\n<p>Six miles off of State Road 19 in Chiefland, FL is a magic place in my little opinion. We pulled into the ranger station and paid our $6. The nice park ranger told us to just keep driving to the back, and that we couldn\u2019t miss it\u2026 after he complimented the van.<\/p>\n<p>Manatee Springs is one of Florida\u2019s numerous natural springs. This one is considered a first-magnitude spring, meaning it is pumping 100 million gallons of fresh, clear water daily. The spring water is 72 degrees all year round and is the clearest blue I\u2019ve ever seen. It connects to the Suwannee River, and kayaking is available right from the spring onto the Suwanee.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":17973,"id":17973,"title":"Manatee Springs Swimming Florida","filename":"manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","filesize":199813,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"manatee-springs-swimming-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 18:00:03","modified":"2018-12-07 18:00:03","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1156,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida-1024x576.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":1156,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":1156,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida-1200x675.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":675,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":169,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":225,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-swimming-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":337}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"<h3>Swimming at Manatee Springs<\/h3>\n<p>The spring is open for swimming, so if you\u2019re brave you can dive right in and swim. If you\u2019re a weenie about cold water like me, there are a couple of entrances into the spring that have stairs so you can ease it on in. It took me a few minutes, and an embarrassing amount of cursing, but I made it. Once I was in, it was awesome.<\/p>\n<p>Towards the end of the spring is a natural stone shelf that apparently is quite the attraction for scuba divers. Where we were swimming, we watched as scuba divers slowly descended under where we were standing. Pretty cool.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":17988,"id":17988,"title":"Swimming with Manatees Florida","filename":"swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","filesize":54026,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/swimming-with-manatees-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"swimming-with-manatees-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 18:01:26","modified":"2018-12-07 18:01:26","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":867,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida-1024x768.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":768,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":867,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":867,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida-1200x900.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":900,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":225,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":300,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-with-manatees-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":450}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"<h3>Southern Barbecue <b>at the Snack Bar<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Once we were done, we had definitely worked up an appetite. Our ranger friend had already given us the heads up that the snack bar was not to be missed if barbecue is your thing. We polished off two pulled pork sandwiches in no time, and they were delicious.<\/p>\n<p>While we didn\u2019t see any manatees at Manatee Springs, we saw plenty during the rest of our trip. They do congregate there, just in the cooler months when they\u2019re seeking warmth from the spring water, hence the name.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":17985,"id":17985,"title":"Swimming in Natural Springs Florida","filename":"swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","filesize":125694,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"swimming-in-natural-springs-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 18:01:04","modified":"2018-12-07 18:01:04","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":853,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida-300x229.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":229,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida-768x585.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":585,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida-1024x781.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":781,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":853,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":853,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida-1200x915.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":915,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":229,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":305,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/swimming-in-natural-springs-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":457}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_0 et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_text_align_left\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<p>As a place to add to your itinerary, this one is a fabulous little side trip. Manatee Springs was one of my favorites of our trip, not just because of the spontaneity, but the scenery was incredible. Definitely worth a visit!<\/p>\n<h2>Where Else You Can Swim With Manatees<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About an hour south on US 98 is another spot known for manatees, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/refuge\/crystal-river\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, FL. There are a lot of commercial tour companies there that offer manatee experiences, so you can look them up before you get there and book a swim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to remember that it\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news-journalonline.com\/story\/news\/environment\/2023\/03\/03\/florida-manatees-whats-legal-what-isnt-what-to-do-if-you-see-one\/69968846007\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">illegal to touch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, pet or even kiss a manatee (don\u2019t worry, the one in the picture above is a statue!). It\u2019s OK if they brush past you, but you don\u2019t want to climb on one or otherwise bother them. But just getting close to them is a thrill!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not sure about swimming with the beautiful creatures, you can get a good look at them from above at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridastateparks.org\/parks-and-trails\/blue-spring-state-park\/manatees-blue-spring-state-park\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue Spring State Park,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about two hours back east across Florida. Blue Spring State Park features a boardwalk along the St. Johns River that gives you a great view of manatees in the clear water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Book a Van to Explore Florida<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a number of fun places in Florida to visit in an Escape Campervan. Check out the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/blog\/florida-springs-the-ocala-national-forest\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ocala National Forest<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/blog\/guide-to-st-marks-florida\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/blog\/campervan-guide-florida-everglades-national-park-camping\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Florida Everglades National Park<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/checkout\/step1\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Book a camper van<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and hit the Florida roads today!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":17970,"id":17970,"title":"Manatee Springs State Park Florida","filename":"manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","filesize":105803,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/it\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida\/","alt":"","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"manatee-springs-state-park-florida","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2018-12-07 17:59:52","modified":"2018-12-07 17:59:52","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":488,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida-225x300.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida-768x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida-768x1024.jpg","large-width":768,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","1536x1536-width":488,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","2048x2048-width":488,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":488,"post-thumbnail-height":650,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":225,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":300,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":300,"gform-image-choice-md-height":400,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/manatee-springs-state-park-florida.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":450,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":600}},"image_link":""}],"sub_title":"","title_tag":false,"override_global_post_advertising":"no"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.2 (Yoast SEO v25.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Where to Swim with Manatees in Florida - Escape Camper Vans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out where you can see and swim with manatees in Central and Northern Florida! 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