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Three Sisters Springs

Three Sisters Springs

Three Sisters Springs
4.5
About
This natural inlet in Crystal River contains three natural springs, with crystal-clear turquoise waters and an abundance of wildlife. In winter, look out for the manatees that migrate and seek refuge in the warm water. Get up close to these gentle giants by kayaking, and even on a swimming and snorkeling tour—just remember to know your "manatee manners." If you have any questions, the wildlife guides are always on hand to help. You can also enjoy gorgeous views from the boardwalk and hiking trails all year round. The best way to get there is by trolley from City Hall, which is included in your admission ticket. – Tripadvisor
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  • Kathydale
    Chicago, Illinois26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Search Crystal River Wildlife refuge
    Trip Advisor lists Three Sisters Springs and the Crystal River National Wild Life Refuge as different things, when they are the same. It gets very confusing to try and research it. I suggest you use the name Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge when physically trying to locate it. You can park in parking lot across the street. Other places may direct you to the City Hall, but that was damaged by hurricane and moved. (Google doesn't know where city hall is) Anyway, it was worth the effort. The springs are beautiful. There are lots of manatees to see. Go to the board walk and walk all around so you can find them all.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 December 2023
  • Alyssa H
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic experience - know before you go tips😊
    An amazing place to view the manatees - crystal clear waters where we could easily see 100 manatees from the boardwalk without even trying! The Three Sisters Springs was a fantastic experience but the website does not do it justice. For those looking at going: Park at the visitors centre, head in and buy your tickets. You will receive a wrist band which will give you access to the park. From here, you can either catch the courtesy bus which runs every half hour or so and will drop you at the board walk. OR You can walk directly across to the boardwalk - it is about .3 mile, flat terrain. Disabled parking is available at the boardwalk itself and you can pay directly at the gate to the park instead of going to the visitor centre. Pets are not allowed. For those of you with pets like us, we dropped our dog at the nearby (about .8 mile) Pet Center Dog Day Care & Grooming. It is $6 per hour (they also have half and full day rates for those that need) so you can take as long or as little as you like. We were only about 2 hours but by the time we got back our dog had had a great play and was also treated to a walk - could not recommend highly enough!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 December 2023
  • SGcvn69
    Munhall, Pennsylvania1,175 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Expensive But Nice Walk & View
    It’s $20 for an adult to get in unless you are senior, military or possess the state park card. Parking is across the street, which is a bit weird to me, but you get to view the manatees hanging out, which is cool. I came after my snorkel tour that took me to a different area. 3 Sisters is *very* clear watered, however, if you do boat/paddle to see the manatees, they are roped off! There is no water access from the park/trail. Guides are spaced evenly and are very knowledgeable! Go early if you want to see active manatees! Otherwise they just bob around sleeping.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 6 January 2024
  • Miranda
    108 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful! And Full of manatees!
    Amazing trip! We decided to go in the early morning instead of late in the afternoon! Good choice. There were less people and tons of manatees! They were some guides that answered questions and told you about the area! We got to see so many manatees! Too many to count! It really was amazing! It was cold this morning but the sun was shining and you could see through the water clearly! Instead of walking back to the parking lot we took the shuttle! I was worried I would have to wait and we were on a time crunch, but the shuttles were moving quickly! As they were dropping off we hopped on and he drove us right to our car across the street. The girls in the office were nice and friendly! Just a beautiful place to see the manatees and the area! A must see if you are in the area!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 17 January 2024
  • loren h
    Wisconsin307 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    nice
    Best way to see the Manatees is this boardwalk. First, if you have a handicap plate on your car, you can drive in and park at the boardwalk. No need to wait for a bus and bring 40 people at the same time to get in your way. Another good idea is have a National Parks Pass, this gets half price discount on admission. From the boardwalk you can see Manatees within 10 feet, and the water is so cear you see the whole animal, and all its friends. A boat sounds nice, but you see almost nothing.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 January 2024
  • FranMDJ M
    Venice, Florida28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must for manatee fans
    Wonderful boardwalk path with many close viewing sites of clustered manatees in warm springs. Helpful ranger & volunteers to ask questions. A manatee was discharged from Tampa Zoo to Three Sisters & that was fascinating to experience. Water is very clean & site is well maintained. Great activity as complement to boat tour.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 21 February 2024
  • Eileen B
    Oregon, Wisconsin7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mesmerizing Manatees
    I could have stayed on the boardwalks for days watching the manatees and their babies in the incredibly clear water. We saw at least 100 in the two hours we were there. The water was so clear and still and we were so close that we could clearly see without binoculars individual markings and scarring on the manatees as they entered the springs from the river. Surprisingly, cormorants dove into the springs and flew underwater alongside the manatees, looking for fish. I will go back again and again when I visit Florida in the winter!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 February 2024
  • Cathrine S
    Boca Raton, Florida131 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful, relaxing nature experience
    Beautiful! The springs are crystal clear and a beautiful aqua color. There is a well constructed boardwalk all around the springs that make it easy to enjoy the view. We were lucky to see a mother manatee with her calf staying warm in the spring on the morning of our visit. As we ventured further, we saw a turtle swimming along, some fish and at the mouth of the stream, a few more manatee. This place is a real treasure!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 March 2024
  • Kandi S
    35 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Three Sisters Springs
    What a great place to visit and see the manatees up close enjoying the warm 3 Sisters Springs water. We have gone twice to see the Manatees during the month of February. Saw at least 100 or more along with many babies. A lovely walk along the boardwalk, the grounds are beautiful and very clean and all the volunteers are very helpful and knowledgeable.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 March 2024
  • Ashley R
    Jonesville, Michigan471 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A beautiful spot to check out
    A must see!! We kayaked to get here, tied our boats up and swam to and in the springs. It’s chilly but worth it. There were two manatees back there and it was amazing to see them just hanging out! Such a beautiful area, crystal clear water. My 7year old loved it, after April 1st you can kayak in the springs which I’ve done before but we had to swim this time and was a very cool experience!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,655 reviews
Excellent
1,182
Very good
279
Average
109
Poor
42
Terrible
43

Steve M
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Traveler be aware that the posted hours of operation are incorrect. Admission to the park is not permitted after 3:30 PM. No concession is made if you are a couple minutes late. Employees and management does not display goodwill to visitors.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cdgeer99
11 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Three Sisters Springs is as beautiful as the pictures! The springs are clear and the manatees are easy to see. It really is breathtaking.

