Interested in visiting a new Spring? Alexander Springs will not disappoint you. Alexander Springs is located at the Ocala National Forest in Florida. This spring has beautiful crystal clear waters with temperatures around 72°F. It has a sandy “beach area”, with shallow and deep areas to enjoy. It is a great place to disconnect, recharge, be surrounded by a floodplain forest and enjoy the moment for a couple hours. Alexander Springs is visited by tourists and locals, that being said it is a famous place and can get crowded easily. This park is opened daily. They open at 8:00 am and close at 8:00 pm, but it will all depend on the season and/or weather conditions. This spring has plenty activities and amenities for everyone in the family to enjoy. It is a budget friendly place to visit and it that is one of the many reasons I love this place. Lastly, there are other springs adjacent to Alexander Springs. These are: Silver Glen Springs, Salt Springs and Juniper Springs, if you plan ahead you can visit various of these locations on the same day.
The activities this beautiful area has to offer includes: swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking/canoeing, fishing, barbecuing, picnicking, bicycling, hiking, bird watching and camping. Like mentioned on another blog I posted, Alexander Spring is also a beautiful place to disconnect from our daily life routines. The recreation area has a a big pool like spring with shallow and deep waters. The deeper area has nice caves that if you look closely, you can see the water bubbling up. I would recommend bringing a life jacket, noodle floats, or any other floating device, because the water pressure on the deeper areas can get a little tiring. The amenities of Alexander Springs are great. They have the following: a nice big parking, interpretative site, tent camping, trailer camping, plenty of picnic tables, bathroom, changing-room and showers. Everything looks well taken care of and clean which is a big plus for me. You may be able to enjoy and see some birds, turtles, fishes and gators. That being said, please be on the look out for you and your family’s surroundings. For prices, hours, locations and additional information you can click on the following link.
How was my experience? A m a z i n g. We arrived at 8:05 am in a Thursday morning and we were the second group of people to arrive in the morning. It was a beautiful and amazing experience to see everything so calm, clear, and in its natural state. We got a nice spot in front of the springs to be able to see our belongings and had a great view when sitting in the shade the giant trees provided us. When setting up our area, my husband and I felt allot of bugs bite us. That being said, definitely bring a bug spray. We decided to just swim, snorkel and relax the day we visited. We only spent around $12 for both of us and packed light lunches: a couple Sandwiches, Chips, Snacks, Gatorade and Water. My husband and I entered the water around 8:30 am and it was super cold but felt good and refreshing. We snorkeled around and went to the deeper areas where you could see the underwater caves/rock formations and the water bubbling up. We spent all morning in Alexander Springs and left around 1:30 pm. Since we went on a weekday it wasn’t crowded at all, just perfect. I have visited a couple of springs since my husband and I started spring hunting and in my opinion, Alexander Springs is one of the best ones. I definitely want to visit again soon.
My tips to have a great experience:
- Pay Attention to the Weather prior days in advance.
- Arrive before 8:00 am to be the first person to enter the Spring.
- Arrive early to have a nice spot or a picnic table.
- Bring Bug Spray.
- Bring Sunscreen.
- Bring Towels.
- Bring a Hat.
- Bring Snorkel Goggles.
- Bring Noodles Floats/Floating devices to rest and relax in the water.
- Bring Snacks, Lunches and Drinks.
- Respect the Nature Preserve Areas.
- If going hiking/on the trail, bring comfortable sneakers.
- Pickup your trash when leaving.
The next time you decide to take a trip to Florida, no matter if you are a local, visitor or tourist, I recommend this beautiful spring. Remember to bring your snorkels and any floating device so you can relax, view the underwater scenery and enjoy. You will not regret visiting and living an experience in Alexander Springs. As a friendly reminder, try to always get out of the daily routine, explore nature. It can give you peace and that is something we all need in these times. Always, ALWAYS! use your SPF and re-apply every couple of hours, your skin will thank you for it.
During the pandemic/Covid-19 days, always try to keep the CDC guidelines. Please follow the 6 foot distance rule from other families, wear a mask whenever possible and if your health permits it. Wash your hands, take hand sanitizer and go as early as possible to avoid being in big crowds.
As always, hoped you enjoyed this blog. Feel free to reply and recommend new places for me to visit. Thank you so much for reading this post.
Kind Regards,
Jaileen
“Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are.”
— Gretel Ehrlich
