Manatee Springs State Park

"It's one of my favorite springs to go to. My mom would bring me here as a child, so I have a lot of good memories here. The park has made many nice improvements and continues to make great improvements. The boardwalk to the river was closed due to construction, which is a good sign. We went today for a nice hike through the park and found lots of trails to choose from. If you are going hiking, be sure to take a trail map with you as the trails are not marked out as well as they should be. At intersection in the middle of the woods, you will need to look at the map to see where to go as some intersections are not marked. However, the hiking trails are very nice and smooth and would be great for biking. Which is our plan next time we visit the park. They had volunteer park ranger out riding his bike on the trails, checking in on you, which was very nice. There is lots of evidence of wildlife throughout the hike. Lots and lots of deer tracks. We ended up walking 6 miles total, so make sure you bring lots of water. There are a couple of benches along the trails but very little compared to other trails we have been on. I would definitely recommend this hike if you are looking to get a nice long walk-in. And of course I recommend the park and spring it is absolutely beautiful. Can't wait to see the boardwalk when it is all done."

"We had a nice 2 night stay at this state park. We had a back-in full hook-up site which was large enough for our 36' fifth wheel. Though the road through the campground is narrow. Fortunately, our site was by the entrance to the loop and we went out the way we came in. The staff was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed seeing the manatees just off the boardwalk, where we could see them easily. Though others were swimming with them, it was too cold for us! Very quiet park!"

"This is an amazing place. Not as fancy as some of the other springs like Silver springs, but that makes it all the more worth it for us. Of course there is the spring itself, plenty of manatees that even enter into the swimming area but there’s also some lovely walking trails where you’ll likely meet some deer and armadillo’s. We spent some nights glamping in the park, highly recommend it."

"Another experience we will never forget is staying at Manatee Springs State Park. Being able to walk to see the Manatee every day was incredible! The gentle giants were so mesmerizing and just gave a sense of awe and peace. We chose to rent a kayak one day and to get that up close and personal with them was beyond words. I probably took 100 pictures!! There were also great hiking trails and bike paths to enjoy. Our dogs loved the daily walks through the park. The bathrooms were very clean and nice, my only comment would be that there were 2 gigantic fans in them that made it a little chilly, my husband thought it might be a humidity thing?? We do have an RV but always prefer to shower in the perks restrooms. Because we were there in December they were quick showers!! The staff was very friendly and efficient, we had 2 days of a pouring rainstorm and when we could finally get out they were working very hard at making it seem as if nothing had happened! We will definitely return to the park again and highly recommend it to anyone."

"We spent a good two hours there in late November. The air is refreshing and cool. The temperature is very comfortable, not cold or hot. A few folks were swimming and most, like us, enjoyed walking through the boardwalk. The park ranger gave my kid a lesson on vultures and I also learned a lot. The park is a popular camp site. We saw tents. We hope to go back there to explore more trails."