Three Sisters Springs and the Crystal River manatees, explained
Three Sisters Springs is a group of clear spring vents at the head of a short canal off Kings Bay. In winter it closes to swimmers and paddlers so the manatees can rest, and in the warmer months you may paddle or swim in. Knowing which half of the year you are booking saves a disappointment.
A spring at the end of a canal
Three Sisters Springs is a group of spring vents at the head of a short canal off Kings Bay. The water rises from underground at about 72 °F (22 °C) and is often clear enough to show the sandy bottom on a calm day.
The springs belong to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, set up in 1983 for the West Indian manatee. How the land and water are managed can change, so read the refuge's own notices before you go.
Crystal River itself is a small city in Citrus County on Florida's Gulf coast, and Kings Bay is the headwater of its river. Dozens of springs feed the bay, and Three Sisters is one of the best known of them.
Why it closes to swimmers in winter
When the Gulf cools below about 68 °F (20 °C), manatees move into warm water, and the spring run at Three Sisters is one of the places they gather. A crowd of swimmers in a narrow run would keep them from resting.
So the spring run shuts to swimmers and paddlers from roughly mid-November until the end of March. The exact dates can shift from one winter to the next, so treat these as a guide rather than a timetable.
The closure covers the water inside the springs, not Kings Bay as a whole. Swims and kayak tours keep running in the open bay all winter, and our best time guide covers what the cold months mean for a swim.
Watching from the boardwalk
In winter you can still see the manatees at Three Sisters from land. A boardwalk overlooks the springs, and on a cold morning you can look down at animals resting in the clear water below.
Entry rules and opening hours for the boardwalk are set by its managers and can change, so look them up before you drive over. A boardwalk visit pairs well with a swim in Kings Bay on the same day.
Winter swim tours stay in Kings Bay
Crystal River Manatee Adventures' Viator listing says its boat heads towards the Three Sisters Springs area. In winter that means the bay near the springs, since the spring run itself is closed to swimmers.
Explorida's group swim from ~$69 and the semi-private swim from ~$76 both look for manatees in Kings Bay itself, where many animals gather near other warm springs. Manatees are wild, so neither can promise them.
Explorida's swim holds 4.9 from 2,400+ reviews on Viator, and the semi-private swim 5.0 from 500+ on the same site. Our price guide compares what each fare includes.
Paddling in on a clear kayak
Outside the winter closure, kayaks may enter the spring run. Kacey's clear kayak tour from ~$79 is named after Three Sisters Springs and heads there, with a guide and up to 10 paddlers in clear or sit-on-top kayaks.
One reviewer of the tour describes a swim in a clear natural pool at one of the springs. The listing does not promise one, so treat it as a bonus if the guide offers it on your day.
During the winter manatee season the kayaks cannot enter the run, so ask the operator where the tour goes then. Our swim, kayak or boat guide compares the paddle with the other two ways to meet the manatees.
Paddle up to the springs
Kacey's Custom Adventures meets at Pete's Pier Marina, where parking is $10. Life vests and a free photo package come with the fare; ask where the kayaks go in winter.
The narrow canal and the crowds
The canal that leads to the springs is narrow, and at its mouth kayaks and swimmers from several tours meet. On a busy warm-season day it can feel crowded, and stirred-up water loses some of its clarity.
Mornings are usually calmer, before most rental kayaks set out and before the midday traffic builds. That is a pattern rather than a rule, so a weekday helps as much as an early start.
Kacey's tour holds 4.8 from 200+ reviews on Viator and 4.5 from 48 reviews on GetYourGuide. Arrive 15 minutes early as the listing asks, and you are on the water with the first group rather than the last.
Planning a visit around the closure
If you come in winter and want to see Three Sisters, plan two stops. Take a morning swim in Kings Bay, then walk the boardwalk later to watch the manatees resting in the springs from above.
In the warm season the order flips. The clear kayak takes you into the spring run, and a swim in the bay that morning or the next shows you the manatees that stayed close by.
Crystal River sits about 90 miles (145 km) from both Tampa and Orlando, so a day trip works. Our day plan from Orlando or Tampa fits a swim and a second stop into one day.
Rules at the springs
The springs fall under the refuge rules for passive observation. Do not touch or chase a manatee, and stay out of any roped-off area, as our rules for the water explain in full.
If you go in with a camera, keep both hands to yourself and let the animal decide how close it comes. Our photo guide explains how the pictures work on each tour, including the kayak's free package.