Hello everyone! So excited to finally release this video as it has been two years in the making! If you would like to check out each and every single one of these locations in more detail, you can see each dedicated video in my playlist here: ua-cam.com/play/PLAUyBjCcwiehRAbWNNiMkcGRF6fd-ytrQ.html ****PLEASE NOTE****Three Sisters Spring is temporary closed until November of this year for rehabilitation.
The best video I've seen all morning. Thank you for taking the time to make it. The springs look beautiful and finally I understand what Disney tried to do at their Disney Springs shopping complex. Its all fake there but now it looks less fake because I see what they were emulating.
@@guidedmeditation2396 yes! Visiting all of the springs really made me appreciate what Disney tried to capture with Disney Springs. When you look at their replication, you can even see that they layered the rocks just as you would see them in a natural Florida spring.
@@BenTumbling-ld2ku we don’t tend to have crocs in central Florida. They are more south Florida in small regions. It is not typical to see gators in spring water as the water from the spring is always around 67-72F degrees and can be too cold for them. Plus, the state parks tend to have protocols for if any wildlife is found in the water and will close the swimming area if needed.
I bet I'm not the only one that said this and I'm sry if so but; Idk if someone told you that pronunciation of Homosassa but it's wrong as far as I know. Born and raised near Homosassa I've never heard it that way. That's a Creek/Muskogee word and I believe the ''o'' should always be as in 'home' and 'note', it should sound like 'ho-mo-sauce-uh'. Although most Floridians now pronounce it 'home-uh-sass-uh', like it's got some sass to it. Anyway, there's an English/Muskogee guide from 1890 floating around online if you wanna fact check it. Unless there's a blood native that speaks original Creek that can tell me any different imma just keep using one of those two ways. Probably just the way Florida people say it, with a little sass.
I remember when Devils Den was just a local swimming hole in the mid 1960s.. You could park your car on a nearby limerock road, Go through a barbed wire fence, cross a pasture to the den. There was a small cave entrance near the main cavern that you used to enter the den about 8 feet above the water line. From there you jump into the water. There was an ladder tied to the rocks for you to climb back up to the jump off point.
Yea but they don't like clear water because they are ambush predators. We have been swimming in the springs for decades. However the 1 thing that is not being mentioned is the fact that the parks have become very crowded and loud it is a shame. And sometimes they close the park early because they are very crowded.
Lol at anyone who doesn't believe gators live in ALL fresh waters. I'm also a native since 1985 ... we hold a flashlight over the water (in our backyard canal) at dusk to see red eyes staring back at us. It's enough proof that gators hide out during the day. We still enjoy the springs ... in a craft or tube!!
I’m from central Florida and grew up going to Silver Glen, Juniper Springs, Alexander Springs, Silver Springs, Lake George, and many others since the 1980’s.
@@marklatlip3057 I am from Umatilla. It was literally right down the road. Silver Glen is the boating hangout spot off Lake George. The raccoons literally begfor chips or crackers on the shore.
@@marklatlip3057 My parents were teachers at Umatilla Middle from 1986-1998, they also tutored at the Boys Ranch for 2 years. All of the kids at the boys ranch in middle and high school in 1990-1992 used to come hang out at our house and my parents would take them out for dinner or have them over for dinner. Some of my closest friends from school to this day lived there. We knew Tom Manning very well. I hate it ended the way it did with misappropriation of funds, but I had a lot of friends and sports teammates that lived there.
@@AUClay well that's pretty neat. Yes several years ago they had the auction for the property and I couldn't believe it. I did a little research at the time and found out a few things that was unfortunate as well as the little boy dying. It was a great place for me and my brother to live and grow up. We liked it there so much. I went back there to visit one afternoon in about 86. Other than a lady named Miss Fox that was something like the treasurer or something there from when I was there, nobody else was left everybody else had gone.
You missed probably the best one - Ichetucknee in north Florida over by Ginnie. It's a spring so big that it's a 2 hour tubing ride river through a cypress forest.
I've been to all of these springs and the reason I clicked on this video was to see if Devils Den was mentioned. Devils Den is by far the best place I have ever been in Florida.
As a native Floridian I have been enjoying these springs my entire life. These are beautiful. I gets tears of missing home and remembering all the fun. Some of us remember the TV show Sea Hunt and the Tarzan movies. Ever wonder why there are Monkeys at Silver Springs? Now you know.
Not to many real Floridans left. Everyone says "I'm from florida" I'll ask where they from they say another state but I've been here for 8 years so I consider myself from here..... no lol you gotta be from here. If you are raised here from 5, 6 years old and up then yes your a Floridian. But if you didn't go to school here and by school I mean elementary then your not a floridian. The stuff we did as kids were only florida stuff. Blessed to be from here. Sanford born and raised
Well, I'm from Florida! Was born in Jacksonville back in the 50's. Vacation was always taken at the different Springs over the years. One of my favorites was Gold Head Stare Park. Of course it's now pretty much dried up. SO SAD! 😢
I have a picture with the Wekee Watchi Mermaids when i was 5 y.o.; I'm now 53. My grandparents lived in Dunnellon so I've been to Silver Springs, Rainbow Springs, Homosassa Springs and The KP Hole.
I use to snorkel all these springs in 1965 with my parents. Maybe we would see a couple of families. There wasn’t the SUV crowd. Just peaceful Sunday in the water.
I've been to most of these springs, having taken children on field trips with a major Tampa museum educator with environmental programs. Ichetucknee Springs is my favorite, and Blue Spring is great for casual floating and swimming with young kids. We live near Wiki Watchee spring and frequent many of the spring boiles in the Chassahowitska River and the Withlacoochee River. Our springs are a natural paradise and criticle for our natural habitats under threat from new home construction and massive population increase. I ❤ this video very extensive and enjoyable. You may wish to make a video on our cave and sinkhole geology as well as most of our general public are not even aware of these amazing natural features.
Wakulla Springs is a good one to cover and check out as well. It's more in the panhandle but I grew up going there. There is swimming, kayaking, glass bottom boats, a dive tower, lodging, picnicking, playgrounds, a cafe, and lots of great history in the main old Florida lodge.
This is exactly the video I was looking for. You organized the images and the Maps in such a remarkable way that now I want to plan to see them all. Job well done 👏🏼
Oh my goodness I live in FL and you have opened my eyes to so many neat things I was missing out on thank you so much! Have been to just a few of these springs but there are so many more I need to go see now.
Thank you for reminding everyone just how beautiful the sunshine state is regardless of corrupted and incompetent politicians and godless greedy big and little developers. Who would believe a high end 3/2 at cost of 110k going for 4 million pre construction? Man made dystopia no doubt yet the earth and her natural beauty is still relatively free of cost and heals the heart and soul giving us back our balance and true social consciousness. Thanks again for taking the time to xare and of course share.
I also grew up in Florida and only knew a few of these. Florida is such a loooong state, and I grew up in Polk County, _not_ a day trip from some of them. Idk if I'll ever get back there, but if I do, I'll be looking for guide videos like this, to help plan my itinerary. Maybe I'll be a van-camping retiree and meander my way down the state and back....
All of the springs are great. I've lived in Orlando/Apopka since 1987. Wekiwa and Kelly now are super crowded on weekends where they close the gates before noon especially on holiday weekends. Silver Springs was great but not much swimming. Silver Glen Springs was great but the boats that park near the springs are parked too close to the swimming area, lots of fish to swim with though. To me Blue Springs was the best park. I could stop on the way home from Port Orange and Ormond beach after working 4am to 2.5 pm in a shop of 100+ degrees. 50 cents for a motorcycle or 1.50 for a car and swim with otters for a half hour before picking up my children and making dinner. 72 degrees feels so relaxing. My worries are that its only going to get worse due to how many people that are relocating to FL from within our borders and from outside.
Yeah I also live in Orlando and haven't been able to get into Kelly Springs or Wekiwa in years as it is so crowded , I can never make it in. And that was even before the influx of new people moving here.
@@vaderladylWe went during the week in September last year, actually, it was the day before the hurricane was blowing in. There was hardly anyone there
I’m a native Floridian although I no longer live there. Growing up my family camped and visited many of these springs mentioned. I think my all time favorite is Juniper Springs. I have so many wonderful memories there. Another place I enjoyed many times was Itchtucknee Springs. Many years ago you could float and pull off and picnic along the way. But of course people not cleaning up after themselves ruined being able to bring picnics along with you.
I grew up outside of Tampa and my parents took us to a lot of these springs! They also took us on many trips to various parks and beaches. This video was very nostalgic for me, thank you!
Weeki Wachee springs is gorgeous. I’ve been there crystal River Springs is amazing. I’ve been there used to live in Florida for most of my young life went all over Florida. My parents moved a lot lol everywhere from Miami all the way up to Crystal River it’s a beautiful beautiful thing when you can see manatees And water is crystal clear as glass but it’s cold. Very very cold. Nice in the summer though.❤️
Extremely well put together video, I live 5 minutes down the street from Rock springs, I used to go there all the time when I was a kid years ago, it really hasn't changed much over the years. Thank you
@@Spladoinkal ha ha, it’s actually not too bad most days and it’s only certain times during that season, so I try to avoid going that way if I need to 😂
Great views and descriptions of our wonderful springs here in Florida...if you go, go EARLY because a lot of these places will definitely fill up and stop letting people in. Getting there at 10am is often too late on weekends and holidays.
This was FANTASTIC! Next time, would you put the names of areas in the description? Then we can easily review the parts we'd like to see. I'll be looking at more of your vid, really great work!
Hey! I'm a native born and raised in Madeira too! I'm currently living in St. Pete..I haven't lived there since '08. I miss the place, there's nothing else like it. I hope the transplants and out of state developers haven't completely destroyed the place.
