Three Sisters Springs

Manatee season in the Gulf of Mexico is in full swing, with the manatees wintering in Florida from November to April. The best time to view these gentle giants is December-February, and one great place to see them is Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida.

Three Sisters Springs

Three Sisters Springs is comprised of three converged cyrstal-blue spring pools – Big Sister, Little Sister, and Pretty Sister. Manatees love to gather in the springs and in the adjoining canal during the winter months. Entry to Three Sisters Springs gives you access to a boardwalk around the three springs, and a walking trail to other viewing spots and around a small lake.

There is no way to enter the water from here – it’s land access only. For ways to swim with the manatees in the springs, see below.

There are some nice bathrooms and a picnic pavilion across from the boardwalk, but that’s it. There are only a few parking spots for handicapped visitors. All other visitors are bussed in from an outside parking lot.

How To Visit Three Sisters Springs

If, like us, you set your GPS to Three Sisters Springs, you’ll arrive at the gate and be told you can’t park there. We were handed a little map to find our way to Crystal River’s City Hall where the official parking lot for Three Sisters Springs is located. So maybe save yourself a step and just start at City Hall.

Admission

At City Hall is where you buy your tickets for Three Sisters Springs. Cost during manatee season (Nov. 15-Mar, 31) is $20 for adults, $17.50 for seniors 55 and up, $15 for military, $7.50 for kids 6-15, and free for children 5 and under. Admission during the summer (Apr. 1-Nov. 14) is a bit less at $12.50 for adults and seniors, $11.50 for military, and $7.50 for kids.

If you have a federal parks pass or duck stamp, you receive $5 off all above prices. And Citrus County Resident receive special pricing with a valid ID. For them, winter prices are $12.50 for adults, $11.50 for seniors, $10 for military, and $3.75 for kids. In summer, it’s $8.75 for adults and seniors, $8.25 for military, and $3.75 for kids. (If all that is confusing, see the chart on their admission page.)

There doesn’t seem to be a way to purchase tickets ahead of time, so I think it is a first-come, first-served situation.

Hours

Hours of operation for Three Sisters Springs is 8:30 am-4:30 pm, year-round. The last tickets are sold at 3:30 pm and the refuge closes “promptly” at 4:30. (Their words. NO LOITERING.)

Trolly Shuttle

Since there is only handicap parking at the springs, all able-bodied visitors must take the trolly from City Hall. And the shuttle doesn’t just go back and forth from the springs, it makes several stops along the way.

From City Hall, you can be dropped off in downtown Crystal River’s Heritage Village or South Citrus Avenue for shopping and dining. Then there’s a swing through Hunters Spring State Park, a small city park with a beach and playground. Next, the trolly swings by a new visitor center containing a gift shop and some exhibits. And finally, you are dropped off at the Three Sisters Springs. Plan on the same stops in reverse. Though if no one says they want to get off, the trolly usually just rolls past each area. It’s no more than a 15-20 minute trip and shuttles run continuously.

At The Springs

Once you are dropped off at the Three Sisters Springs Boardwalk, you can walk around and view the springs and the manatees, and walk a flat trail around the entire park. Several volunteers are stationed around the springs. Definitely ask them questions! They aren’t doing guided talks due to Covid, but they have lots of great stories and information, so ask away.

It can be a little hard to actually see the manatees, even when there are a lot of them. They like to hide in the corners and in murky spots. Plus, there are trees around the springs, so you can’t always get a good view through them. The manatees also like to crowd along the canal and the hollows on either sides of the springs, where they are a little harder to see. (On the map, these are called Idiot’s Delight I & II, and Magnolia Springs.) In these areas, all you can see are their humped backs on the surface of the water.

In the Water with Manatees

If you want to get a closer look at the manatees in Three Sisters Springs, you can boat in from the canal and actually swim with the manatees in the springs. There are some corners roped off where the bulk of the manatees like to gather, but you can still swim in the main area and see them up close. However, you can’t access the water from the park, nor get into the park from the water.

Swimming in to the springs is totally free! You can launch a kayak from Hunter Springs Park or Kings Bay Park, or motor in on your own craft. The closest place to rent a kayak is from Crystal River Kayak Co. Their rates start at $45 per kayak for 3 hours, up to $65 for an all-day rental. They also do kayak and pontoon tours, and have options for canoes, double kayaks, and clear kayaks.

There are several other options in the area if you do a Google search for “kayak rentals” or “outfitters” or even “manatee tours” if you want a full guided experience. I think getting in the water with them would be way more exciting than just seeing them from the boardwalk!

Crystal River Dining

Downtown Cyrstal River is really cute, and there’s lots of shopping and dining options. You can easily spend an relaxed day visiting Three Sisters Springs with a stop in at the visitor center and a walk around downtown. My visit was to catch up with a good friend and we ended up going to The Crab Plant, right on the water in King’s Bay. It’s not fancy (and it’s cash only!) but oh my goodness, it was very tasty. I highly recommend a visit.

Other Places to See Manatees in Florida

Crystal River is one of the best places to view manatees in Florida, but it’s not the only one. There is a large manatee viewing area in Tampa Bay at Apollo Beach. The manatees like to hang out by the electric power plant, so the company built a boardwalk viewing area for them.

Homosassa Springs, just south of Crystal River, has a state park where you can view manatees. Blue Spring State Park in Orange City offers a viewing area in central Florida away from the gulf. A quick Google search brings up spots all up and down the coast for manatee viewing – here’s one good list.

I’ve seen manatees in aquariums before, and Three Sisters Springs is the closest I’ve been to manatees in the wild, but I’d still like to swim with them and get closer!