Blue Spring State Park Campground

Here at Sand Pine Campground inside of Blue Springs State Park, you’ll find that while this is a fairly large campground, the substantial amount of vegetation, along with the flow of how the campground is organized, the individual campsites give off a vibe of privacy, intimacy and solitude. Upon entry to this SP, you’ll meet likely some of the friendliest park rangers of any FL state park (although, honestly, the very GREAT rangers @ Rodman Campground ultimately win the battle!), who will provide you with all of the great information you need to have a great experience here.

As for the pet-friendly campground specifically, each of the 51 sites has its own picnic table, water and electric as well as fire ring, while the ground itself is laden with powdery grey sand (so leave your boots or flip flops at the door of your tent or RV). The individual slots are somewhat tight and narrow to navigate, but most RVs should be OK to back into these sites. What you will appreciate the most about Sand Pine is that just about every site offers a substantial amount of privacy with solid, thick Floridian jungle putting decent distance between you and your neighbors. The only downside is that it is a solid hike from this campground to the spring itself, which will require you to drive there or take a decent bike ride.

The amenities are pretty amazing with the two bathroom and laundry room facilities appearing to be nearly brand new and there are designated dump stations scattered throughout making disposal of trash and recyclables EZ. The restroom facilities had vending machines as well. As for the sand pine scrub nature you are surrounded by, but the real gem here of course is the fresh crystal spring that is teaming with manatees, which are best to view and swim alongside between the winter months of November and February. For my float-seeking friends, there’s a solid kayak / canoe launch and if you don’t want to get some oaring in, you can partake in a guided river boat cruise.

If you’re looking to get away from it all and enjoy some privacy, then this is a great little campground for you to consider. And if you miss anything from the non-natural world, have no fears, a short drive into town to grab a pizza or load up on groceries is easy enough to manage. What I love most about camping here at Blue Springs SP is that during heavier tourist season, a reservation will guarantee you access to the spring, which sometimes gets full and therefore requires the rangers to stop traffic flow into the park, so if you've got a place guaranteed for the night, then, well, you need not worry about the morning rush when most will just worry about getting in the park.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you find yourself out-of-luck in finding an available campground site to reserve, try your luck at booking one of the 6 often overlooked cabins, which BTW, come with their own set of parking spaces; (2) When you grow weary of digging through your onboard mini-fridge or roto-molded Cordova cooler, then check out some of the local fare where nearby in town, there’s a sweet little Argentinian joint called Rincon del Sabor, classic pie palace called Blue Springs Pizza and another ethereal dive called Taste of Soul – neither of which you’ll wanna write home about, but will definitely give you a break from ‘frank & beans’ for the night. And if neither of those places do the trick for you, there is also a few other restaurants you might wanna check out like Gram’s Kitchen for low country breakfast cooked up all day, Mi Tierra Authentic Mexican as well as Fire on the Bayou for some nice, spicy Cajun; (3) Should you need to stock up on any supplies, nearby Blue Springs SP has a 'grade A' Publix as well as a Walmart nearby, so you should have no problems being stocked up while staying here; and (4) When the kiddos get restless and the pristine nature that you find yourself surrounded by isn’t enough of a distraction, then head due east to Family Fun Town, which is a family-friendly amusement center with batting cages, mini-golf, arcade games and go cart racing. Yahoo!

Happy Camping!

Visited to see Manatees from the land. Cooler temps best for manatee numbers.

Campground sites feel secluded with vegetation but can be challenging for backing up into spots.

Had electric and water but trash is upon exit along with dump station

Nice paved road around campground and short trail to main park area. Canoe and kayak rentals available.

Blue Spring State Park Campground(Sand Pine Scrub), Orange City, FL: A great park for viewing manatees this time of year. There are many very nice private sites . (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer with a desire for a campsite that has at least some visual privacy - after the trailer is in the spot.)

Overall Rating: 4.5 Usage during visit: Pretty full, just following Thanksgiving weekend SECURE GATE : Arriving after hours: call for the code. Site Privacy: Exceptional Site Spacing: Good Site surface: Blacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Road Noise: None, removed from even the day use access road Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At sites Bathroom: Flush toilets Showers: Yes Cell Service (AT&T):Pretty good Setting: Thick low growth forest Weather: High 50s on this day, but warming up. Bugs: None Host: Yes Rig size: 40’ or so max Sites: Most sites are exceptionally private sites especially those sites found on the outside of the loop. Here are some of the better sites we would be very happy with: 1,2,3,5,6,9 - 17, 18*, 19-22, 24, 25,26,27*,34,36,38* 43,45. .

