Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park

homosassa springs wildlife park was a cute nature walk/​zoo which was a perfect way to enjoy some sunny florida weather, take a mile-​long walk, and see some animals. after a morning of snorkeling with manatees (you must do this. especially in february), we wanted to see a little more of this area of florida before heading back to orlando to hop a plane back to freezing cold nj. this park was perfect, and we were able to see the whole thing at a leisurely pace in under 2 hours.
lu the hippo is huge.
the flamingos are super orangey-​pink.
pelicans look like dinosaur-​birds.
vultures are icky.
the little red fox was adorable.
cougars and bobcats look super cuddly, but probably aren’t.
an underwater look at huge schools of fish in the river was really cool.
you get the point… local florida widlife in a zoo-​like setting, nicely situated on a 1-​mile loop. there’s also a reptile building full of mostly snakes and some turtles… the building really could use some better ventilation– the air was stale and yucky. they do some wildlife education, too.
getting from the main building where they have a gift shop and sell tickets is a little tricky– you can take a boat which runs every 20−30mins, or a shuttle bus that is quicker, only 5−8mins. we took the bus to the park, and the boat going back. the boat ride was delayed a few times in the water, and it took almost 40min to get back to the building… it was a lovely ride down the river, but would have been much more enjoyable if we had a friendlier driver and if we didn’t keep stopping.
parking was easy to find when we arrived (we were early-​sh, around noon), but the lot was packed, as was the overflow lot by the time we left around 2pm.
go see the hippo. stay outta the splatter zone. enjoy an easy walk and take some nature-​y photos. a one-​time visit is enough though, i wouldn’t come back for this specifically unless i was in the area with a few hours and some $$ to throw away.

Man, this place is weird. It’s Florida-​weird.
It’s a State Wildlife Park, but it’s more like a zoo.
I’m not one of those outspoken anti-​zoo people necessarily (see also: vegans, crossfitters, people that recently gave up drinking), it’s just unlike any state park I’ve ever been to.
So the reason it’s like a zoo is that most of these animals can’t make it in the wild for one reason or another. Usually because of injuries of because they are overly acclimated/​unafraid of humans.
And it’s a Florida State Park, because these are all Florida fauna.
Except they have a hippo.
Yep, you read that right, they have a hippo.
I wouldn’t rule out hippos one day being added to the long list of «invasive species that thrive in Florida’s warm climate», but I’m pretty sure they are not currently found in the sunshine state.
And the hippo just doesn’t look very happy.
I do appreciate the the commercial aspects have been kept to a minimum, that definitely separates this park from your typical zoo.
Even though it’s out of the way, we were shocked at just how crowded it was when we we visited in January.
Worth a look, but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as most folks.

Fun place to stop by. It’s smaller than expected and more like a zoo of (mostly) local animals. If you don’t snorkel with the manatees over at the Three Sisters Spring, this is a good place to see some manatees pretty close up.
I felt like it was a little overpriced for what you get, so be sure to check with your hotel, rv park or online for coupons.

This is a nice little compact state park that you can easily get through in a few hours. I am a big sign reader and I went through all of them (much to the chagrin of my son) and it took us a good 3.5 hours. Lots of animals to see without a bunch of walking. It was pretty chilly today, but was able to see every animal in each of the exhibits that were open. Really enjoyed seeing all the animals, without too many crowds. Definitely a stop for the tourist set. its a 2 hour trip from st. pete/​tampa.

I’ve lived in the area for about 18 months and today was the 1^st time I visited the park with my family. We had a great time. Lots of native Florida animals & birds. Even a hippopotamus. The boat ride was about 20 minutes long very peaceful and informative. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. The park was very clean. I would definitely recommend for anyone busting the area. I am looking forward to returning many more
Times. The price was great also.

Had a wonderful time snorkeling with the Manatees. My Mom and Dad especially enjoyed rubbing their backs. No alligator sightings — thank goodness.

Very nice park. Give yourself a couple hours at least to enjoy it and make sure you park at the main entrance and take the boat over.