As a native Floridaian I have enjoyed your videos when I was younger I visited most of them. I was born in Tampa but now I live in North Florida and have become handicapped. Can you say anything about handicapped access. Thanks ❤
Hi Colleen! Thank you so much for watching! The park websites are such a great resource for this! They have FAQ pages that go over how accessible the park is. I highly recommend checking them out for whichever spring you are interested in. They all vary in their accommodations.
The coolest thing is there are actually small springs everywhere. I grew up in Dunedin, Florida and mapped out at least 25 springs, sinks and boils near my house. Some were also off-shore. The most spectacular of them all was infamous Blue Sink in Palm Harbor (now 100% off limits)
@sirfitz8125 all up and down Curlew Creek, Hammock Park, St Joseph's Sound. Most are small but it's fun searching. What you can do when you are 11 to 15 years old and the internet didn't exist.
Your videos are very nice, with smooth transitions and informative details. These are great for planning how to explore beautiful Florida. Please keep making more.
Love this guide!!! Can’t wait to move to FL later this summer and visit the springs you mentioned. So far we’ve gone to Rock Springs and Wekiwa 😊. Really loved the natural lazy river at Rock Springs 🥰.
The natural lazy river at Kelly Park/Rock Spring is so beautiful! I love it too. We actually recently went back to re-fresh our Kelly Park video because the last time we went, we were not allowed to get into the water. So, we didn't have any lazy river footage at all! lol. You are going to have such an amazing adventure moving down here! So much to look forward to! So excited for you!
Very well done video, very informative and excellent narrative. Good job! I have been to Weeki Wachi, Rainbow Springs, Blue Spring, Silver Springs and Homosassa Spring. Will have to check out the others!
The alligators will stay down river from the main springs mostly. They don't like the cold water. But they are aware that the springs are full of people and avoid being where it's crowded. You will see them basking along the banks just don't jump out of your kayak and swim over to them and you'll be fine.
The springs are a huge contrast to what I think of as "Florida water," coffee-colored, tannin rich water that's found in any body of water that's not spring fed. I grew up swimming in brown lakes.... 🙂
@@MelissaThompson432 Most lakes, yes, but we have some clear water lakes also. Many are found in the Ocala NF. My friend's wife's family owns property on a lake within the park (purchased it before the land was made a NP). They have a few small lake houses there that we would stay at some weekends. The lake that the property is on is beautiful. Sandy bottom and very clear. We were hanging out toward the middle of the lake (depth finder read 30') one day when someone accidently dropped an aluminum can/beverage in the water. We watched the can sink all the way to the sandy bottom. Edit: I saw where you wrote in another post that you were from Polk. Same here. Believe it or not, we have some fairly clear lakes here, too. There's a small one near Alturas that people used to like to snorkle in. Nothing like our springs of course, but much clearer than what we are used to.
@@321gates I'll bet anything that is a spring fed lake, which I did account for. I was born in Alachua, which has both clear springs you might call lakes, and clear springs welling up in the Santa Re River. I lived in Polk County growing up, which has masses of tea colored, murky sink hole lakes. (Afaik, you can't swim in them any more due to runoff chemicals.)
Live near a creek with an abandoned bridge on it here in Orlando. So relaxing to camp on it. And not deal with people. Even though it is so close to people. But feels far away.
Silver Glen in the 80s...The Best FL Gem many years ago, we used to camp, fish off the docks, hang on the sandbar w houseboats......All the facilities were removed years ago...so different back in the day...
I enjoyed the video, but you forgot a spring.. Salt Springs is also a very nice place to swim, kayak, and boat out to lake George.. located on hwy 19 in Salt Springs
I lived off the 15 minutes off the 19 black top, deep in the woods. It took me about two months to get in and out of those woods without getting lost.. I left to help out my mom for awhile. I can't begin to express how much I miss the place.
I was born in Gainesville, and my family used to swim at what was then called Blue Spring. My younger sister and I went back and swam at the original hole at Ginnie several years ago, and at the time they were developing the hole I think of as Blue Spring to annex it into Ginnie. That was the coldest water I have ever been in, and I am used to spring-fed creeks.
Eye opening. When we think of Florida, we imagine Disney World and beaches. These springs are beautiful and your video made us want ti visit. But many areas seem very crowded. Did you film on weekends or during a particularly high season? Are there quieter times when one can enjoy nature and tranquility with no crowds?
Thank you so much! Yes, we mostly film during the weekends. So, the best way to experience these beautiful springs with relatively smaller crowds is to visit during the week during the down season like in the fall or early spring. Making sure you get there as soon as the park opens or before also helps!
No mention of Ichetucknee? That is the only one I've been to, way back as a kid vacationing in Florida. I seem to recall it being just as big as many of these. No worries, just curious.
Thank you for the excellent production! Extremely informative and I am intending on visiting each of these places one day in my life! Im looking forward to any future docutravels you post
I'm all the way up in New England but have life long friends currently in Atlanta. I saw the thumbnail and am so happy I watched through. Very relaxing, beautiful video...I subbed. P.S. Homosassa springs boat at 15:29 with the 8 turtles and juvi' gator, sharing the narrow log was too cute.
