How to Spend an Amazing Day in Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is on Florida’s Gulf Coast, just minutes from the beautiful west coast beaches. What makes this park so unique is the famous live mermaid shows, and the water park with slides spilling into the spring. Since 1947, people from all over the country have come here to see the mermaids and play in the spring!
Weeki Wachee Springs can be divided into three main parts: the swimming and waterslide area known as Buccaneer Bay, the underwater Mermaid amphitheater area with gift shops and restaurants, and Weeki Fresh Water Adventures, the only kayak and SUP rental facility inside the park.
Note: The park entrance fee gets you into Buccaneer Bay and all the mermaid shows. There is a separate fee for kayak rentals.
Paddling the Weeki Wachee River
The Weeki Wachee River flows 12 miles from the bubbling spring to the Gulf of Mexico. Paddling down the river was hands down the highlight of our day! We rented two tandem kayaks and brought our favorite stand up paddleboard.
This is the perfect adventure for a family of all ages, because the entire 2.8 miles you paddle downstream and barely have to lift a finger! (You do have to steer your vessel though, there are several turns and you don’t want to end up in the weeds.) We were pretty much floating, taking pictures, and looking through the crystal clear water at all the fish, turtles, and sea life the entire trip. Occasionally you can spot manatees and alligators!
You do not have to pay the state park entrance fee to paddle down the Weeki Wachee River. The parking area is directly behind the parking lot for the park, follow signs for kayak rentals along the back wall of the lot to find the rental pavilion.
TIP: Sign up online here as soon as you know your dates, as spots fill up very quickly right now due to social distancing regulations!
Once you leave the launch area, you float (or paddle) 2.8 miles downriver until you see the pickup point, where a shuttle bus will take you back to the launch and parking area. There is a small fee if you bring your own kayak/ canoe/ SUP (sign up online as well), and you can pay $4 extra to ride the shuttle back if you desire.
When we are going out for a day of paddling we always bring our inflatable stand-up paddleboards. They come in their own bag with rollers so they are super easy to transport from home to car to any kind of water. The boards inflate in minutes with the electric pump, and deflating them takes no time at all! I love how many color options they have, and David likes the 3 year warranty on each board. Click here to check out all the options and get free shipping!
The Weeki Wachee Mermaids
The Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids are world famous. They have been performing underwater live shows for the past 70 years, and have entertained celebrities from Elvis to Jimmy Buffett. The mermaids have a full choreographed underwater “ballet”, and they even eat and drink during the show!
The Weeki Wachee spring itself is the deepest natural spring in the US, and the bottom has never actually been found. Where the mermaids perform, about 20 feet below the surface, the current is strong and it is incredibly hard to stay in one place. They do such a good job at making it look easy!
The mermaid shows run 30 minutes long and there are 2 or 3 every day, with times posted throughout the park. Even though the underwater amphitheater seats 400 people, the shows are free and very popular so be sure to get in line early. Some of the mermaids even pose outside for photos throughout the day so be on the lookout… although, how they breathe out of the water, we will never know… 😉
On this side of the park there is also a restaurant with items like wraps, corn dogs, nachos, fried shrimp and chicken. There is also a large gift shop, and the Wilderness River Cruise and Wildlife Exhibit (which was still not running when we visited due to Covid). We saw several peacocks- males, females, babies, and an albino all white peacock- just strolling around the park!
Swimming in Buccaneer Bay
Buccaneer Bay is Florida’s only spring-fed waterpark! There are two giant waterslides, a sandy white beach, swimming and snorkeling area, and huge floating dock for jumping. Lifeguards are posted everywhere so it’s a great place for kids to play. Buccaneer Bay also has a small wading pool for little ones, a few snack shops, and a bar called the Weeki Hut for the adults!
Tubing down the Weeki Wachee River
There is an area sectioned off beside the swimming area for tube rentals so you can tube down the Weeki Wachee River. The current from the spring produces a lazy river feel, perfect for floating and relaxing in the cool spring water.
Tips for Spending a Day at Weeki Wachee
- Entry to the Weeki Wachee State Park is on a first-come basis, and once they reach capacity they will close the gates and not reopen them for the remainder of the day. This is to reduce the environmental footprint of having too many people in a natural springs area. Arrive early, even before they open at 9 AM if possible, to get in.
- Do not visit on a holiday weekend, like we did! The place was completely packed with long lines for the slides and snack stands.
- If you have morning kayak reservations with Weeki Wachee Adventures, get your entry into the park first so they can count you and stamp your hand. Then you can kayak and not worry about the park reaching capacity.
- Plan your day around one of the mermaid shows so you don’t miss it!
- You can bring a cooler with food and drinks, but no alcohol is allowed. They do sell adult beverages at the Weeki Hut, and they will check your cooler upon arrival to the park. This one is great and stays cold all day!
- Bring beach chairs and pick your spot right away. There are some lounge chairs in the beach area, but they seemed to be taken within minutes of the park opening. Find a spot under one of the many shade trees and set up for the day.
- Bring water (Florida is hotter than you think), beach towels, and dry clothes. The restaurant, gift shop, and mermaid show all require shoes and a shirt.
- Apply sunscreen and bring extra! Most of the park is in the direct sun, so be sure to lather up throughout the day. We love this one because it is reef friendly and zinc based- no more chemicals!
- Don’t forget your hat and sunglasses! And if you don’t love the feel of sunscreen you can wear UPF clothing.
Things to do Around Central Florida
If you are looking for more state parks in and around Central Florida with beaches and swimming, be sure to check out some of our other posts on Florida springs!
Happy Trails!
If you were going to choose just one, weeki wachee or silver springs, which would you choose? And why?
Terri that is a tough question! I guess it depends on who is going and what you want to do. Weeki Wachee has the kids area that is great for families, and the paddle is not hard since it is just going with the current. Silver Springs has the glass bottom boats that are accessible to all ages, and the paddle there was a little tougher- too much for younger kids I would say. Hope that helps!
It was very nice but the mermaid show needs improvement. The cruise was nice. Which we saw manatees but ok maybe next time. The springs were awesome.