This was a very interesting and unique wildlife park… we (my friend and our two boys) visited on what began as a bright/​sunny day and became an alternately cloudy/​stormy day… it was still quite enjoyable (albeit a tad stinky in some spots, likely enhanced by the rain). We started out at the visitor center and boarded a pontoon boat, which took us to the main entrance via a twenty minute, calm and relaxing narrated trip through a shady creek, where we spotted roaming alligators, turtles, various birds and lots of native trees and bushes.
The park provides refuge to an abundance of rescued wildlife that otherwise might not survive in the Florida wilderness. Manatees, alligators, pelicans, owls, bears, flamingos, snakes, foxes, and much more can be seen here. We were lucky enough to reach the floating underwater observatory during presentation/​feeding time (and sought shelter during one of the downpours during our visit) and were treated to an informative presentation on the manatees (those in the park are no less healthy, yet considerably larger than those seen in the wild).
The children’s education center was also a great experience; it was being operated by Jeff that day, a long-​time volunteer who provided a plethora of information about Florida wildlife. While we were there, a giant insect –one none of us had ever seen before– manged to find its way inside and land on Jeff’s arm, who reacted quickly enough to gently capture the bug and place it in a clear container for us to view, while he located it in one of the many books on insects stored in the center, and then provided us with background information on the bug, as well as on other specimens that were on display in the center… it was a very fun experience for the kids!

Great for all the animals here, nice spring attracts all wildlife. Animals here are cared for injured, and abandoned animals that can’t be released to the wild. Excellent for learning for old and young. Manatees, birds, alligators, hippo, and others. Nice walking, well marked paths, easy to get around. Wood or cement pathways easy to negotiate. Bathrooms along the way, and many Rangers and Volunteers to help you or ask questions. Underwater viewing and nice clear spring water, make it easy to see many species of fish as well. Enjoy.

Coming here was a great experience, and definitely worth my time! We got there just a bit after it opened and it was awesome. The crowd wasn’t too bad and the weather was great.
We stopped at the fish bowl first and got to see the manatees and fish. There were two manatees there, the ones that live there full time I believe, as the wild ones had already gone. It was still great though!
The other animals and birds were alive and lifely. They looked happy and healthy. We even got to see them doing a health and weight check for one of the manatees, though it didn’t look very happy about it.
The staff and volunteers are friendly and helpful. The gift shops have a ton of great stuff! They also have batteries, sunblock, etc. Essentials for a trip.
There are tons of easy to follow signs as well as a few places to get food and drink. You could easily spend hours here. They have shows and such too! Definitely worth the $ 13

I hadn’t been to Homasassa in ages, but since I had a guest from out of country, I thought I’d show him what true florida nature looked like.
Most of my old memories are of the river cruise, of the monkey island — it has no monkeys now, of Lucie the hippo, and the fishbowl. I was happy to see that much of it remains the same, but there have been some significant changes.
Now there is a road that runs out front of the parks actual entrance, and I’m not speaking about Us19. What used to be out in the middle of nowhere now is in the middle of civilization. They have a modern educational center, a manatee rehab center as well as an animal habitat for animals that have been injured and remain in their care.
Lucie the Hippo remains as the only naturalized hippo resident in the state of Florida and he is well over 50 years old. Cute little bugger too! They house bobcats, black bear, wolves and even a Florida panther, along with a handful of injured raptors. I had no idea Bald Eagles were so noisy!
And of course there are the manatees, they come here because the waters are naturally warm. Warm is relative, 72* year round 4 eternal residents remain at the spring, and many different manatees float on by in search of food or just to mate… it’s spring, we caught them in the act.
So if you’ve not been, come check out a piece of Florida’s old movie history –Lucifer, and old entertainment park history.

My family and I went to the park hoping to see a few manatees and enjoy the great weather. We were very surprised at the first class facilities of this park.
The boat ride through from the visitor center to the park was awesome and unexpected.
The park has alligators, bald eagles, panthers, swans, bears, and hundreds of other animals. There is even a free tram to take you back to the park if the boats have stopped for the day.
Check out this wonderful jewel on the Florida gulf coast.

