Crystal River, Florida

Three Sisters Springs are a trio of beautiful natural springs located within an inlet on the eastern end of Kings Bay, contained within the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and open to the public each year between mid-November and late March. The 57-acre preserve, which was acquired and opened to the public in 2010, is accessible via land or via water by kayak or canoe, known as a significant habitat for endangered manatees in Citrus County. Visitors can view manatee populations and other native wildlife via a quarter-mile boardwalk with viewing platforms or stroll along over one and a half miles of nature trails throughout the preserve, which offer chances to view natural landmarks such as Lake Crystal and Magnolia Springs. Manatee tours of the springs region are also offered by a number of companies and marinas within the city of Crystal River.

Address: 601 Three Sisters Springs Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429, Phone: 352-586-1170

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located along Kings Bay within the city of Crystal River. The 80-acre refuge, which is only accessible via boat, was originally established in 1983 as a protected habitat for the endangered West Indian manatee. Today, it protects 20 barrier islands and several small parcels of mainland area and is overseen as part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which also oversees the nearby Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and the three refuges of the Tampa Bay region. Popular visitors activities include fishing on the refuge's manmade lake, though no fishing is permitted within the refuge's protected natural waters. Other recreational opportunities include boating, paddling, photography, and wildlife watching opportunities, with guided tours and interpretive manatee talks offered periodically throughout the year.

Address: 1502 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River, FL 34429, Phone: 352-563-2088, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Video

Recommended Activities for Families

Crystal River State Archaeological Site is a United States National Historic Landmark and Florida state park that is located along the beautiful Crystal River, accessible from the city of the same name from Museum Point and US 19/98. The archaeological site, which is located within Crystal River Preserve State Park, protects a complex of six significant indigenous mounds, which provide evidence of the region's history as one of Florida's longest continually-occupied sites. Evidence of trading at the site indicates a connection between the region's indigenous people and the Hopewell people of the Ohio River area. Park visitors can view the site's preserved mounds, plaza area, and midden, which were all believed to have been used for ceremonial purposes. A half-mile paved loop trail surrounds the structures, while an observation deck atop Temple Mound offers panoramic views. Recreational opportunities at the park include fishing, birding, and picnicking. A visitor center on site also offers collections of artifacts and showings of a documentary on the region's indigenous groups.

Address: 3400 N Museum Point, Crystal River, FL 34428, Phone: 352-795-3817

Hunter Springs Park, also known as Hunter Springs Beach, is a beautiful public park located along the Crystal River, open to the public daily between 8:00am and sunset. The park is anchored around Hunter's Spring, which consists of five distinct spring vents clustered within a 10-foot diameter area. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of opportunities for outdoor recreational activities, including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, and other non-motorized watercrafting. A boat launch is provided on site for an additional fee. Park visitors can also make use of the park's newly-installed children's playground or enjoy lunch at its day-use picnic sites. During the spring months, opportunities for swimming with manatees are offered. The park is located less than 20 minutes by watercraft from Three Sisters Springs, making it a great spot for those looking to make a day out of paddling the area's natural wonders.

Address: 104 NE 1st Ave, Crystal River, FL 34429

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is a gorgeous 30,000-acre United States National Wildlife Refuge, located along Florida's western coast near the city of Crystal River, approximately an hour north of the city of St. Petersburg. The refuge, which is overseen by the Crystal River Complex along with the nearby Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and the three National Wildlife Refuges in the Tampa Bay area, is home to the 23,000-acre Chassahowitzka Wilderness Area and is best known as the southern wintering site for endangered reintroduced whooping cranes. A wide variety of recreational opportunities are offered throughout the year for visitors, including opportunities for fishing, hunting, and nature photography. Though overnight camping is prohibited at the refuge itself, visitors can stay overnight at the nearby county-operated Chassahowitzka River Campground. Interpretive programming is offered for school and adult groups, including hands-on ecology workshops.

Address: 1502 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River, FL 34429, Phone: 352-563-2088

Crystal River Preserve State Park , also known as the Crystal River Buffer Preserve, is a Florida state park preserving one of the state's most biologically diverse estuary habitats, stretching along 20 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline between the cities of Crystal River and Homosassa. The 27,500-acre park preserves one of the most significant stretches of undeveloped coastline that has remained relatively unchanged since the arrival of Europeans in what is now Florida, home to gorgeous salt marsh, mangrove island, hardwood forest, tidal creek, coastal scrub, and pine flatwood habitats. Major attractions include the Crystal River State Archaeological Site, which protects significant indigenous structures, and the Eco-Walk Trail, which offers 11 interpretive stations providing family-oriented natural education. Recreational opportunities include hiking, hiking, kayaking, fishing, birding, and wildlife watching for manatees and a wide variety of shore and migratory bird species.

Address: 3266 N Sailboat Ave, Crystal River, FL 34428, Phone: 352-228-6028

Attractions for Couples

Franklin Anderson Gallery of Arts is one of the premiere fine art galleries in Citrus County, showcasing a wide variety of artists working contemporary and traditional styles across a number of mediums. The gallery, which is operated by owner Karen Anderson, showcases artists working in styles such as oil and acrylic painting, nature photography, pottery, metal arts, glass, woodworking, sculpture, and jewelry, with many artists represented having received national and international acclaim throughout their careers. Other unique art mediums represented include gourd art, walking sticks, and art representing the region's noted manatee populations. A variety of special events are offered at the gallery throughout the year, including Meet the Artist events, music performances, crafting classes, and featured artist openings.

Address: 659 N Citrus Ave., Crystal River, FL, 34428, Phone: 352-697-2702

Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park is a National Register of Historic Places-listed Florida state park located in the city of Homosassa, accessible from Crystal River via US 19. The historic park protects the remains of a sugarcane plantation that was established in the mid-19th century by David Levy Yulee, the first Jewish American to serve in the United States Senate. The plantation, which formerly spanned 5,000 acres throughout the Homosassa region, enslaved more than 1,000 African Americans to produce sugarcane, cotton, and citrus, including byproducts used to create rum. Today, the park preserves the plantation's stonework mill foundation, iron gears, cane press, and other machinery. Day-use picnic sites with barbecue grills are also available for visitor use, along with public restrooms and a picnic pavilion.

Address: Co Rd 490, Homosassa, FL 34448, Phone: 352-795-3817

Cross Florida Greenway - Withlacoochee Bay Trail is part of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, a mile-wide recreational trail that stretches between the St. Johns River and the Gulf of Mexico and offers separate portions for hikers, bikers, and equestrian riders. The greenway, which was originally known as the Cross Florida Barge Canal, was originally proposed as early as 1567 and funded for development as a canal system in the 20th century, though its construction was halted due to environmental concerns. After the project's cancellation in 1991, it was redeveloped as a greenway and named in honor of one of the project's most vocal environmental opponents. Today, visitors to the Crystal River area can traverse the Withlacoochee River portion of the trail, which connects the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Yankeetown to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway via portions following the routes of the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers.