If you are looking for a fun outdoor activity in Gainesville for a few hours, try a two-hour…read moreintroductory session with Canopy Climbers. Don't be fooled--This activity is different from the tree climbing we did in the backyard when we were younger--it was closer to rock climbing (with maybe a hint of CrossFit with the rope climbing). I was very glad that we got to experience it. The adrenaline rush when you are standing on a branch 30 feet high is not easily replicable! People of all athletic levels can participate and challenge themselves.

What a beautiful park! So many trails to take advantage and never enough time!…read more Great and helpful staff (who will allow you to loan binoculars if you forgot yours and give you ideas on which trails are best for you based on what you are looking to experience) If you are in the area and are a nature nut (like me), come and take a look around. We saw deer, alligators and plenty of birds in our short excursion!

We took advantage of our Florida State Park Pass (saved us the $6 entrance fee) and took a drive to…read morethe park. This is a beautiful park to drive or hike. The drive in and to the visitor center is so pretty! The trees make a nice, shady canopy. You can see various animals from the observation tower, open range or hiking. It was late afternoon and hot when we were there so we didn't see much (one deer!) and I'm sure the animals were in the shade somewhere.

The Welaka mud is soooo amazing!.. You can walk, run and do…read moreexercise, bike and walk dog around there.. The pool is very cold omg and your body feel nice when you get out of the water.

Absolutely beautiful spring. A short mile and a half hike to the beautiful spring. Well worth the…read moretrip

My wife and I, along with a few others, booked our campsites online. The cost was $30 per night,…read morebut there are discounts for senior citizens and those with disabilities. Our campsite had running water and electric hookups, but the space was relatively small, accommodating two decent-sized tents, a trailer, and a vehicle. We weren't sure about overflow parking, but they didn't mind when I parked my truck near an unmarked site. There was a dump station on the other side for RVs. The bathhouse was centrally located and clean, stocked with hand soap and toilet paper, although it lacked shampoo in the showers. We observed a variety of wildlife, including deer, otters, turtles, a snake, and squirrels. A raccoon, which I affectionately named "Gangster," rummaged through our belongings at night, even opening a cooler without a latch - amusing yet slightly concerning. A nice walking path leads to the boat dock, and there's a boat ramp for kayaks and canoes, but remember it's a walking path, not accessible by vehicle. The spring itself was spacious and not overly crowded, much better than Ginnie Springs, though there was a noticeable amount of algae on the surface. The store nearby offered snacks, food, and ice cream at reasonable prices, which the kids loved. We saw many dog owners, and it seemed dogs were prohibited only in or near the spring, although some were swimming near the boat ramp. Overall, it's a pleasant campsite, but there are a few drawbacks: numerous ticks and horseflies were present, and the area is very dark at night. There are no trash cans at the sites, so you'll need to bring your own container and take your trash to the dumpster. Lastly, the check-in process was slow due to limited staff.

I am so sick of places saying they are dog friendly when they aren't. We came here specifically…read morebecause they said this park was dog friendly and we don't want to have to leave our dog behind ever. It cost us $6 to drive in and find that, while you can take your dog on the grassy "park" area, dogs are not allowed on any of the boardwalk walkways or in or even near the water. I can take my dog to much nicer parks for free. My husband and I tried taking turns sitting with the dog while the other went looking for manatees or wildlife. All we saw was dirty water crowded with people. We did not see a single animal besides a squirrel. Then, while I was waiting for my husband to do one of the longer boardwalks, my dog started yelping and jolting from side to side. I looked does to see she was being absolutely swarmed by mosquitoes. I took her back to the car immediately and she had at least 8 visible bites and was shaken. I noticed later that I had three bites on my legs as well and I had made sure to put on sunscreen and bug spray. A majority of the people I personally encountered were definitely tourists, and those that seemed like locals were mostly sitting on their phones while their kids were swimming. We did not have a good experience here and I wouldn't recommend it unless you fall into one of those two groups and think you'll enjoy it. There are so many other great ways to spend a day in this area.

