LOVE THIS PARK! it offers easy drop in access for your paddlecraft and has a beachy swimming area…read moreto enjoy for when you're done. Parking is limited but there are many other places to park nearby.

Florida has some amazing parks. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area…read more The beach here is gorgeous and there are chance encounters with the manatee, but no touchie!

Great place for a hike but make sure you take your water with you because it is a seven mile walk…read more Established as an aquatic preserve to protect the sensitive estuaries between Crystal River, a spring fed major river frequented by manatees, and the Gulf of Mexico, Crystal River Preserve state park spans 20 miles of the gulf coast between Yankeetown and Momasassa. The park is open from 8am to sunset daily. If your into walking this is a must see but don't forget the bug spray.

I have taken my dogs multiple times to the hiking trail that goes to the overlook. It's about 1.7…read moremiles round trip and we love it for a quick outing! I have seen quite a few gators out in the water and the dogs love the walking path. It's shaded in a lot of areas as well which is nice in the Florida sun.

They tore it down and are going to build another playground. Not sure when the new one will be…read morecompleted. It was our favorite playground around.

This park is closed. The gates are locked and there is a sign posted that it's closed due to safety…read moreconcerns.

We had an amazing time on our manatee tour! We got to see several manatees up close. Our guide,…read moreJohn, was fantastic. He was funny, informative, and just an awesome guy who clearly knows how to make the tour fun for everyone. He shared so much interesting information while keeping us laughing the whole time. Highly recommend this tour, especially if you get John as your guide!

As a Florida native, it is absurd that I have never had any sort of manatee interaction! My…read morelongtime friend booked us a semi- private tour for my birthday and we could not have had any better of a time. As luck had it, we were the only ones on the tour! Even though we went during the low season (August) when not as many manatees are present in the water, it also happens to be the time of year where the babies are around. Our Captain used a drone to locate a mother and baby manatee where no other tour groups were located. We were in very shallow water, and the manatees literally swam underneath of our bodies, pushing us up to the surface and rolling us around where we were completely powerless and stuck within the mangroves. It was absolutely amazing and brought tears to my eyes! Our guide Zach and Captain Ryan we're fabulous and I really look forward to doing this again. I cannot recommend this company more and I'm so glad that we booked with them!

When I learned about the Mayan excavations in the area, and the possibility that the dugout/boat on…read moredisplay in the museum may be of Mayan origins, I knew that I would end up here eventually. Many years passed until I finally had the opportunity to visit. I was not disappointed. The location of this park is very urban, but once you enter the park you feel like you are in a magical land, with the river, the sun, the moon, the marshes greeting you. The pottery found looks strange to me, I see an extraterrestrial and a spaceship. One of the rock pillars also has a similar extraterrestrial face, and one of the hands in the pottery has tattoos on it. I don't know what happened here, but I "feel" something here, and I like it. This place feels like sacred ground. I hope that I can visit again and again.

Beautiful park, the rangers were very knowledgeable and helpful. It was a warm day, but the breeze…read morewas nice and they have a lot of places near the water to sit and relax. The top of mound was gorgeous.

For history buffs, this is worthy of a view, if you are in the area. This is an old mill. It has…read moreinformation and diagrams shown, so you can imagine what it was like in action.

This is free. It's a neat little pit stop, but it will not take you much time to view it. They have…read moresome informational signs posted at the site and a little sitting park across from it. That's about the extent of it. But it's right by Homosassa Park, so it's worth stopping.

Small beach but a nice place to take a dip! Very pretty area - birding area galore! Worth the trip…read more Again not a big beach but good enough!

Took multi generation family "to the beach" during a visit to Florida in April. Fort Island Trail…read moreBeach seemed like a good start for us and we enjoyed our visit. Arrived around 11 on a weekday and had a choice of parking spaces. Beach was recently smoothed, keeping in mind the area had suffered during a hurricane 6 months earlier, we found facilities were adequate. Row of porta-potties were available. Boat launch and fishing piers were still closed but we wanted beach that day. There are two rock breakwaters at the far edges of beach and several people were climbing and exploring while tide was out. Rocks were covered towards high tide. Line of markers indicated outer edge of swim area. No lifeguards (we knew that in advance) Plenty of room to set up towels, chairs and toys and room to next group. Kids were originally disappointed no crashing waves (they're use to Atlantic Ocean) but quickly decided the Gulf was better as they weren't getting knocked over. We brought our lunch: be aware, lots of birds trying (and some succeeding) to steal food.

Out on a motorcycle ride recently with some friends, decided to do the Ozello trail. One of the…read moreriders with us is a new rider and had never been down the Ozello trail, so we took it nice and slow. No need to see bikes go into the drink! At the end of the trail, there is a nice little park and boat ramp overlooking the water, and we stayed there for about an hour just breathing in the salt air and watching little hermit crabs crawl over the rocks. Good times. I can see that the place could easily handle a picnic or two, and it kind of bugs me that we didn't bring anything to picnic with except some drinks, but perhaps next time.

Good little ramp, plenty of parking. Watch the tides, especially in winter! Not bad for free…read more Excellent fishing waters. Great for kayaking too.

Unforgettable Scalloping & Fishing Experience with Capt. Louie in Crystal River, FL…read more If you're looking for the ultimate Gulf Coast adventure, look no further than Capt. Louie's scalloping and fishing charter in Crystal River, Florida. From the moment we arrived, everything was top-notch -- professional, welcoming, and fun! Capt. Louie is the real deal. His knowledge of the area, the water, and the best scalloping and fishing spots is unmatched. He made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable, whether it was diving for scallops in the clear grass beds or reeling in fish . He's incredibly professional, patient, and clearly passionate about what he does. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a first-timer, you're in great hands with him. On top of that, we stayed at Capt. Louie's Airbnb -- and WOW. It was spotless, spacious, and just minutes from the water. It had everything we needed for a relaxing stay after a full day on the boat. You can tell a lot of thought was put into making it feel like a true home away from home. This trip was the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation, and we're already planning our next visit. If you're in Crystal River and want a first-class scalloping and fishing experience, book with Capt. Louie -- you won't regret it! A little late on the review , this was last year

Don't waste time doing any more research - book your trip with Florida Fishing Adventures…read more I've been fishing for most of my life, and living in Los Angeles the past 20+ years, I've spent a lot of time on short- and long-range trips fishing California and Mexican waters for tuna, yellowtail, dorado, Calico bass, etc., so suffice it to say I've done a lot of fishing. But when it comes to fishing for grouper, redfish and other species around Crystal River, I was clueless, so on a recent trip there I was smart enough to set up a charter for my buddies and me with Captain Louie at Florida Fishing Adventures. It was epic. First off, I saw a lot of different boats from the various outfitters and Cpt. Louie's rig rides like a dream, has a huge beam, and a ton of fishing space - a much better layout than any of the other boats I saw. Louie also didn't cut any corners when it comes to his fishing gear, with top-of-the line setups for our day on the water. But most importantly, Louie put us on the fish immediately, and coached us up on how to hook and land those grumpy grouper. We caught our limits of quality fish, which made for a great meal and ton of filets for the freezer. I won't even think about booking with another guide next time we're in town. So be sure to book your outing with FFA and you won't be disappointed!