Manatee Springs State Park, Florida, United States

5Audrey B 5:00 PM Jun 13, 2021

Amazing Place! Must do!
Wow! Really cool place. It isn't as clear and pale blue as neighboring Fanning Springs, but it had so much more atmosphere and things to do that we drove here both days (20 min drive) instead of staying at Fanning which was 2 min from our VRBO. Now, there are snakes around the swimming hole. But they were non-poisonous and non aggressive. They swam across the water a couple of times, but as long as you weren't walking on the bank around the spring they weren't highly visible. There was one on the stairs grate the first day heading into the springs, but everyone just stayed off it until he swam to the trees and sunbathed. Also, there are several little alligators over the rope line that "blocks off" the swim area. We knew this from the River Walk and from our canoe adventure over there. But they were shy, 2 feet at most, and were "cute". Now, on our canoe trip, around the bend towards the main lake, we did see one 7 footer on a log, but that was a ways away from the swimming hole, and we got too close and spooked him I guess and he swam away. In other words, he wasn't "looking for human prey". By the way, the $25 canoe rental was one of my highlights of the trip. Totally worth it. Only $6 to enter, and the river walk on wooden bridge was so charming! The hike had a lot of horse flies so we didn't do it. For some reason, the water wasn't as cold here as the other springs. Do not waste your time going to Otter Springs. If you want clearer less snaky water, try Fanning Springs state park, but there isn't a lot to do, and it was cold!

5Kim 5:00 PM Jul 19, 2020

Great State Park for Spring Divers
Manatee State Park is a true treasure for divers. This is a well maintained, peaceful State Park that definitely cares about the environment and the wild life. You need to get there early if you are diving because they limit the number of open water divers to 18 and cave divers to 8. I have been bringing open water classes here for several years. We always show up about 15 minutes before 8 AM when the gates open and we've never been denied entry. Best part its only $6 for admission! They have a clean restroom facility and an adjacent snack bar which serves hot food including BBQ. You can make a nice dive in Manatee to a depth of about 30 feet before the cave starts. Because of the high magnitude flow it stays silt free. Another equally fun dive is across the property at Catfish Hotel. You have to dive through the duckweed to get to the sink but it's a great dive to a deeper depth to 60-70 ft. When you come out they have a shower beside the spring to wash off yourself and your gear. They also have picnic tables and grills with plenty of room. The place is never crowded. The only negative thing is that you have to walk several hundred yards to the springs from the parking area. We take a small garden cart so that we can pull everything down to the springs to suit up. I've seen manatee in the spring during Winter months and plenty of fish at all times of the year. You might even see a gator or two! I highly recommend Manatee to anyone who loves Spring diving.