I am so impressed that you noticed that shot because it went so quickly! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and for joining my community. I am so happy that you enjoyed the video.
@@ChrissaTravels Awww, my pleasure and thank you. Noticing that detail shows how much I enjoyed your time and effort in making it all happen. YOUR joy showed throughout the adventure. I wanted to take it all in. Keep up the great exploration of one of our beautiful States.
Chrissa, great job! Thank you for the beautiful videography, and all the wonderful information! (Florida is my home state, and I had never even heard of some of these!)
I just subscribed to your channel and will take some time to view your work. I was extremely impressed with the central Florida hot springs video. I look forward to viewing and learning more about our amazing country and nature. I enjoy film and video and have been a creative artist. Painting , sculptor etc. I’m fascinated with peoples creativity and how modern use of technology allows such professional results I hope my message finds you well and family Thank you. Sincerely. Chris
Hello everyone! So excited to finally release this video as it has been two years in the making! If you would like to check out each and every single one of these locations in more detail, you can see each dedicated video in my playlist here: ua-cam.com/play/PLAUyBjCcwiehRAbWNNiMkcGRF6fd-ytrQ.html
****PLEASE NOTE****Three Sisters Spring is temporary closed until November of this year for rehabilitation.
The best video I've seen all morning. Thank you for taking the time to make it. The springs look beautiful and finally I understand what Disney tried to do at their Disney Springs shopping complex. Its all fake there but now it looks less fake because I see what they were emulating.
does it is very risky, that there is a big chance you might encounter a alligator or croc.
@@guidedmeditation2396 yes! Visiting all of the springs really made me appreciate what Disney tried to capture with Disney Springs. When you look at their replication, you can even see that they layered the rocks just as you would see them in a natural Florida spring.
@@BenTumbling-ld2ku we don’t tend to have crocs in central Florida. They are more south Florida in small regions. It is not typical to see gators in spring water as the water from the spring is always around 67-72F degrees and can be too cold for them. Plus, the state parks tend to have protocols for if any wildlife is found in the water and will close the swimming area if needed.
I bet I'm not the only one that said this and I'm sry if so but; Idk if someone told you that pronunciation of Homosassa but it's wrong as far as I know. Born and raised near Homosassa I've never heard it that way. That's a Creek/Muskogee word and I believe the ''o'' should always be as in 'home' and 'note', it should sound like 'ho-mo-sauce-uh'. Although most Floridians now pronounce it 'home-uh-sass-uh', like it's got some sass to it. Anyway, there's an English/Muskogee guide from 1890 floating around online if you wanna fact check it. Unless there's a blood native that speaks original Creek that can tell me any different imma just keep using one of those two ways. Probably just the way Florida people say it, with a little sass.
This is one of the most comprehensive spring videos I've ever seen. I can't wait to get back to FLA.
Thank you so much! ☺️💛
I remember when Devils Den was just a local swimming hole in the mid 1960s.. You could park your car on a nearby limerock road, Go through a barbed wire fence, cross a pasture to the den. There was a small cave entrance near the main cavern that you used to enter the den about 8 feet above the water line. From there you jump into the water. There was an ladder tied to the rocks for you to climb back up to the jump off point.
My sister remembers that! I have photos that she shared with me of those times.
I wasn’t born yet but sounds like good times!
@@wsmith4906 sounds amazing bet the car was cool too
As a nativen Floridian, there are Alligators in everyone of those springs shown except for Devils Den.
I doubt it!
Yea but they don't like clear water because they are ambush predators. We have been swimming in the springs for decades. However the 1 thing that is not being mentioned is the fact that the parks have become very crowded and loud it is a shame.
And sometimes they close the park early because they are very crowded.
Lol at anyone who doesn't believe gators live in ALL fresh waters. I'm also a native since 1985 ... we hold a flashlight over the water (in our backyard canal) at dusk to see red eyes staring back at us. It's enough proof that gators hide out during the day. We still enjoy the springs ... in a craft or tube!!
Never seen one in weekie wachie. You must not be that much of a native
@@Kushomatik11gators and cross are both in weenie wachey!!
This video must've taken a ton of work. Impressive! This is such an awesome thorough video. Thanks!
Thank you so much! This video was about two years of work put together. It was well worth it though! :)
I’m from central Florida and grew up going to Silver Glen, Juniper Springs, Alexander Springs, Silver Springs, Lake George, and many others since the 1980’s.
Alexander Springs. Lots of memories there when I was a kid.
@@marklatlip3057 I am from Umatilla. It was literally right down the road. Silver Glen is the boating hangout spot off Lake George. The raccoons literally begfor chips or crackers on the shore.
@@AUClay cool. I lived at the lake county boys ranch in Altoona from 1979 to 1982. I went to Umatilla Middle school for 7th grade.
@@marklatlip3057 My parents were teachers at Umatilla Middle from 1986-1998, they also tutored at the Boys Ranch for 2 years. All of the kids at the boys ranch in middle and high school in 1990-1992 used to come hang out at our house and my parents would take them out for dinner or have them over for dinner. Some of my closest friends from school to this day lived there. We knew Tom Manning very well. I hate it ended the way it did with misappropriation of funds, but I had a lot of friends and sports teammates that lived there.
