Hi there!
You can go to some beautiful springs as a day trip from Tallahassee!
Most of the springs are in Northern Florida and Central Florida.
This means that a road trip to Florida springs from Tallahassee can be a perfect day trip!
Best natural springs near Tallahassee
1. Madison Blue Spring State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Madison Blue Spring State Park is around 1 hour 15 minutes. (map)
What can you do at Madison Blue Spring?
- Swimming? Yes! You can go swimming in Madison Blue Spring.
- Scuba diving? Yes! Madison Blue Spring has one of the largest cave systems in the area. You are allowed to go scuba diving at Madison Blue Spring if you are certified as a cavern diver, per the Florida Park Service. See more about scuba diving at Madison Blue Spring.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking in Madison Blue Spring State Park along Withlacoochee River, but there are no rentals available and there is no vehicle access to the river within the park.
- Camping? No, there is no camping in Madison Blue Spring State Park.
2. Rainbow Springs State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Rainbow Springs State Park is around 3 hours. (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.
3. Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is around 2 hours 10 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 Tallahassee:
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.
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4. Silver Springs State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Silver Springs is around 3 hours. (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!
5. Juniper Springs Recreation Area in Ocala National Forest
The driving time from Tallahassee to Juniper Springs is around 3 hours 15 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 Tallahassee:
- Juniper Springs
- Things to do in Ocala National Forest (more springs!)
- Silver Glen Springs (picture-perfect springs!)
6. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Weeki Wachee Springs is around 3.5 hours. (map)
What can you do at Weeki Wachee Springs?
- Mermaid show? Yes, there is a mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park! The mermaid shows 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm. Seating is first-come first-served, and once all seats are taken, no more people will be allowed in.
- Boat tour? Yes, there are boat tours along the Weeki Wachi River.
- Swimming? Yes, you can go swimming in Weeki Wachee Springs at Buccaneer Bay.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking along the Weeki Wachi River. There are rentals for kayaks and paddleboards.
See more about visiting springs near Tallahassee:
7. Ichetucknee Springs State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Ichetucknee Springs State Park is around 2 hours. (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!
8. Fanning Springs State Park
The driving time from Tallahassee to Fanning Springs is around 2 hours. (map)
What can you do at Fanning Springs?
- Swimming? Yes! You can go swimming in Fanning Springs.
- Kayaking? Yes, you can go kayaking in Fanning Springs State Park along the Suwanee River. You can also make it a paddling trip from Fanning Springs State Park to Manatee Springs State Park.
- Camping? No, there is not a Fanning Springs State Park campground so there is no RV camping. But there is backcountry camping along the Suwanee River Wilderness State Trail.
- Cabins? Yes! Fanning Springs State Park is one of the Florida state parks with cabins!
See more about visiting springs near Tallahassee:
What can you do at these springs near Tallahassee?
The most popular things to do at springs as a day trip 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 Tallahassee!
👆 You can go swimming and kayaking at springs! 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!
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 as a day trip from Tallahassee!
And those are some ideas for day trips from Tallahassee to natural springs!
More day trips from Tallahassee:
More road trips from Tallahassee:
- Tallahassee to Orlando
- Florida Caverns State Park
- Best things to do in the Florida Panhandle (for nature!)
- Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches
- Destin beaches
Overnight trips from Tallahassee:
HAPPY DRIVING TO BEAUTIFUL SPRINGS FROM TALLAHASSEE!
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