Three Sisters Springs

Useful Information

Location:	917 Three Sisters Springs Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429. (28.888589, -82.589266)
Open:	Water access: no restrictions. Land access: All year daily 8:30-16:30, last entry 15:30. [2024]
Fee:	Summer: Adults USD 12.50, Children (6-15) USD 7.50, Children (0-5) free, Seniors (65+) USD 12.50, Military USD 11.50. Winter: Adults USD 20, Children (6-15) USD 7.50, Children (0-5) free, Seniors (65+) USD 17.50, Military USD 15. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Spring
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Three Sisters Springs Center, 917 Three Sisters Springs Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429, Tel: +1-352-586-1170.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2011	Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge created.

Description

Three Sisters Springs is one of hundreds of karst springs in Florida, the whole peninsula is karstified, and the water of the aquifer reappears in springs close to the coast. Numerous such springs are home for manatees, numerous are used as bathing spots. This one has some weird rules, which makes access a little difficult. The main point is that there is neither water access from the land nor land access from the water. In other words: the only possibility to get to the spring is by kayak from nearby public kayak launches. Motorized vessels are not permitted, and paddle craft vessels only during summer. And there is a wooden boardwalk, which does not allow access to the water. And another weird fact: the entrance fee is much higher in winter!

The explanation is quite simple: Three Sisters Springs is the winter home to the largest gathering of manatees in the world. The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals, which are also known as sea cows. They are up to 4 m long, weigh up to 600 kg. They have paddle-like tails and look a little like dolphins with the nose of a cow. As a result of the destruction of their habitats by man, they are listed by the World Conservation Union as vulnerable to extinction. The Florida manatees are in danger of extinction because of a massive die-off of sea grass along the Atlantic coast. In early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a feeding program to address the situation. In other words, this spring is a nature preserve and the main goal is to protect the manatees which live here during winter. The opportunity to see them from the promenade is spectacular, as the number of manatees rises to over a thousand in winter.

The water of the spring has a constant temperature of 22 °C, and when the temperature of the seawater in the Gulf of Mexico drops to 20 °C in winter, this is too cool for the manatees. They follow the warmer river to the springs where the temperature is more comfortable. What is now Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was originally zoned for development with more than 400 houses. The refuge is the result of an agreement between local conservationists and the government. A parcel of 23 ha was purchased in 2010 with funds from the Florida Community Trust, the municipality Crystal River, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and several others. The land was protected in 2011 and is managed by the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex. During manatee season, volunteers provide guided walking tours. It is the only site in the U.S.A. dedicated to the preservation and protection of a single species.

The Three Sisters Springs are actually three springs named Deep Sister, Pretty Sister, and Little Sister. They form a small lake and are connected to Crystal River by a short channel. There is no water access from the land to protect the springs from erosion. Crystal River is not a common river, it is actually a 10 km long connection between the sea and the spring area with numerous side branches and other connections to the sea. The spring area is a sort of lake with numerous coves and about a hundred different karst springs. The Three Sisters are the warmest springs and thus the most popular ones during winter, but the whole area is full of manatees in winter. About 75 individuals live here all year.