This Florida State Park Has an Aquamarine Natural Spring, a Beautiful Cypress Forest, and Tons of Amazing Wildlife

""Manatee Springs State Park feels like classic natural Florida-10,000 years of human history, winter-visiting manatees gliding up the Suwannee, and the steady rush of a first-magnitude spring releasing 100 million gallons of water each day. Set across 2,443 acres east of Chiefland, the park draws visitors for its clear swimming hole, cathedral-like cypress forest, and an 800-foot boardwalk overlooking the spring run.""

""With opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, paddling, hiking, and biking, it's one of Florida's most activity-rich spring parks," says Catrina Sistrunk, tourism manager for the Levy County Visitors Bureau. "The well-marked trails and newly renovated bathhouses make exploring especially enjoyable." For many locals, its beauty is part of a lifelong relationship with the outdoors. "As a third-generation Floridian, I've spent my whole life exploring the state,""

Manatee Springs State Park sits on 2,443 acres east of Chiefland and centers on a first-magnitude spring that releases about 100 million gallons of water each day. The park features an 800-foot boardwalk overlooking the spring run, a cathedral-like cypress forest, and a clear swimming hole. Winter-visiting manatees use the Suwannee River area. Recreational options include swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving (certified divers must register by 3 p.m. and exit an hour before sunset), paddling, hiking, and biking. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sundown. Fees, pavilion rentals, and 80 shaded campsites are available.

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