Just north of Tampa and Clearwater, Florida, is where you can find the swimming holes and natural cavern system in Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. They are open year-round with sections for swimming, fishing and kayaking.
It seems unimaginable there could be a place, a natural spring that is always a balmy 74 degrees, where you can paddleboat alongside manatees, watch swimmers dressed as mermaids put on an underwater show, and slip down waterslides and splash right into the mineral water. Such a place does exist…in Spring Hill.
Swimming/Bathing
Weeki Wachee has designated places for fishing, kayaking, and swimming. While the park authorities do allow wading in the sunken sand dunes, they prohibit free-swimming in the springs and Weeki Wachee River. Guests are instead directed to buy passes to Buccaneer Bay, the expanded bowl of the natural spring where slides and a lazy river have been erected.
While at the theme park, visitors swim in, splash in, and float on the natural mineral waters. The spring water is crystal clear and can range from turquoise blue in color to a glassy emerald green.
Swimming at Buc Bay instead of in the main spring or river means that the local wildlife can go unperturbed. The springs and river that feeds them are inhabited by sharks, alligators, manatees, and several varieties of vibrant fish.
Another reason park personnel prohibits swimming in the main spring is because it is deep, really deep. The bed of the spring has still not been confirmed. The water maintains its pleasant temperature year-round because it bubbles up from the underground cave systems.
Attempts have been made to map these caves, though the strong underwater currents make this a difficult feat. At around 20 feet below the surface, the current can take a diver’s mask off his or her face.
There’s a local tradition around the springs. One of them has been named a “hospital hole,” and it has long been believed manatees and fish visit the warm water within to recover from illness or depleted energy before returning to open water. The water within has been found to have higher mineral deposits.
Other Activities
The state park offers paddleboat and kayak rentals and has staff that will pick you up at the end of your boating trip. On weekends, the park also has its famed mermaid shows which feature female freedivers dressed in costume but without scuba gear.
Instead, these strong swimmers use a suspended bubbling tube to take breaths as needed while staying nearly 20 feet underwater. The park has a subterranean theater so visitors can watch the action below the surface.
There are concession stands in the park, in case you don’t feel like packing or carrying a picnic basket. Buccaneer Bay offers showers and bathrooms. There are white sand beaches around the park that make great spots for play, rest, and nature watching.
Accommodations
Camping is not permitted at Wikkee Wachee State Park, and the public spaces close at 5:30 pm during winter hours. However, there are several hotels close to the springs. These include a Fairfield Inn, a Microtel, and a Holiday Inn Express.
Details
Address: 6131 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, Florida 34606
Phone: 352-610-5660
Season: Year-round
Website: weekiwachee.com
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