Wakulla Springs sits 18 miles south of Tallahassee where 1.2 billion gallons of 70°F water surge daily from ancient limestone caves. Park entry costs $6. Two boat tours run $16 total. Swimming is free. The 1937 lodge charges $150-250 per night. You spend a full day here for under $50 and see what Hollywood filmed in 1941 when cypress swamps looked exactly like this.
February brings the quiet. Manatees surface in glass-calm river bends. Alligators sun on muddy banks. The dive tower stands empty at dawn. This is Old Florida before theme parks, when Edward Ball built a Spanish-style retreat for guests who wanted nature without crowds.
The spring basin where fossils rest 185 feet down
The main vent opens like a sapphire eye in sandy shallows. Water clarity lets you see mastodon sediments from the boat deck. Ice age mammals drank here 12,000 years ago. Their bones settled in limestone layers that rangers describe during 40-minute river tours departing every hour from 9:40am to 5pm.
Glass-bottom boat operations ended years ago but the spring depth remains unchanged. You lean over the rail and watch sunlight penetrate 30 feet down where fish hover motionless. The constant 70°F flow creates mirror-smooth surfaces on windless mornings. Bring binoculars for detail. The dive platform offers a 22-foot plunge if you want cold shock in warm water.
River tours through cypress corridors where Hollywood filmed
Rangers guide 45-minute loops through moss-draped tunnels where Johnny Weissmuller swam as Tarzan in 1941. The Creature from the Black Lagoon surfaced here in 1954. Nothing changed since. Same cypress knees. Same Spanish moss curtains. Same primeval quiet that cameras captured eight decades back.
What you actually see from the boat
Alligators appear frequently. Herons and egrets fish in shallows. Ospreys nest in dead snags. Turtles stack on logs. Manatees visit November through February when northern rivers turn cold. Tours cost $8 for adults and $5 for children. Boats hold 30 to 50 passengers but February weekdays rarely fill. You sit starboard for better wildlife angles.
The swamp sounds and scents
Motor hum stays low. Bird calls echo across water. Cypress smells earthy and wet. Rangers share indigenous history and Hollywood trivia without scripts. One passenger described it as “real Florida as it once was” in a 2025 review. The boat returns to the same dock. You walk 100 yards to the swimming area if weather permits.
Swimming the constant-temperature basin year-round
The designated swim zone opens daily with lifeguards from 9am onward. Water stays 70°F in January and July. February air temps drop to 55°F some mornings so the spring feels tropical. Weekdays see dozens of swimmers. Weekends draw more but never theme park crowds. No rentals exist on-site so bring your own snorkel and fins.
The dive tower offers views across the entire spring basin before you jump. Kids cannonball. Adults ease in from shallow steps. Fossil fragments rest somewhere below but collection is banned. You swim above prehistory for free once you pay the $6 vehicle entry. This Arkansas spring flows 9 million gallons hourly at constant 58°F year-round for a colder comparison.
The 1937 lodge where Old Joe watches from the lobby
Edward Ball’s Spanish-style vision still stands with original elevators and period furniture. Wildlife ceiling murals depict local fauna in hand-painted detail. The marble soda fountain counter stretches the lobby length. Old Joe, an 11-foot stuffed alligator, dominates one corner as a local legend since the 1960s.
Dining runs $10 to $25 for Southern fare like catfish and hushpuppies. Rooms book months ahead for February and March. Lodge guests skip the $6 park fee and access early-morning boat tours before day visitors arrive. The fireplace porch seats about 20 for sunset views over cypress reflections. This North Carolina town keeps Andy Griffith’s barbershop cutting hair since 1929 for similar vintage Americana.
Your questions about Wakulla Springs answered
When do manatees appear and how many
Manatees visit November through February when water temperatures elsewhere drop below 68°F. Rangers call sightings “seasonal” without exact counts. Recent visitor reviews from winter 2025 mention frequent mother-calf pairs in river bends. Tours departing after 10am see more activity as manatees surface to breathe and graze on aquatic plants.
How does this compare to Crystal River manatee tours
Crystal River charges $75 and up for guided swims with manatees in crowded conditions. Wakulla costs $16 for two boat tours where manatees appear naturally without guarantees. The spring here flows clearer. The cypress setting feels wilder. Forget Cedar Key where tourists cost $180 and Steinhatchee keeps fog for $80 shows nearby alternatives along Florida’s Big Bend coast.
What else sits within 20 miles for a day trip
St. Marks Lighthouse stands 20 miles south at the Gulf where the Apalachee Bay meets the St. Marks River. Ochlockonee River State Park offers hiking and camping 15 miles west. Sopchoppy and Panacea serve fresh Gulf seafood for $15 to $25 per meal. Tallahassee sits 18 miles north with airport access and chain hotels. This 12-acre island costs $10 to enter where coral reefs sit steps from shore offers a tropical comparison.
The ferry schedule does not apply here. You drive in and park. The spring keeps flowing. The cypress keeps standing. February light cuts through Spanish moss at angles that cameras noticed in 1941 and visitors notice now for the same reasons.