What is a good natural spring in Central Florida/Southwest Florida?

Question

There are so many springs in Florida, but I want to go to one that has tubing down the natural spring waters. thanks!

Answer 1

ichetucknee springs, near gainesville florida has a great run, very natural. it can take 1.5-3 hrs, depending on where you start from

http://floridastateparks.org/ichetucknee...

Answer 2

yes

Answer 3

Rainbow River is also nice, near Dunellon, FL. Not quite SouthWest FL though.

Answer 4

The previous answer pointing you to itchetukne is dead on.  Gainesville is about 2 hour drive north of Disney World (SR 429 to Turnpike to Interstate 75 North - check the State Park website for more specific directions).  This is nice all day type tube trip and probably the best "tube run" in Florida.  

Closer to Orlando, in Northwest Orange County, there is Kelly Park located in Apopka, Florida which just happens to be the Indoor Foliage Capitol of the World!  Kelly Park is home to Rock Springs (named because the water come bubbling out of a big rock formation).  This is very pretty park which dates back to the days before the Touristas conspired with Local Government and Corrupt Developers to ruin the whole dang state.  Anyway, Google "Kelly Park" + "Florida" and you'll find web sites and information.  It's a very short tube trip but it ends in a big open swimming area.  There is a wooden walk way that you can use to float down the "run" over and over and over and over and over again if you want to do so.  This park can get jammed up on weekends but probably not so much this late in the summer.  

Be warned! If your idea of a great spring is being able to dive, view, and swim around the boil Rock Springs is out.  

Very close, perhaps 20 minutes, to Rock Springs and Kelly Park is Wekiva Springs (or is it Wekiwa Springs...).  No tubing here but there are a bunch of boils that you can swim around and stuff.

Both parks are top notch for cleanliness and picnic facilities.

Other parks of interest around Orlando: Blue Springs in Deland, Florida (see the manatees in the winter) and Genesis Springs in DeBary, Florida.  Both of these are about hour from Disney heading east on Interstate 4.