@@AUClay well that's pretty neat. Yes several years ago they had the auction for the property and I couldn't believe it. I did a little research at the time and found out a few things that was unfortunate as well as the little boy dying. It was a great place for me and my brother to live and grow up. We liked it there so much. I went back there to visit one afternoon in about 86. Other than a lady named Miss Fox that was something like the treasurer or something there from when I was there, nobody else was left everybody else had gone.
I'm a florida native from Tampa. The springs are such a beautiful scenery. 😍
Absolutely fantastic travel video! Your use of maps to show the exact locations and outstanding videography are really appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I am so happy you enjoyed it!
You missed probably the best one - Ichetucknee in north Florida over by Ginnie. It's a spring so big that it's a 2 hour tubing ride river through a cypress forest.
Just did this!
I've been to all of these springs and the reason I clicked on this video was to see if Devils Den was mentioned. Devils Den is by far the best place I have ever been in Florida.
As a native Floridian I have been enjoying these springs my entire life. These are beautiful. I gets tears of missing home and remembering all the fun. Some of us remember the TV show Sea Hunt and the Tarzan movies. Ever wonder why there are Monkeys at Silver Springs? Now you know.
❤
Florida is a great vacation spot but not move to.
Not to many real Floridans left. Everyone says "I'm from florida" I'll ask where they from they say another state but I've been here for 8 years so I consider myself from here..... no lol you gotta be from here. If you are raised here from 5, 6 years old and up then yes your a Floridian. But if you didn't go to school here and by school I mean elementary then your not a floridian. The stuff we did as kids were only florida stuff. Blessed to be from here. Sanford born and raised
where did you move too? I have always lived in FL and unfortunately havent really been to any springs
Well, I'm from Florida! Was born in Jacksonville back in the 50's. Vacation was always taken at the different Springs over the years. One of my favorites was Gold Head Stare Park. Of course it's now pretty much dried up. SO SAD! 😢
There are so many more, including Salt Springs and Wakulla Springs. My own favorites are Juniper and Ichetucknee
I have a picture with the Wekee Watchi Mermaids when i was 5 y.o.; I'm now 53. My grandparents lived in Dunnellon so I've been to Silver Springs, Rainbow Springs, Homosassa Springs and The KP Hole.
I remember going there all the time when we lived there, I was also around 5
@@Tee19691 my grandparents used to live in Dunnellon, too. I remember spending summers with them enjoying Rainbow and Homassassa springs ❤️
I use to snorkel all these springs in 1965 with my parents. Maybe we would see a couple of families. There wasn’t the SUV crowd. Just peaceful Sunday in the water.
I've been to most of these springs, having taken children on field trips with a major Tampa museum educator with environmental programs. Ichetucknee Springs is my favorite, and Blue Spring is great for casual floating and swimming with young kids. We live near Wiki Watchee spring and frequent many of the spring boiles in the Chassahowitska River and the Withlacoochee River. Our springs are a natural paradise and criticle for our natural habitats under threat from new home construction and massive population increase. I ❤ this video very extensive and enjoyable. You may wish to make a video on our cave and sinkhole geology as well as most of our general public are not even aware of these amazing natural features.
So beautiful and peaceful looking. Can’t wait to visit Florida again!
When I worked in Sanford in the 1990’s we used to go swim at Blue Springs, in the summer after a hot day of work it was so refreshing.
Wakulla Springs is a good one to cover and check out as well. It's more in the panhandle but I grew up going there. There is swimming, kayaking, glass bottom boats, a dive tower, lodging, picnicking, playgrounds, a cafe, and lots of great history in the main old Florida lodge.
I will have to add it to the list for next year! 🥰
Wakulla is very beautiful!
You are my favorite travel channel, it is very clear that you love your job, thank you very much for giving us the pleasure of pleasure.
Awww…you just made my day! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy my channel! 🥰
I love a block away from rainbow river and i love it!
My daughter just took me to Silver Springs. We took the long tour in the glass bottom boat. We really loved it.
Here in the Panhandle (N FL) we have Ponce de Leon Springs (zip 32455) and Wakulla Springs, to name a few. LOVE the springs. SO nice
Great stuff. Blue Springs in Orange City.
This is exactly the video I was looking for. You organized the images and the Maps in such a remarkable way that now I want to plan to see them all. Job well done 👏🏼
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the video!
Oh my goodness I live in FL and you have opened my eyes to so many neat things I was missing out on thank you so much! Have been to just a few of these springs but there are so many more I need to go see now.
Thank you for reminding everyone just how beautiful the sunshine state is regardless of corrupted and incompetent politicians and godless greedy big and little developers. Who would believe a high end 3/2 at cost of 110k going for 4 million pre construction? Man made dystopia no doubt yet the earth and her natural beauty is still relatively free of cost and heals the heart and soul giving us back our balance and true social consciousness. Thanks again for taking the time to xare and of course share.