This beautiful state park has a secluded old Florida feel.

The facilities, the manatees, the fireflies, the sites…everything was wonderful. We loved our stay.

Great spot to refresh and do fun activities like light tuning and kayaking.

Blue Springs Florida Blue Spring State Park Campground has 51 campsites, w/e for tents, trailers and smaller RVs. My favs are 29 32 and 34 Cabins are also available for rent. There's are kayak rentals, picnic areas, boat ramp, playground and hiking trails. The sites are sandy, have a picnic table and firepit. There's good spacing and shade. Very nice bathhouses with large stalls and family bathrooms. Laundry$2.50 No street lighting so good for star gazing. A few mosquitoes out at dusk in January🙄 Best thing here is all the manatee!! The spring is the largest on St Johns river.There's over 500 present with lots of babies. Very nice viewing areas all along the spring. We went early in the mornings and enjoyed the place to ourselves. They do have narrated boat tours and ranger talks. Water activities like swimming and kayaking are closed mid Nov to Apr. Can kayak on St John's river. Convenient shopping and restaurants a few miles away.

51 unlevel, sandy, but very private sites. Quiet, occasional train. 2 modern bathhouses with 1 w/d each. Lovely paved path to Spring. All services close by. Decent Verizon.

The park is beautiful. But they are working on the springs so you can’t swim there. Also there are only 2-3 trails for hiking. We were kayaking at the lake as it was something we could do there. The campground is small too

We rented an RV to see if our family will like to enjoy the outdoors and it was just perfect. We all love this State park and at the same time learned a few things about camping with RV's. Great memories will always stay in our hearts from this first adventure.

We stayed two nights here and it was great. The camping spots were spaced out nicely and were fairly private. We stayed at site 51 and it was very private as we had no neighbors on one side but their was a site that backed up to it but had brush and trees between. The bathrooms looked newer and nice although we didn’t use them. The springs were beautiful but because they were doing some renovations around the spring it was only open for swimming. We were able to take our paddle board out and we rented a kayak through the on-site tour/rental company. We saw several manatee in the St John’s River, numerous birds, fish, and gators. Loved the way the park and campground was laid out. There’s a nice paved trail from the campground to the day use/spring area which was nice. Aground great park. Would have been the perfect trip if we could have used our SUP in the actual springs.

The park is great. Lots of activities at the spring and it wasn’t TOO crowded. RV sites are extremely sandy so be prepared for everything you own to be filthy.

This park is a must-visit during the winter time, but come the spring and summer stay far away. It has a $3-$6 entry fee making it a hotspot for tourist and locals who want a cheap getaway. People are disrespectful and it is overcrowded making it horrible. It will fill up moments after the gate opens at 9. Instead come when it’s cold and have the place all to yourself with a better chance at seeing wildlife.

After three months on the road, this was by far our most amazing camping experience. The sites are large and private. No sewage, but worth the inconvenience. Bathrooms and showers were pristine and a new washer and dryer at each. The park is home to the largest manatee population in the winter. It’s a spectacular swimming and diving area in summer, but closed in winter to protect the manatees. We thought our first day was awesome with over 100 manatees, but then a cool front came in and the next two days treated us to over 500 manatees. So sweet. Rented a canoe and tooled around with them and the abundant fish. Cute gift shop and snack bar. What a fabulous experience. This is what camping is all about! If you can get a reservation, do it. We lucked out by calling often and were able to snag three days upon a cancellation and then got lucky again while there not get 2 more days after another cancellation. It pays to be persistent.

I enjoy going to Blue Springs. Many activities for the family. Biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, boating, and watching nature. There is cabins or areas that allow RV or tent camping. There is even areas that you can go fishing.

This is a great park with tons to do. Sites are well maintained. They are close, but there is a lot of vegetation in between. Bathrooms are spotless and cleaned 3x a day. There is a path from the campgrounds to the spring. There is a shop on site as well as rentals for canoes and kayaks. You can take a river tour as well. Staff is very friendly and helpful.

