Hi there!
Some of the beautiful springs near Gainesville are some of the best springs in Florida!
There are many springs in Northern Florida and Central Florida, and this means that going to Florida springs can be a perfect day trip from Gainesville!
Best natural springs near Gainesville
1. Rainbow Springs State Park
The driving time from Gainesville to Rainbow Springs State Park is a little less than an hour. (map)
What can you do at Rainbow Springs?
- Swimming? Yes! You can go swimming in Rainbow Springs.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking in the Rainbow River. There are kayak rentals and canoe rentals.
- Tubing? Yes, tubing is very popular in the Rainbow River.
- Camping? Yes, there is a Rainbow Springs State Park campground for RV camping and tent camping, although it is located in a different area from the springs.
2. Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
The driving time from Gainesville to Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is around 40 minutes. (map)
What can you do at Gilchrist Blue Springs?
- Swimming? Yes! You can go swimming in Gilchrist Blue Springs.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking from Gilchrist Blue Springs. There are kayak rentals and canoe rentals.
- Camping? Yes, there is a Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park campground for RV camping and tent camping! It is within walking distance of the springs.
See more about visiting springs near Gainesville:
Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is not to be confused with Blue Spring State Park which is a different “blue spring” that is best to see manatees, which you can also do as a day trip from Gainesville!
🌴
3. Ichetucknee Springs State Park
The driving time from Gainesville to Ichetucknee Springs State Park is around 50 minutes. (map)
What can you do at Ichetucknee Springs?
- Swimming? Yes, you can go swimming at Ichetucknee Spring and Blue Hole Spring!
- Scuba diving? Yes, there is scuba diving at Blue Hole Spring in Ichetucknee Springs State Park. You will be diving through caves and you are allowed to go scuba diving if you are certified as a cavern diver, per the Florida Park Service.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking in the Ichetucknee River. There are kayak rentals and canoe rentals, along with transportation to the launch spot. You can also go tubing.
- Camping? No, there is no camping in Ichetucknee Springs State Park, but there is a privately owned campground nearby. (map)
The Blue Hole Spring of Ichetucknee Springs State Park is not to be confused with the Blue Hole Spring of Florida Caverns State Park!
4. Juniper Springs Recreation Area in Ocala National Forest
The driving time from Gainesville to Juniper Springs is around 1 hour 10 minutes. (map)
What can you do at Juniper Springs?
- Swimming? Yes! You can go swimming in Juniper Springs.
- Hiking? Yes! You can take a nature trail from Juniper Springs back to see more springs, including bubbling springs at Fern Hammock Springs! You might even see an alligator! This means there is no swimming at Fern Hammock Springs!
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking in the Juniper Run. The US National Forest Service says it’s been named one of the top canoe runs in America.
- Camping? Yes! There is a Juniper Springs campground for RV camping and tent camping.
See more about visiting springs near Gainesville:
5. Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area in Ocala National Forest
The driving time from Gainesville to Silver Glen Springs is around 1 hour 15 minutes. (map)
What can you do at Silver Glen Springs?
- Swimming? Yes! You can go swimming in Silver Glen Springs.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking in the Silver Glen Run.
- Hiking? Yes, you can do a short nature trail from Silver Glen Springs to some bubbling springs! You can also hike to Lake George. It’s a nice walk through the forest, but there are no springs, though!
- Camping? No, there is no camping at Silver Glen Springs. But there are other Ocala National Forest springs with campgrounds!
See more about visiting springs near Gainesville:
6. Silver Springs State Park
The driving time from Gainesville to Silver Springs is around 55 minutes. (map)
What can you do at Silver Springs?
- Swimming? No, there is no swimming at Silver Springs State Park.
- Glass bottom boat? Yes! Silver Springs State Park is most famous for its glass bottom boat ride!
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking on the Fort King paddling trail. There are rentals for kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards SUP.
- Camping? Yes! There is a Silver Springs State Park campground for RV camping and tent camping.
- Cabins? Yes! Silver Springs State Park is one of the Florida state parks with cabins!
What is there to do as these springs near Gainesville?
The most popular things to do at springs as a day trip from Gainesville are swimming and kayaking!
According to the Florida Park Service, there are over 1,000 springs in Florida!
👆 There are over 1,000 springs in Florida! There are several springs in one of Florida’s most popular national forest, and there are many Florida state parks with springs! You can go to some of these as a day trip from Gainesville!
👆 You can go swimming and kayaking at springs near Gainesville! One of the most popular springs to kayak in Florida is Rainbow Springs.
Yes, there are a lot of springs in Florida for swimming and snorkeling!
Most of the springs are in Northern Florida and Central Florida.
This means that a road trip to Florida springs from Gainesville can be a perfect day trip!
Many springs in Florida have a designated swimming area.
It’s like swimming at an outdoor pool!
You’ll be swimming at a natural outdoor swimming pool when you go to Florida springs!
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the water temperature of springs in Florida are a constant 72 to 74 degrees year-round.
This means that in theory, you can go swimming at springs in Florida any time of year.
In terms of water temperature, the 70s can be considered warm enough for swimming for many people!
As long as you can handle coming out of the water wet to a cooler air temperature, then you can go swimming in Florida springs any time of year – summer, spring, fall, and even winter!
It really just depends on your tolerance for colder water and just how much you want to go swimming in natural springs!
There could be areas of a spring that are shallow enough that you can stand.
And there may also be areas that are deeper where you can’t reach the bottom.
👆 Add a personal float to your Florida springs packing list! This way if you are in deeper water you won’t have to constantly be treading water!
👆 Florida springs have some of the clearest water on earth, according to the Florida Park Service. You can find some of the clearest springs in Florida state parks, including Rainbow Springs State Park!
👆 You can do a glass bottom boat tour to see springs near Gainesville!
And those are some of the best springs for a day trip from Gainesville!
More road trips from Gainesville:
- Best state parks in the Florida Panhandle
- Best campgrounds in the Florida Panhandle
- Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches
- Things to do in Ocala National Forest
HAPPY SEEING BEAUTIFUL SPRINGS NEAR GAINESVILLE!
There are partner websites included in this post. I may earn a commission.