I love Single Vision and been a supporter of Carl's endeavor since Bruiser Bear was on his little…read moresurfboard many years ago. Anyone who loves wild animals who have been abused, abandoned, or unable to be released back into their habitat will enjoy seeing that they are special and loved by Carl and the employees and volunteers who care for them. Wish that I lived closer, but feel so fortunate that I was able to visit several times. Single Vision is worthy of your support and donations!

Amazing place! All the animals are rescues or zoo "rejects" that have found a wonderful forever…read morehome! The people who care for them absolutely love what they do and these animals are a top priority to them! The tour was glorious and safety if their priority! They could use the donations so recommend giving more than they ask for as their work is very worthy!

A fave for sure! Although lately we've been wanting to get there right at opening (9am) and have…read morehad to wait an hour due to them doing maintenance. We thought it was the same day weekly but it was not. Other than that, it's a great springs to visit. We have littles and it's perfect for them as there's a spot with a beach like area to ease into the water and has a shallow area. When the tide is low and no boats around, it's absolutely clear and gorgeous but once that changes, the murky water can come in quick. There are a few areas to jump which is also nice. And you can float down to where the Santa Fe feeds in. Watch out for gators though. We've seen our fair share. Overall, I highly recommend this spring!

Hart springs is a beautiful park that has a glorious swimming area, a tall jump into the deeper…read morearea of the spring. The park offers many tables and walk ways to truly explore the property and get a great look at this little arm of the Suwanee River. Come out and experience old Florida

Oh my gosh what a fun date ! I am always one for adventure…read moreso when we flipped a coin and decided to make the drive , I had no idea what to expect. This was one of the best dates ever as we both love outdoor adventures and horse back riding . The zip lining was a bucket list of mine and the adrenaline rush was insane. I am a horse lover so when he surprised me with the horseback riding, it was the cherry on top. Our horses Nugget and Jiminy cricket were amazing and I loved feeding them carrots. The views during the ride were absolutely gorgeous and we already made plans to come back with other couples this fall. This is a 10/10!

We lived less than an hour away from this and had no idea it existed! Such a fun, non-theme park…read moreadventure, perfect for anyone trying to let their wild side run free. Our guides were charismatic and very professional. Safety was their top priority and they made the day so much fun!

I came to see a few bats at the University of Florida, but apparently Gainesville has an entire bat…read moresoap opera happening behind the scenes. And yes, before you even ask, IT SMELLS. Like bats live here. Because they do. It started with a fire. In 1987, Johnson Hall burned down, taking the home of roughly 5,000 Brazilian free tailed bats with it. The homeless bats moved into the university's athletic facilities, where bat urine and guano became an increasingly unpleasant problem. So in 1991, UF built them their very own bat house across from Lake Alice. Then came the ultimate rejection: the bats refused to move in. Imagine building a house specifically for 5,000 bats and having them collectively decide the neighborhood isn't for them. UF kept trying. They added guano to make the place smell like home and even played recordings of bat colony sounds to lure them inside. After more than three years, the bats finally moved in during 1995, and apparently decided they liked the place because the colony exploded. In 2009, the original bat house collapsed, and UF eventually built additional structures, including the bat barn. Today, the colony can reach roughly 450,000 to 500,000 bats. At that point, we're no longer talking about a bat house. We're talking about a bat metropolis. Come around sunset and the whole thing gets surreal. Thousands upon thousands of bats begin pouring out into the Florida sky to hunt insects, and it is genuinely incredible to watch. Just don't arrive expecting fresh air and roses. It smells like bats because it is, quite literally, a city full of bats. Once you accept that, the whole experience becomes even more fascinating. This started as the University of Florida trying to solve a very smelly problem and somehow became one of Gainesville's strangest attractions. Quick Tip: bring a clothes pin for your nose

Came by at Sunset to see the bats fly... Fly my children of the night and go eat all those fucking…read moremosquitoes.

