The Best Day in Crystal River with Kids
Is Florida’s Crystal River worth visiting with kids?
Are you looking for a place to see manatees? Do you want to kayak to a spring? Maybe you are going to Disney World and you want to see what else Florida has to offer families.
Leave the crowds behind and take the kids to spend a relaxing day in Crystal River.
Located about 1.5 hours north of Tampa or 1.5 hours west of Orlando is the town of Crystal River which is well known for its manatees.
The town itself is home to about 3,000 people and around 400 manatees during the winter months.
Crystal River is located around Kings Bay which is spring-fed and keeps a temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit all year long.
Summer in Florida is hot and humid, which is the perfect time to go swimming in the springs. Sure there are fewer manatees spotted in the summer months, but there are always manatees in Crystal River.
We went to Crystal River for Father’s Day when the kids were 3 and 5 years old, but Crystal River is a great family escape for all ages.
As the kids get older, we plan to return to Crystal River for more adventures. I would love to go scalloping, which is only possible for a specific short amount of time in the summer months.
Plantation on Crystal River
We just had one night to spend in Crystal River and we spent it at the Plantation on Crystal River.
The Plantation on Crystal River is, like the name says, on Crystal River. They have a pool which is right next to the river and you can watch the boats go by as you swim.
The hotel has an adventure center where you can book boat rides, fishing, scalloping, and scuba diving adventures. There is also a golf course and a spa as well as several restaurants.
There weren’t any activities for kids during our stay, but they do offer various crafts and they have a playground.
The pool is quite large and spread out and was fun to swim around and watch the tour boats and kayaks go past.
We chose to go out to dinner but ate breakfast at the buffet in the morning before heading out on a canoe.
For dinner, we chose Seafood Seller which I recommend. It didn’t look like much, just a small restaurant in a shopping plaza, but the food was delicious. Seafood Seller was crowded, but that could have been due to it being Father’s Day.
Three Sisters Springs
There are a few ways to get to Three Sisters Springs but driving is not one of them.
Originally we thought we would take the trolley, but after talking to them, we decided to wait until morning and enter the springs via a canoe or kayak.
You can take a trolley in, walk in, or ride a bike, but you won’t be able to touch the water of the springs. If you come in any way other than on a boat, you will be on a boardwalk above the springs.
Canoeing or Kayaking at Crystal River
We opted to canoe instead of kayak so that we could all be in the same boat.
Our kids are good swimmers but needed to wear floaties for the duration of our ride. Luckily they just thought they were fun.
Our canoe was dropped off for us at Hunter Springs Park. We chose not to begin at our hotel due to the length of the ride. We wanted to get to Three Sisters Springs and back without it being too difficult.
You have the option of renting a bag to keep your items dry in case you get turned over. I kept my phone and the car keys in the bag.
Three Sisters Spring was empty when we arrived, but a few kayaks joined us while we were hanging out there. Most people just went around and did not get out of their kayaks.
The few that did get out to swim tended to only go in for a minute or two. Of course, our kids wanted to stay and swim as long as they could.
Back on the river, there were a few tour boats out looking for manatees. We always looked to see where they were as they are much better at spotting manatees than we are.
Eventually, we did see our first manatee, back past where we started/ended our journey.
The tour companies provided supplies for their guests to see the manatees underwater. We did not get out of our canoe on the river and instead just watched the manatees from above.
Homosassa State Park
If you want to guarantee a manatee sighting, head to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
Homosassa State Park has cabins and tent sites available for those who are interested in staying in the park. We just went for a couple of hours on our way home.
There is a separate entrance for the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. There are trams available between park entrances.
With limited time, we just went to the Springs Wildlife entrance.
Besides guaranteed manatee sightings daily, this area of the park also has alligators, black bears, flamingos, and a hippopotamus among other animals. All of the animals are unable to survive in the wild on their own. This includes the manatees.
We walked through and looked at the plants and animals before heading to the underground area to see the manatees.
The manatees were being fed lettuce and they got extremely close to the windows.
It is possible to view the manatees from above the water as well as down below, where we could see them much clearer.
Rain began to fall as we were underground, as it tends to do in Florida in the summer.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
If you are visiting the area and are looking for more springs to swim in and a taste of old Florida, Weeki Wachee is just 25 minutes away from Homosassa and a 35-minute drive from Crystal River.
Weeki Wachee gets crowded during the summer months, so be sure to get there early. There is a long line by the time it opens and not everyone gets in. We have had success lining up as well as coming in later in the day.
There are 2 main sections at Weeki Wachee.
One area is a water park. They have slides that go into the springs. You can choose to just swim in the springs, or go down the slides. This area is called Buccaneer Bay.
The other area of the park has a mermaid show, boat ride, and nature areas. My suggestion is to walk straight to the boat ride in the back.
We like to do the boat ride first and then see the mermaid show.
The first mermaid show was in the 1940s. Sometimes there are themed shows, so check what is on during your visit.
If it is raining, they will cancel the show. If you really want to see the mermaid show, go to the first show of the day. That way, you have another chance if the show gets canceled.
Kayaks, canoes, and tubing rentals are offered nearby for those who want to see more of the river.
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