We came to Blue Spring SP to view the manatees in the spring during the winter. The restrooms were clean. The park is very quiet. You can rent canoes, kayaks, and take a boat tour. There are park rangers giving facts about the manatees throughout the day. This park has a beautiful boardwalk to walk along the spring as well. There is swimming in the warmer months. The store provides food and lots of camping items.

Been coming here since I was a kid and so have the manatees every winter. When the water temps in the St.Johns river drop below 72°F the manatees seek shelter in constant temp of the spring run. Not a ton of hiking available here but a decent 3.5 mile one way trail through Florida scrub and oak hammock. The rare and endangered Florida Scrub Jay can be found here. Directly adjacent to the park is a beautiful and at times challenging (for flat Florida) bike trail. Also adjacent to the park is an active train track, trains which can be heard fairly well from the campground. This was not a negative for us as the noise is not that frequent and and short duration. We also love trains, and they're a part of the areas history. One of the best campgrounds in a state park for separation from neighboring sites. Other than the trains it's been one of the quietest campgrounds we've experienced. The St.Johns River is great for paddling but can be thick with motorboats on the weekends. Blue Spring was privately owned as recently as the early '70's when it was aquired by the state and is a testament to the benefits of sound management and preservation.

Arrived for a four-night tent stay at the only spot available #001. Set up quickly at 5 pm. Site 001 is not quite level but made it work. It has what looks like an extension off to the side where another tent could fit easily. There's just enough room otherwise for the truck the tent and the picnic table. The restrooms are certainly 21st century. Clean and spacious. Don't be surprised by the crescendo roar of the occasional train on nearby tracks after midnight. Mosquitos are cloudlike here. Bring spray and screens. The forecast was 30%, but it rained all the first night and the following day. Bummer.

Spent 4 days in site 8 with 39ft 5th wheel TH. Beautiful Park and so well kept. The site has black top pad and sand with crushed stone. Easily accommodated our rig. Nice foliage between sites. Could hardly see our neighbors. Beautiful paved walking path to the Spring from the CG. There is a boardwalk to the Spring Boil and stairs to enter the spring. There are many other gravel trails to walk that are cleared. The spring is so clean and clear. Tube rental is $6 for 1 hr. No extra costs for touring the Thursby house and swimming in the spring. For such a busy park it is so peaceful. Excellent cell service had 4G. Close to tons of stores should you need anything, 35 mins to Daytona and 40ish to Orlando or Ormond.
No manatee while we were here. We're planning on coming back next year.
Watch out for fire ants. Our site had a few if you disturb the sand. We have a pup that likes to dig. I used citronella oil spray around the pen and the ants stayed clear.

Paved loop, clear sites, close to stores, restaurants, and the spring. Kayaked the river, and even swam with manatees in the spring!!!

We loved this campground so much that after my husband and I visited for a brief couples getaway, we booked the next available dates so we could come back and bring the kids. 

The sites are a decent size, with room to accommodate our 25 ft airstream and a tent, if needed. While there isn’t a lot of shade (mostly scrub bushes and not trees), there’s a fair amount of privacy. The site was straight and wide and had a kick off to it where the picnic table was set up. We had plenty of room for our car and the kayaks. 

As for kayaking, this park is a dream! There’s a parking lot directly adjacent to the launch and you can either rent kayaks or bring your own. We kayaked in the evening when the sun wasn’t quite so strong and after 5 pm, non motorized boats are permitted into the springs swimming area. We saw manatees, gators and tons of birds. 

This campground is located on the edge of an adorable town, Deland, that has great shopping and dining choices if the weather forces you out. It’s also less than hour from downtown Orlando and the beaches. 

Staff was friendly and nice. The swimming areas are clean and ample and the bath houses are clean and updated. We love this campground and hope to return often.

This is an amazing campground! The bathrooms are always clean. For tent campers such as myself and Hubby that’s a big deal. The sites are secluded and private. There is also a very nice spring within walking distance. There are also manatee certain times of the year!

Nice park, clean well maintained. Sites are nice, we did not camp here with our 27ft trailer. Nice boardwalk and short trail. Manatees were there in morning not so much in afternoon. No kayaking with manatees present. Best to visit in morning this time of year for lots of manatees.

Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, FL.  Visited mid-Sept 2019 middle of the week.  Although the campground was mostly booked we found space, with no crowds at the spring or the river.  Rent a tub and float down, with no crowds it's a 4 min walk up and a 15 min float down. The manatee's are on the move with their calfs.  The love bugs are brutal this time of year, but the campground is separated enough from the river area to feel safe from gators with your dogs.  Great short trail from campground to main area which included shop, food, tables and of course wood walkways by the river.   Walkways wide enough for wheelchairs.  Dogs allowed all over park except the wood trail up to the spring head.  New bathrooms, 2 bars on the cell service and I did see laundry available.

**Campground Review **

Blue Springs State Park is known for it’s manatee sightings and this park did not disappoint! The park itself provides many opportunities for outdoor activities. There is a 4.5-mile hiking trail, biking trail, as well as water activities. There are two different parking lots, but both provide opportunities to reach the water and picnicking spots. Kayak and canoe rentals are available in the parking lot with the launch, while the main swimming area has a store and grill. 

We spent much of our time kayaking from the park’s canoe launch. Here, we were able to see tons of wildlife from all sorts of fish, alligators, and yes, a manatee! There is swimming in the park as soon as it opens, but you can only access the spring head and get into the clearer water before 11:00am and after 5pm. It is well worth it to go early as the park fills up fast and does get a bit noisy - we prefer the quiet nature sounds.  The manatee was there in the morning.  There is also a public boat launch just outside of the park.

We stayed in site 1 which was shaded and well spread out from the site next to use with plenty of vegetation in between. The camp host is very quick to respond and was very keen on his duty. The restrooms were newer looking and clean. However, there are only two stalls in the women’s restroom, so I did have to wait to get a shower in when I went. The only drawback I found from the campsite/campground area was the noise. There are train tracks near the state park, so hearing trains throughout the night(especially at 3am) was not what I’m looking for when I get out into nature. So bring ear plugs! 

Overall, the grounds were well kept, the staff takes their job seriously(in a good way), and there are many activities to do. The outdoor activities and many opportunities to see wildlife really impressed us with this park. We will definitely be back! 

Product Review 

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products at this campground I tested the Morsel Spork and Morsel Spork XL. 

This spork is the utensil of my dreams and completes my dinner set up. I love the size of the smaller spork for my bowl, but I also love the XL version for my camping meals in the bag as it is long enough to fit in there perfectly. What I like the most: it can scrape like a spatula(and get all the good last bits in the bowl!), the way it feels in my hand compared to my previous spork, the ridges on the fork which can be used for cutting, it can be placed in boiling water(so it’s safe for my Jetboil), and is dishwasher safe(so I can sanitize and sterilize later). 

The only drawback was that the fork end would poke me in the hand at first, but once I got used to how to hold the handle it was completely fine.

Lovely place to camp, bike, and swim! Easy access from tent sites down to the springs. Many manatees can be seen while exploring the springs. Check out the Head spring and cave entrance at the northern end of the swimming area—nothing short of magical.

Great place to go. Weekends during the summer are VERY busy. During the winter you may not be able to swim because of the manatees

This campground is pretty small by Florida standards amd is popular so reservations well ahead of time are usually required.  The sites are well spaced and separated.   The big attraction is off course the spring run and the manatees.   The spring is full of manatees most of the winter.   So it is a great place to come to see and photograph these elephant relatives.  

You can swim and kayak in the spring when the manatees are not present which is most of the summer.   Check the website for the status.  There’s a little store and restaurant.  The store sells a local strawberry rhubarb jam that is amazing.  There are picnic grounds and you can also walk along the river down to the Suwannee river.  We already have reservations to return.

This park is amazing with something to do no matter the time of year. In summer this is a beautiful crystal clear natural spring with swimming, fishing, kayaking, and boat tours. In winter staff closes the swimming access when the temperature drops. The shallow spring water is warmer than air temps, so all the manatees swim up the stream to spend the season in warmer waters and the water is packed with manatees!!!! There can be hundreds in the area per day and it makes for an amazing experience

This campground was awesome for a weekend away with the family and dogs. It was still very hot and buggy in Florida so be warned If this is an issue for you. Large campsites with a picnic table, electric, and water. Pet friendly and clean bathrooms with a small walking path for the pups. Been to better but a great weekend away!