We are partial to Fanning Springs and Manatee Springs, both close to our home. Adjoining is the Nature Coast Trail, for walking and biking.
This video was very well done very professional. Thank you.
Thank you!
I'm a native Floridian and I knew about 30% of this information. Thank you for making this, now I gotta go do everything in this.
That’s awesome! Thank you! ☺️
I also grew up in Florida and only knew a few of these. Florida is such a loooong state, and I grew up in Polk County, _not_ a day trip from some of them. Idk if I'll ever get back there, but if I do, I'll be looking for guide videos like this, to help plan my itinerary. Maybe I'll be a van-camping retiree and meander my way down the state and back....
All of the springs are great. I've lived in Orlando/Apopka since 1987. Wekiwa and Kelly now are super crowded on weekends where they close the gates before noon especially on holiday weekends. Silver Springs was great but not much swimming. Silver Glen Springs was great but the boats that park near the springs are parked too close to the swimming area, lots of fish to swim with though. To me Blue Springs was the best park. I could stop on the way home from Port Orange and Ormond beach after working 4am to 2.5 pm in a shop of 100+ degrees. 50 cents for a motorcycle or 1.50 for a car and swim with otters for a half hour before picking up my children and making dinner. 72 degrees feels so relaxing. My worries are that its only going to get worse due to how many people that are relocating to FL from within our borders and from outside.
Yeah I also live in Orlando and haven't been able to get into Kelly Springs or Wekiwa in years as it is so crowded , I can never make it in. And that was even before the influx of new people moving here.
@@vaderladylWe went during the week in September last year, actually, it was the day before the hurricane was blowing in. There was hardly anyone there
@@webugn2 Good timing! That might be the only time you can gain access to that park!
Every December watching the manatees is a holiday must.
Thank you so much for the Super video!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! ☺️
Great Video!!! Thanks!!!
Thank you so much for watching! ☺️🫶🏽
This is amazing stuff. This really shows the true beauty of Florida. Thank you for sharing I plan to hit every single one. God bless
I’m a native Floridian although I no longer live there. Growing up my family camped and visited many of these springs mentioned. I think my all time favorite is Juniper Springs. I have so many wonderful memories there. Another place I enjoyed many times was Itchtucknee Springs. Many years ago you could float and pull off and picnic along the way. But of course people not cleaning up after themselves ruined being able to bring picnics along with you.
Thank you so much for this video, I am open my eyes run new life 😇🙏🙏🙏❤️
I grew up outside of Tampa and my parents took us to a lot of these springs! They also took us on many trips to various parks and beaches. This video was very nostalgic for me, thank you!
Me too! Great times
Weeki Wachee springs is gorgeous. I’ve been there crystal River Springs is amazing. I’ve been there used to live in Florida for most of my young life went all over Florida. My parents moved a lot lol everywhere from Miami all the way up to Crystal River it’s a beautiful beautiful thing when you can see manatees And water is crystal clear as glass but it’s cold. Very very cold. Nice in the summer though.❤️
I grew up in the Crystal River/Homosassa Springs area. Thank you for featuring them!
Extremely well put together video, I live 5 minutes down the street from Rock springs, I used to go there all the time when I was a kid years ago, it really hasn't changed much over the years. Thank you
I don't know how you guys deal with that traffic line every day
@@Spladoinkal ha ha, it’s actually not too bad most days and it’s only certain times during that season, so I try to avoid going that way if I need to 😂
tons of springs!
had no idea there were that many. saw gators, monkeys, & humongus catfish at silver springs when i was a kid. amazing!
Didn’t know we had that many springs here. Definitely visiting them all! Nice vid!
Native here and have and still do enjoy ALL of the springs you mentioned and many many more.check into the Florida Caverns...awsome trip❤❤❤
I do have that one my list of places to feature!! Hopefully next year! ☺️
Very nicely done! Although, I missed seeing one of my favorites... JUNIPER SPRINGS in the Ocala National Forest.
Will have to add it for next year! 🥰
Juniper run is one of the best kayak trails.
Great views and descriptions of our wonderful springs here in Florida...if you go, go EARLY because a lot of these places will definitely fill up and stop letting people in. Getting there at 10am is often too late on weekends and holidays.
Excellent tip! Definitely want to get there as early as possible if you want the chance to get in! 10 am would absolutely be too late!
This was FANTASTIC! Next time, would you put the names of areas in the description? Then we can easily review the parts we'd like to see. I'll be looking at more of your vid, really great work!
As a native Floridian of Madeira beach my girlfriend and I absolutely love our natural springs and my state.
Hey! I'm a native born and raised in Madeira too! I'm currently living in St. Pete..I haven't lived there since '08. I miss the place, there's nothing else like it. I hope the transplants and out of state developers haven't completely destroyed the place.
Just watching this video made me feel relaxed and upbeat. Thank you for such high quality, beautiful images! 🌹🥰❤️
Thank you so much! I am so happy that you enjoyed it! :)
Best place with the best beaches I visited so far!