Great open environment, large community pool! Always clean, the staff are always kind. The…read morewaterslide and diving bonuses reasonably priced to get into and lots of covered space.

This public pool was renovated back in 2022, updating in many ways the original 1960s design with…read morenew locker rooms and other improvements--a new waterslide was also added in 2023. The pool itself is large and unless swim meets are underway, the majority of it is for open swim most of the time. Two or three lanes are normally reserved for lap swimmers as well but for me, as a diver, my main attraction is the dive well. The pool has a dive well which is connected to the rest of the pool but normally cordoned off via the swim lanes. There are two 1M and two 3M springboards and these are open to the public if dive practice or other events like artistic swimming practice are not taking place. There is also a dive tower with 3M, 7M, and 10M platforms but this is only accessible for dive teams and other serious divers who have authorization--as a diver who has used it I very much appreciate its presence because 10M platforms are very, very, hard to find outside of universities in the US. (For other divers, yes, I know the heights are weird and 5M and 7.5M are standard today--I don't know why the two lower platforms are strange heights.) So, to recap, plenty of American public pools have removed even their 3M springboards for liability and other silly reasons and yet here we have, in Gainesville, springboards and even a tower. In fact, all three our Gville public pools have both 1M and 3M springboards which is insanely good fortune. I don't think Jax or Orlando can even claim this. Beyond diving, it's simply a really nice pool: they play great music over the stereo, the lifeguards are in my experience all super-chill, super-competent, folks and you see everyone from swim teams to older serious swimmers to kids splashing around having a grand ole time. This is one of the real success stories of Gainesville's parks and rec programs in my view.

Originally, we road-tripped north almost 2 hours to experience a rare opportunity to swim amongst…read moremanatees in a natural setting. When we arrived we found out that the manatees had migrated away from the springs about 2.5 weeks ago. Disappointed we drove about 6 miles south and happened upon Homosassa Springs State Park, where they have 3 resident manatees that live in the springs year round. This small state park, was devastated by the hurricane several years ago. They have photos showing how high the waters were and many buildings are still closed. We had to wait for the tram to take us across the way to the park, they also have a boat to get there in a unique way. However, the water was too low to enjoy the boat ride. The park has about 3-4 manatees during the off season and you just have to look for them as they live in a natural setting. Eventually we found them a bit down river from the springs. Once in a while you'd see their nose pop up for air. They are such beautiful creatures. There is also a small zoo with a black bear, flamingoes, a white tailed deer, reptile case, an array of birds, and a variety of wild cats. They used to have a hippo but she died about 10 months ago. Definitely worth the $13 entry fee. It's a cute and well maintained park that is about at 75% of its operating capacity due to closed buildings that have not yet been renovated following Hurricane Milton. Although, we were disappointed to miss out on a once in a lifetime experience to *actually* swim amongst manatees, being able to see them in their natural habitat was truly special.

Even though Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is still recovering from the…read moreimpacts of Hurricane Helene, our visit was outstanding and absolutely worth the stop. The staff and volunteers clearly care deeply about the park and its mission, and their dedication really shows. While a few areas are still in the process of being repaired, the park remains beautiful and full of life. The wildlife viewing opportunities are excellent, and the park does a wonderful job showcasing Florida's native species in a natural and respectful setting. Seeing the manatees up close was a highlight, and the underwater observatory provides a truly unique perspective you won't find in many places. What impressed us most was how well the park is being maintained despite the storm damage. Paths are clean, signage is clear, and the staff members we encountered were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer questions. It's obvious that a lot of hard work is going into restoring everything while still making sure visitors have a great experience. If anything, visiting during this recovery period gives you an even greater appreciation for the park and the people who take care of it. Their resilience and commitment to conservation are inspiring. If you're traveling through the Homosassa area, this park is absolutely worth your time. It's a special place that celebrates Florida's wildlife and natural beauty, and we're already looking forward to coming back once the final restoration work is complete.