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A couple of months ago I wrote about our canoe trip to Cypress Springs in the Florida panhandle and today I am excited to share our visit to another amazing Florida Spring! Friday morning we woke up to an empty schedule and a much cooler (and rain-free) forecast than what we have been experiencing in the southeast. Some of the local schools have started already but we don’t head back until after Labor Day so we took advantage of the day, packed up some lunches, and packed into the car for a visit to Vortex Spring.

Vortex Spring

Vortex Spring is located just north of Interstate 10 in the Florida panhandle and exactly one hour from our home in Dothan, Alabama. It’s straight north of Destin, 30a, and Panama City Beach and makes for a great little excursion while visiting the area. It’s a private recreation area that offers day use, camping, and even cabin stays! I want to spend a weekend there because I always see them posting fantastic live music on their Facebook page and it looks like SO MUCH FUN for the little kids and us kids at heart.

What is Vortex Spring?

First, let me give you some background on the actual spring. When we moved to the south I was surprised to learn that Florida is home to a bunch of natural springs. You will find many in the panhandle and central and northern Florida. This particular freshwater spring produces over 28 million gallons of water per day. Think about that! 28 million!

And I do have to warn you that it is cold water. These crystal clear Florida springs are 68 degrees all year long. Vortex Spring, in particular, has a substantial cave and is a popular place among the diving community. With multiple underwater training areas, it provides a place for divers to get Open Water Certified and is also a place for experienced divers to enjoy.

In this photo of Jake conquering the rope swing, you can see the barn called the Pickin Porch where they have the music to the right. Straight ahead is a lodge and camp store. The section of the Spring closest to those is roped off for diving.

Vortex Spring and the surrounding 500 acres are owned by the Dockery family, has become one of the premier swimming holes in the southeast. Complete with 5 slides, a rope swing, high dive, and low dive the swimming area gives kids of all ages a chance to let loose. While we were there, watching the kids cheering each other on and hollering with glee, I kept recalling memories from my childhood in places like this. It’s a place to unplug and just enjoy being outdoors. And I feel confident saying that the kids had just as much fun here as they would have at any big waterpark.

In addition to swimming, you can rent tubes and kayaks and head down the creek to explore even more! I heard that they had Jeep trails too!

How to Visit Vortex Spring

DAY USE: Admission for the day-use area is $10 for adults and $8 for kids. Daily diving passes are $22/$25.

Click here for more information on day use.

OVERNIGHT STAYS: The Campground at Vortex Spring offers both tent and RV camping starting at $27/night. They also have a few different lodge experiences as well as 3 free-standing cabins.

Click here for more information on camping.

Our Visit to Vortex Spring

As I said, we went on a Friday and had a great time. It wasn’t overly crowded and there was plenty of room for social distancing. I believe that weekends bring a lot of campers and the swimming hole probably stays pretty busy. There are plenty of picnic tables so I would recommend packing a cooler with your lunch. You can bring lawn chairs as well!

We had 8 total kids with us ages 5-11 and there was something for everybody! Here are a few more photos from our visit so that you know what to expect! We didn’t even make it to the section that had three more slides. It’s just to the right when you cross the bridge to enter the day-use area. We saw it on the way out and the kids were sad to have missed it. But that means we are just going to have to come back again!

Feel free to comment here and let me know if you have any questions! And let me know if you are going to plan a visit. We may just have to meet you there!