As a native Floridaian I have enjoyed your videos when I was younger I visited most of them. I was born in Tampa but now I live in North Florida and have become handicapped. Can you say anything about handicapped access. Thanks ❤
Hi Colleen! Thank you so much for watching! The park websites are such a great resource for this! They have FAQ pages that go over how accessible the park is. I highly recommend checking them out for whichever spring you are interested in. They all vary in their accommodations.
Good coverage of the springs.
I live in Apopka Florida and grew up going to all these springs. I just went 2 weeks ago. I took a short video of our trip. 😊
I took a road trip to Central Florida and stopped at some of the freshwater Springs a couple years ago I love them
What a wonderful informative video!
This was extremely helpful, thank you! I appreciate that it was all your own footage and that you were honest about the crowds.
Wow what an amazing video!! Thank you so much we can't wait to visit FL this year! We are definitely going to Silver Springs!
Silver Springs is a great choice! Thank you so much! I am so happy you enjoyed the video.
What an awesome video! I can’t wait to enjoy ❤
The coolest thing is there are actually small springs everywhere. I grew up in Dunedin, Florida and mapped out at least 25 springs, sinks and boils near my house. Some were also off-shore. The most spectacular of them all was infamous Blue Sink in Palm Harbor (now 100% off limits)
I live in Dunedin....Where is this?
i found the blue sink hole on google maps. some sort of travel agency working out of the home is there now.
@sirfitz8125 all up and down Curlew Creek, Hammock Park, St Joseph's Sound. Most are small but it's fun searching. What you can do when you are 11 to 15 years old and the internet didn't exist.
warm mineral springs near north port..full of minerals that cause you to float and about 80 degrees ..very deep also...healing waters.
Used to swim in blue sink every day
At Homosassa Spring State Park. Wyland actually painted some of the walls there and my wife helped a couple years ago.
Very nice, but you missed two of my favorites...Alexander Springs and Juniper Springs.
Your videos are very nice, with smooth transitions and informative details. These are great for planning how to explore beautiful Florida. Please keep making more.
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I really appreciate it!
Love this guide!!! Can’t wait to move to FL later this summer and visit the springs you mentioned. So far we’ve gone to Rock Springs and Wekiwa 😊. Really loved the natural lazy river at Rock Springs 🥰.
The natural lazy river at Kelly Park/Rock Spring is so beautiful! I love it too. We actually recently went back to re-fresh our Kelly Park video because the last time we went, we were not allowed to get into the water. So, we didn't have any lazy river footage at all! lol. You are going to have such an amazing adventure moving down here! So much to look forward to! So excited for you!
@@ChrissaTravels ooo so excited for the new video!!! And we can't wait! There are so much to do besides the amazing theme parks :).
Very well done video, very informative and excellent narrative. Good job! I have been to Weeki Wachi, Rainbow Springs, Blue Spring, Silver Springs and Homosassa Spring. Will have to check out the others!
So many springs and trails. Kayaking looks so fun. Love that lazy river.
Exceptionally well done and informative - thank you!
Thank you so much for watching! ☺️
Thanks for an informative video 😊
Looks so beautiful and inviting for swim. Tubing, etc but what about the ALLIGATORS?
The alligators will stay down river from the main springs mostly. They don't like the cold water. But they are aware that the springs are full of people and avoid being where it's crowded. You will see them basking along the banks just don't jump out of your kayak and swim over to them and you'll be fine.
And they have contention methods to keep them away from the swimming areas.
The springs are so beautiful! Also love the waterfalls. It’s so amazing how clear the water is.
They are all so beautiful in their own way. We definitely need to take you to one the next time you visit.
The springs are a huge contrast to what I think of as "Florida water," coffee-colored, tannin rich water that's found in any body of water that's not spring fed. I grew up swimming in brown lakes.... 🙂
@@MelissaThompson432 Most lakes, yes, but we have some clear water lakes also. Many are found in the Ocala NF. My friend's wife's family owns property on a lake within the park (purchased it before the land was made a NP). They have a few small lake houses there that we would stay at some weekends. The lake that the property is on is beautiful. Sandy bottom and very clear. We were hanging out toward the middle of the lake (depth finder read 30') one day when someone accidently dropped an aluminum can/beverage in the water. We watched the can sink all the way to the sandy bottom.
Edit: I saw where you wrote in another post that you were from Polk. Same here. Believe it or not, we have some fairly clear lakes here, too. There's a small one near Alturas that people used to like to snorkle in. Nothing like our springs of course, but much clearer than what we are used to.
@@321gates I'll bet anything that is a spring fed lake, which I did account for. I was born in Alachua, which has both clear springs you might call lakes, and clear springs welling up in the Santa Re River. I lived in Polk County growing up, which has masses of tea colored, murky sink hole lakes. (Afaik, you can't swim in them any more due to runoff chemicals.)
@@MelissaThompson432 The lake in Ocala is actually not spring fed.
