Out of the three springs we visited, I was most excited about Vortex Spring. Back in college, my roommate and I did a couple of our scuba training dives here. Vortex Spring was a wooded, peaceful area with warm, 68 degree, clear water. It was the end of February, so our diving class was about the only group out there. At that time, the spring had the diving area and one rope swing. Now, Vortex Spring has a lot more to offer. The water is still beautiful- turquoise and clear. And, of course, being summertime the water feels nice and cool. Since the spring is 68 degrees all year, it’s refreshing any time of the year. However, there are now more amenities for making it a great family place for a day trip or over night camping.
- Camping– there are cabins and tent sites with nearby bathroom facilities.
- Diving-while they have a diving board, we had a great time snorkeling and watching the scuba divers. This is still a great place for scuba diving. There are plenty of fish and even some eel to look at near the entrance to the cave. Cave certified divers especially love Vortex Spring!
- Slides– there are three slides set up in the water for children and adults.
- Play castle– this castle keeps the young children entertained in between swimming.
- Rope swing-the rope swing is still available for the older kids.
- Zip line– this is what my husband and son looked forward to and they took quite a few trips down it. Shawn’s first turn down the zip line had him doing an accidental perfect head first dive. I wish I had captured on camera the look on his face. Thankfully, while it is recommended that you go feet first, the water is deep enough if you take a head first plunge!
- Swimming and floating– have fun swimming or just floating around on a raft or tube.
Nearby Springs:
