If you’ve seen pictures of manatees swimming in crystal clear water, there’s a good chance those pictures are from Three Sisters Springs Crystal River. Crystal River, Florida is famous for being a manatee haven as they head here during the winter months to stay warm. It’s also the only place in North America where it’s legal to swim with manatees.
Three Sisters Springs is just one spring in Crystal River, but it’s one of the most visited because of how beautiful it is. Whether or not there are manatees there, it’s worth a visit.
About Three Sisters Springs Crystal River
Crystal River is the name of the town AND the name of the river that feeds into Kings Bay. Kings Bay is a fresh water bay with over 70 springs that feed into it. The water stays a consistent 72º in the bay and surrounding springs which is why it’s a popular area for manatees to migrate to during the winter months. The most popular spring in the bay is Three Sisters Springs–for its startling blue water and manatee encounters.
Three Sisters Springs is a 57-acre National Wildlife Refuge for the Florida manatee and for over 100 native and migratory birds. During the winter months, the spring is closed off to human access to allow manatees to come and go into the spring as they please. And so they aren’t disturbed while resting or nursing.
Three Sisters Springs gets its name because there are three main spring areas within the refuge. Each one has a name as well: Little Sister, Big Sister and Pretty Sister. There are also two spring areas at the entrance called Idiot’s Delight I and Idiot’s Delight II. Not sure where the names came from for that one.
The spring run is blocked off by concrete pillars so that no boats can enter the area. Only kayaks, paddle boards and swimmers are allowed into the spring during designated months (April-Nov) and as long as there are not temporary closures. The spring run has rocky edging and is about 10 feet wide in the narrower areas. The main part of the spring is only about 14 feet deep.
Fun Fact: Up to 20 million gallons of water run from these springs in a single day!
Are there manatees at the spring?
Three Sisters Springs is a popular place to see manatees during the winter months. You’re more likely to see them from November to April when they are seeking warmer water temperatures.
If you want to know before you go, you can stop by the Three Sisters Springs center and ask the people who work there. They also have a chalk board in the lobby where they had updated the number of manatees seen that day.
Are there alligators there?
Yes, there can be alligators in Three Sisters Springs. Alligators can be found in any Florida spring but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will see them. They tend to stay in shallow, swampier areas away from people. But it’s still Florida and it’s still a possibility.
How to Get There
You can get to Three Sisters Springs by land access or by water access. But you cannot access the water by land and vice versa. Land access is entirely separate and there are no launch areas, docks, etc. In fact, there isn’t even a public parking area.
So first, you have to figure out if the spring is open for swimming or not. If you happen to visit during a time when the spring is closed, that’s when heading to the boardwalk is your best option. You’ll still be able to see the beauty of the spring and potentially see some manatees. If it is open, you have the option to visit both by land and by water (though they will still be separate visits).
Land Access
To access Three Sisters Springs by land, you can take the trolley from the Three Sisters Springs center to the boardwalk.
The center is located behind City Hall at 123 NW US Hwy 19. You can park there, purchase your tickets and hop on the trolley, which leaves every 30 minutes from 8:30am-4:30pm.
You can walk or bike to the entrance and buy a ticket there (no cash). But there is no public parking except for handicap parking. The boardwalk area is wheelchair accessible (as is the trolley).
Ticket Costs:
Winter Months (Nov 15th-March 31st)
- Adult: $20
- Child 6-15: $7.50
Summer Months (April 1st-Nov 14th)
- Adult: $12.50
- Child 6-15: $7.50
The Boardwalk at Three Sisters Springs
The boardwalk is the only way to access Three Sisters Springs by land. The trolley will drop you off right at the boardwalk and there are several observation points along the .3 mile long trail. The spring is beautiful and the water a stunningly bright, blue.
When you’ve walked the boardwalk, you can either wait for the trolley to take you back to the center or walk along one of the 4 other hiking trails:
- Magnolia Spring Loop – .5 miles
- Beyond the Boardwalk Trail – .4 miles
- Red Cedar Trail – .3 miles
- Walk the Wetlands Trail – .5 miles
There’s also a pavilion near the restrooms that overlooks Lake Crystal in the middle of the park.
When we first walked the boardwalk trail, we didn’t see any manatees but we were told that some were hanging out in the water at Magnolia Springs. We took the loop trail to walk along the water and sure enough, we spotted several manatees and could see their noses pop up for air every now and then.
On our way back down the boardwalk, some manatees had come through the spring run and were swimming in the main spring area.
Other Shuttle Stops:
- Three Sisters Springs – wildlife refuge
- USFWS Center – nature exhibit and gift store
- Hunters Springs Park – another spring, park and beach area
- South Citrus Avenue – restaurants and shopping
- Heritage Village – restaurants, antiques, stores
Water Access
If you want to access Three Sisters Springs by water, you either have to arrive by kayak/paddleboard or by having a boat drop you at the spring run so you can swim in. BUT even then, there are some restrictions. Kings Bay can have temporary closures due to increased manatee presence and most of the bay requires boating at a slow speed or idle speed.
Kayaking to Three Sisters Springs Crystal River
If the springs are open, you can launch a kayak or paddle board from either of the public boat ramps. There’s a $5 parking fee and a $5 launch fee and you can use the public launch at either Hunter Springs Park or Kings Bay Park. Paddle boards and kayaks are allowed in the spring run from April 1st to November 14th as long as there are not additional closures.
Swimming to Three Sisters Springs
You are allowed to swim at Three Sisters Springs during the spring and summer months, but there is no land access to the spring. To get there, you have to swim through the spring run and into the main spring area. Which means you’ll have to arrive by boat and have someone drop you off and pick you up. You’ll also likely want to have a life jacket or float of some sort for deeper areas of the spring.
Even if you don’t get to swim there, it’s nice to have the option to visit by land so you can still see the bright blue water and potentially see manatees.
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That water looks absolutely heavenly! Would love the explore this area of the US. Seeing manatees is also on the bucket list. Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely be adding these Chrystal Springs to my list of places to visit on my next trip!