St. Augustine has beaches, history and excellent food, but no swimmable springs of its own — the closest good ones sit roughly an hour and a quarter southwest, in the Ocala National Forest and around DeLand. The single most useful planning fact: on May–September weekends and holidays, Silver Glen requires its own vehicle access reservation, and since July 15, 2026 Blue Spring State Park needs a day-use reservation year-round, so book before you drive.
Salt Springs, about an hour and fifteen minutes southwest. The nearest of the forest springs by straight-line distance (roughly 45 miles) and a comfortable half-day from town. Salt Springs runs a little warmer than the usual 72°F — about 74°F, thanks to its mineral content — and blue crabs wander the shallows, which is a genuinely odd thing to see in a freshwater swim.
Silver Glen and De Leon Springs. Silver Glen is a wild, snorkel-only spring with no cell service; De Leon is a walled swimming basin beside the Old Spanish Sugar Mill, where you cook your own pancakes at the table. Both make a good day from St. Augustine, and they are close enough to Salt Springs to pair with it on a longer weekend.
Juniper, Alexander and Blue Spring. A little further — roughly ninety minutes each — these are the classic Central Florida springs: a tube-and-paddle run at Juniper, gentle open-water swimming and diving at Alexander, and at Blue Spring a summer swim that turns into one of the state’s great manatee refuges every winter.
Timing. Summer is swimming season; go early, before the afternoon storms. For manatees, aim for the coldest mornings between roughly mid-November and March.
Before you drive
Drive times here are approximate and assume normal traffic on I-95, SR 100 and SR 40; add time on holiday weekends. Silver Glen requires a Vehicle Access Reservation on May–September weekends and holidays, and Blue Spring requires an advance online day-use reservation, booked up to 60 days ahead. Check current conditions before any of these drives — fees, closures and reservation rules change without much notice.
Start with these
Salt Springs, about an hour and fifteen minutes southwest, is the closest of the group and the best pick for RVers, with full hookups that fill with winter visitors from January through March. Entry is $14.50 per person plus tax, and the slightly warm mineral water makes it a comfortable swim on a cooler day.
Silver Glen Springs, roughly an hour and twenty minutes away, is $14.50 per person (free under 6), snorkeling only — no scuba — and has no cell service, so download directions and confirm your reservation before leaving town. It is the quiet, wild choice of this cluster.
De Leon Springs, about an hour and fifteen minutes south, charges $6 per vehicle, keeps a shorter 8am–4pm day, and is home to the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant, where weekend waits commonly run one to three hours. Put your name down on arrival and swim while you wait — children usually rate the griddle-at-the-table pancakes as the highlight of the day.
Juniper Springs, around an hour and a half southwest, is $14.50 per person and known for its narrow, jungly run; launches are limited, so reserve in season. Dogs are not allowed in the swim area.
Alexander Springs, also about ninety minutes away, is $14.50 per person as a Forest Service site, so state park passes do not apply. Lifeguards are on duty 10am–5pm daily from mid-May through mid-September, and it is one of the few Florida springs that allows open-water scuba, which makes it a good first stop for newly certified divers.
Blue Spring State Park, about an hour and a half south near Orange City, is $6 per vehicle with a required reservation. It is the manatee headline in winter, when the run closes to swimmers, and a lovely paddling and swimming spring the rest of the year.
Distances are straight-line miles from St. Augustine — drive times vary.
Silver Springs
Glass-bottom boats and paddling over giant springs — no swimming.
Gilchrist Blue Springs
The best backup to Ichetucknee — and a top-five spring in its own right.
Little River Springs
Cheap, uncrowded swimming with a serious cave system below.
Suwannee Springs
Historic sulphur springs and 19th-century ruins on the Suwannee.
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Guaranteed manatees, year-round, from an underwater observatory.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park
One of the longest underwater cave systems in the country.
A one-day plan
Leave St. Augustine early and head for Salt Springs or De Leon Springs. If you choose De Leon, arrive right at 8am, join the pancake waitlist first, swim the basin while you wait, then eat mid-morning and be back on the road before the afternoon storms. If you choose Salt Springs, plan a long swim and a picnic and aim to be home by dinner. Either is realistic in a single day without rushing.
If you have a weekend
Base yourself in the forest for a night. Alexander and Salt Springs both have campgrounds, so you can swim one spring on arrival, camp, and spend the second day at Silver Glen or Juniper. A Forest Service campground fee applies on top of day-use entry, and a Florida state park annual pass will not cover federal land, so budget accordingly. The $75/year Springs Hopper Pass covers Alexander, Juniper and Silver Glen together if you will be back more than once.
Seasonal notes
Water in these springs stays around 72°F year-round, which feels refreshing in summer and chilly on a January morning. Manatee season at Blue Spring runs roughly mid-November through March, and the run is closed to swimmers during that time. Summer weekends are the busiest and most likely to trigger capacity closures or reservation requirements, so weekdays and early arrivals make a big difference. Hurricane season (June–November) can also close forest roads with little notice.
FAQs
What is the closest spring to St. Augustine?
Salt Springs in the Ocala National Forest is the closest by straight-line distance, about 45 miles, and roughly an hour and a quarter by car. Silver Glen and De Leon Springs are only a few minutes further.
Are there any springs in St. Johns County?
Not swimmable ones on this site — the nearest listed springs are in Putnam, Marion, Lake and Volusia counties, so plan on a drive of an hour or more each way.
Which spring is best for kids from St. Augustine?
De Leon Springs is a strong pick: a walled swimming basin plus a pancake house where kids cook their own breakfast. Go early or on a weekday to avoid the long weekend waitlist.
Do I need a reservation for any of these springs?
Blue Spring State Park requires a day-use reservation year-round, and Silver Glen requires a vehicle access reservation on May–September weekends and holidays. Confirm the rules for your date before leaving.
Can I see manatees on a day trip from St. Augustine?
Yes, at Blue Spring State Park from roughly mid-November through March, on the coldest mornings. It is about an hour and a half each way, so start early and reserve ahead.