Be sure to take the boardwalk all around the 'U' shape as it gives the opportunity to see other areas of the springs with manatees in all parts. Seeing them at the mouth of the river was especially amazing - hundreds all huddled together. Then past the boardwalk the path parallels a somewhat "protected" part of the river and you can see manatees just floating uninterrupted by people and boats.

A beautiful simple place where the admission money benefits the manatees, so from that perspective it is worth the cost to enter. Note: To enter the park you MUST go to the city hall (right side in the back), pay admission and take the trolley to the park.
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wrpupkis
Bangor, ME774 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This was quite new to us and a real treat to see these gentle giants in a natural setting. We arrived at the Three Sisters Springs Center paid for our tickets and waited for the trolley. The 1st one was not large enough to handle the folks but they run about every 30 minutes. We were dropped off at about the center of a horseshoe-shaped boardwalk. First went left and then all-around to the other side. This is a National wildlife refuge site so if you have a National Park Pass you get a $5 discount. The time to go here is up until the end of March because the Manatee swims into the Springs area to keep or get warm as the Gulf is not yet warm enough for them. We first saw just two but then saw at least a couple of dozen. For us, it was well worth the effort and expense.
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RocFamily
Rochester, NY103 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
In early February when it was rather cool outside (40s/50s) in the morning, the report was 100 or so manatees for the day. It was a sunny afternoon. Be aware that the entry to the site is pretty well hidden as there is no brown park signage, just an image of a manatee on a fence not facing the road. The .3 mile boardwalk around the manatee area was well worth the visit. In the afternoon of our visit it was not overly crowded and the viewing was great. Out on the water, there were a large number of folks glued to the edge of the reserve with their boats, floaty noodles, kayaks snorkling. The water was beautiful and it was very serene from the land side. A definite must-visit for winter months. The rest rooms near the boardwalk were above average for a nature park.
Written 7 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Heather H
3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2020 • Family
I rated it a 1 because we didn't make it there to explore. We paid to swam with the manatees and that was part of our trip was to go to the three sisters springs and weren't able to make it. It wasn't the tour guide's fault, it was because of all the kayaks, paddle boards, they were overwhelming you couldn't get through. You would not think that there is a virus in the area with ALL the people !!
Written 24 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maryam S
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Although this is a nice place you won't spend much time there as there are only a couple of trails. Yes, it was nice to see all the manatees congregated in one area, but it's NOT worth paying $50+ for a family of three to get in (especially when you can't even park there you have to park far away and walk over). Never in a million years would I have expected a state park to have such an exorbitant entrance fee.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ladytrailrunner
New Hampshire8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Three Sisters Spring was soooo clear. Our first visit there were no manatees. It was a joy to be there anyway, lots of fish to see while snorkeling, popcorn springs were cool to see. Returned later in the day on our own in kayaks (which are NOT allowed up into the spring) the place was a zoo, tour boats, other folks like us in kayaks and SUPs. And a manatee resting in the spring:-) very special to see! There is a rope along shore to tie your kayaks up and swim in. I felt very comfortable leaving my things behind.

Worth a trip if you’re from somewhere with cloudy brown water with mucky bottom. Even if you don’t see manatees the fish are plentiful.
Written 19 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LoJo79
Silver Springs, FL28 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
The female employee at the security booth entrance was so incredibly rude to us that we left. I don’t want to see anyone losing their jobs during this time of crisis and I get it that people are upset right now. But this woman was so blatantly unprofessional that if I could have found a supervisor, she would have been duly reported. If you’re not happy, and your job requires you to cheerfully greet the public, you need to move along. We moved on and spent our money elsewhere.
Written 20 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ontheroadagain1313
Florida135 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Beautiful spot to see the manatee's during the winter months - it was reported that there were 150 counted on the day of our visit! Being a week day it was not very crowded and we also enjoyed some of the nature trails. We went to the visitor center and took the shuttle bus since there is actually no parking (except for Handicapped) at the entrance. There were clean restrooms at the visitor center but only port-a-potties at the Springs. The walkway around the Spring was a very easy walk with lots of benches to enjoy the view. I did think the fee was a bit high ($20 per person in winter) but I am glad we did visit.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John C
Fitchburg, MA878 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021 • Friends
Came to Crystal River springs around 4 years ago to go kayaking with my brother from massachusetts. The water was beautiful and we entered three sisters springs where I swim. Told my older brother about it and we took a trip down from Massachusetts to de-stress from the covid-19. I was excited because I knew during this time that they would have the largest gathering of manatees in the spring. I wasn't disappointed. When we got to the main gate they told us we had to go pack at City Hall and take a shuttle down here. The cost of emission was a little pricey but to see the largest gathering of manatees in the world I think it was worth it. Pretty much the time spent here was less than an hour but it was enjoyable. If you want to see manatees you come from November till march. If you want to enjoy kayaking and everything else come after that time and kayak right into Three Sisters springs and take a dip.
Written 14 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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