I spent some time on the Wacissa river back in 82: beautiful, beautiful place
I have canoed on a spring in Florida, and it was really quite beautiful and primitive. In spots, it was like canoeing in a tropical jungle.
Live near a creek with an abandoned bridge on it here in Orlando. So relaxing to camp on it. And not deal with people. Even though it is so close to people. But feels far away.
Silver Glen in the 80s...The Best FL Gem many years ago, we used to camp, fish off the docks, hang on the sandbar w houseboats......All the facilities were removed years ago...so different back in the day...
Thank you so much, you did a beautiful job.
Great video! Exactly what I was looking for 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
I enjoyed the video, but you forgot a spring.. Salt Springs is also a very nice place to swim, kayak, and boat out to lake George.. located on hwy 19 in Salt Springs
Does Salt Springs still exist? I read about it on the internet but everyone I asked about it said they hadn’t heard about it in decades.
I lived off the 15 minutes off the 19 black top, deep in the woods. It took me about two months to get in and out of those woods without getting lost.. I left to help out my mom for awhile. I can't begin to express how much I miss the place.
I love the Florida coast and South Florida beaches nothing like the sea
The springs and beaches are the only thing I like about Florida. Blue Spring is amazing!!!
I was born in Gainesville, and my family used to swim at what was then called Blue Spring. My younger sister and I went back and swam at the original hole at Ginnie several years ago, and at the time they were developing the hole I think of as Blue Spring to annex it into Ginnie.
That was the coldest water I have ever been in, and I am used to spring-fed creeks.
Eye opening. When we think of Florida, we imagine Disney World and beaches. These springs are beautiful and your video made us want ti visit. But many areas seem very crowded. Did you film on weekends or during a particularly high season? Are there quieter times when one can enjoy nature and tranquility with no crowds?
Thank you so much! Yes, we mostly film during the weekends. So, the best way to experience these beautiful springs with relatively smaller crowds is to visit during the week during the down season like in the fall or early spring. Making sure you get there as soon as the park opens or before also helps!
Go to visit after school starts and during the week.
No mention of Ichetucknee? That is the only one I've been to, way back as a kid vacationing in Florida. I seem to recall it being just as big as many of these. No worries, just curious.
Every time I see you, I put a smile on my face. This is probably love.
Hi Chrissa, what spring is the most romantic spring in your estimation? Romantic enough to ask a very important question. 😊
Thank you for the excellent production! Extremely informative and I am intending on visiting each of these places one day in my life! Im looking forward to any future docutravels you post
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I hope you do get to experience these springs one day! Thank you for joining me on my journeys! ☺️🫶🏽
Great video. The only thing that sucks is springs are always crowded with people.
Yes, sometimes you just sit in a long line of traffic and never even get inside the gate.
I'm all the way up in New England but have life long friends currently in Atlanta. I saw the thumbnail and am so happy I watched through. Very relaxing, beautiful video...I subbed. P.S. Homosassa springs boat at 15:29 with the 8 turtles and juvi' gator, sharing the narrow log was too cute.
I am so impressed that you noticed that shot because it went so quickly! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and for joining my community. I am so happy that you enjoyed the video.
@@ChrissaTravels Awww, my pleasure and thank you. Noticing that detail shows how much I enjoyed your time and effort in making it all happen. YOUR joy showed throughout the adventure. I wanted to take it all in. Keep up the great exploration of one of our beautiful States.
It looks like many have boardwalk trails or paved trails, is that correct? I currently have to use a scooter but would love to visit some of these!
Didn’t realize there was so many natural springs in that area. They all look so relaxing and calming. Plus getting to see all the wildlife.
They are all so beautiful, we definitely have to take you the next time you visit.
the water is cold too.
Thanks for giving me ideas to explore my Summer.
Chrissa, great job! Thank you for the beautiful videography, and all the wonderful information! (Florida is my home state, and I had never even heard of some of these!)
Thank you so much! I guess you’ll have to come back and check out all the ones you haven’t seen before! 😁
Thanks ❤I love the narrating voice
I love Blue Springs!! Growing up in Orlando, we used to go on field trips there all the time and it was always so fun to see the manatees.
Love the natural beauty of my home state.❤
I'm a Florida boy. You did a fantastic job of putting this top-notch production together.
Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate hearing this!
This video makes FL look even more appealing than it already did
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! That's awesome!
Thank you Chrissa!
Thank you so much for watching!
Ur voice is so soothing to me and I enjoy all ur videos. Thank you for sharing ❤
Cool ideas. Sent to my daughter to check these out. She loves kayaking.
A very beautiful , educational and well organized video. Easy to watch and listen too. What a wonderful presentation. Exciting
Thank you so much! :)
I just subscribed to your channel and will take some time to view your work.
I was extremely impressed with the central Florida hot springs video. I look forward to viewing and learning more about our amazing country and nature.
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Very well done video! Thanks for your hard work. Instant subscriber!
Aw! That’s amazing! I’m so happy to have you be a part of my community! 💛
Great little gems here in Florida, too bad you didn't cover pan handle springs, wakulla springs is amazing. Try it !!