A Visit to Blue Spring and Hontoon Island State Parks
By: John Kumiski
Susan was suffering from pandemic stress. "I have to get out of this house!" she said. After giving it some thought, I said, "Let's go to Blue Spring. We haven't been there in a long time."
The state park website suggests getting there early. The rangers close the park when capacity is reached. We pulled in about 10 AM, not at all early for a fisherman, but early enough that there was no problem getting in.
The entrance station has a sign that tells you how many manatees are in the spring run that day. The number posted was "431." I thought it was an error or a joke- until, after parking the car, we walked over to the boardwalk and peeked through the already gathered crowd.
Blue Springs Run.
Holy blubber! The spring run was filled with manatees. Hundreds of them! Maybe even 431 (who counts them?). Big ones, little ones. Red ones, blue ones. Wait, that's not right. They were all a fairly uniform shade of gray.
Manatees lack cold tolerance. When the temperatures drop, they pack into thermal refuges. For some manatees, that means power plant discharges. For others, it means spring runs. The water coming out of each of Florida's plentiful springs runs at a constant 72-73 degrees all year. Blue Spring is the largest spring along the 300-plus miles of the St. Johns River. When the water in the river gets colder than the water in the spring run, in they come!
The river water must have been cold. I have never seen so many manatees. It helps that the water in the run is clear- you can see every stick on the bottom.
There were lots of manatees in the spring run!
The run is full of fish, too. Native fish in the run include bass, sunfish, gar, catfish, tarpon, and snook. Non-native species include tilapia and plecostamus. Fishing is prohibited in the run. The fish somehow understand this. If you look into the water from the St. Johns River dock, where fishing is allowed, there are very few fish. In the spring run, fish carpet the bottom in places.
Visitors often see reptiles in the forms of turtles and alligators.
Susan and I strolled to the end of the 0.4-mile-long boardwalk, which overlooks the spring boil. The opening is large enough that, when the manatees aren't present and swimming is allowed, scuba divers swim down into it. Over 100 million gallons of clear spring water boil up from this hole in the ground every day!
The approximately 3600-acre Blue Spring State Park offers more than the spring run, though. The campground has 51 campsites. Canoe and kayak rentals are available, as are paddling tours and river cruises. Birders can search for feathered creatures. Over 150 species have been identified at the park. While we strolled, barred owls hooted at each other, adding a primeval air to a walk through the hardwood hammock. During the warmer months, swimming and tubing are popular spring run activities.
A kayak tour at Blue Spring State Park.
After our manatee viewing and strolling, we had a picnic lunch in the shade of a large live oak. The squeals and laughter from happy children in the playground reached our ears, as we discussed possible plans for the afternoon. We decided to visit nearby Hontoon Island State Park, a place we had never been.
I wondered how we'd get to the island. We did not have a boat with us.
When we got there, that question was answered. You raise the flag near the dock, and a free ferry comes and gets you!
We disembarked from the vessel and got a park map. Due to COVID, the museum was closed. When it's open, you can learn about the area's first inhabitants and understand their past, and also learn about the island's natural habitats there.
A 1.7-mile trail led to a large Indian mound (made by the first inhabitants!) at the far end of the island. Next thing, we were hiking through the woods, heading for the mound. There were some lovely old trees. Again, barred owls called. We could hear, but not see, a red-cockaded woodpecker searching for a meal high in the crown of a tree.
When we got to the mound, it was covered in vegetation, although the trail led up and over it. We were at elevation, about 20 feet! I wondered if the builders lived on top of it, or, if not, what its purpose might have been. After spending a few minutes there, we headed back, taking a different path.
Susan hiking the nature trail at Hontoon Island State Park
This "new" path led through the campground. There were quite a few people tenting there. You won't see any RVs at Hontoon Island!
In addition to walking and camping, paddling, birding, bicycling, and fishing are other popular Hontoon Island activities. But when we completed our walk, we caught the ferry back across the river, got in the car, and headed for home. Susan had crushed her pandemic-related stress.
Blue Spring State Park is located in Orange City; Hontoon Island State Park is located in DeLand. Either is located about an hour's drive north of Orlando, one of the world's busiest tourist destinations. If you get sick of the theme parks, a visit to either of these parks is an easy yet spectacular way to spend a day exploring the real Florida!
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