This is Old Florida. As a kid who grew up going to places like Weeki Wachee and Cypress Gardens, there’s something about these kinds of attractions that is so much more satisfying than Disney or a revamped Cypress Gardens aka Logoland can ever be.
The real attraction here are the titular springs which bubble up at a year-​round 72 degrees. This is what draws in the manatees every winter, because unlike the northerners who come down and swim at the beach in January, the Manatees know the water is way too cold for that nonsense. The Manatee might be my spirit animal.
Anyway, there’s a cool viewing area set down into the water where you can check out the plethora of fish just basking in the spring water bubbling up. They’re working on replacing some of the cloudier windows, but there are still quite a few with a clear view out, and the view, below or above the springs, is stunning!
Nearly all of the animals in the park are native to Florida, with one notable exception, and that exception is Lu (short for Lucifer) the Hippo. Intrigued, I looked up Lu’s back story. Born at the San Diego Zoo, Lu appeared on a number of television shows and in movies over his illustrious career. Why Lucifer? Look him up on YouTube — his laugh explains everything. When the state parks took over the wildlife park, citizens started a petition to let Lu stay, despite his decidedly non-​Florida-​native status. In response, he was granted Florida citizenship and has remained a beloved icon ever since. In his 50s, Lu is an old man hippo.
Also, I noticed an earlier review cited how boring and slow the manatees were… They may not be animatronic singing country bears, but they’re still pretty cool in my book! But, yeah, don’t be expecting them to do backflips… they’re manatees.
Anyway, I highly recommend a visit!

A must stop on the Florida coast! I had no idea about all the wildlife preserves along the coast. This wonderful park has several animals that have been rescued and are being lovingly cared for by the park — a panther, several manatees, some birds and others. The guides are fabulous and seem to love their job. Take the boat tour and plan your day around the scheduled presentations. We loved this place!

Cool place, very cool animals. The journey back to the wildlife park can be done one of two ways; by tram or by boat. We visited on a rainy day so the boats weren’t available. That’s too bad b/​c I think it would have added to the experience. The wildlife portion begins and ends near a spring where manatee’s and a large selection of fish inhabit. All of these can be seen in their underwater ‘fishtank’ viewing area which is a do-​not-​miss. The most impressive thing in the spring is the number of manatee’s and fish that actually live here.
The path takes you by all of the other animal displays, one by one. We especially enjoyed the panther, bears, bobcats and eagles.
Cheers.

The free boat ride to the park was relaxing and scenic. The driver/​narrator was great and pointed out very cool things, like an alligator hanging out on the shore and a huge nest at the top of a huge tree. The park itself is also great and worth the price of admission. Scenic walks, unique exhibits, and very cool animals will fill a few hours with a very memorable experience.

This a clean and well maintained park around, the tour guides are very knowledgeable. Great for the whole family and don’t miss the boat ride. They have all kinds of wildlife. For the Holidays they usually decorate the park (Christmas is our special time there with all the lights and the music & light show ;)

What a fantastic park! When you arrive, you walk through the main building out to the boat docks and take a wonderful 10 minute boat ride to enter the park. Steve was our boat captain and he was very informative. He told us all about the history of the park, which was very interesting. I didn’t know this, but we learned that this is the only wildlife state park in Florida.
Once you get to the entrance, the fee isn’t too expensive, but is totally worth it. There is a paved pathway that makes a big circle around the park, to ensure that you see every exhibit. A lot of these animals were rescued from one thing or another and it looks like they are very well taken care of. There are a lot of different birds, including a couple of bald eagles, bears, bobcats, wolves, manatees, and a hippopotamus, who is an honorary citizen.
Make sure to plan out your day ahead of time because the wildlife encounters and the manatee educational program are totally worth it. Also, plan to spend a few hours here. We were there for about 2 hours and didn’t even make it to all of the exhibits. This park is for all ages and is really a must see.

Great way to spend 2 – 3 hours. Can’t be upset if you don’t see everything or all animals. Remember.. It’s wildlife. Nice descriptions of all animals, etc.

What a fun little place. I definitely recommend stopping by the visitor’s center, getting a picture with the enormous manatee in the front, browsing their gift shop and taking the boat ride into the park. Discounts for AAA members! Ticket lady was super nice and the greeters are excellent with providing you with oodles of information and options. Great price for a good cause.
It’s a good walk about the area, with plenty of animals to see. Try and get there during Lucifer’s feeding time, he’s much more interesting to watch when he’s active. The main path is all elevated about the animals individual areas, so you can get a good overview of the place and makes for better photo shooting options. You can watch the manatees swim around in the sanctuary and there’s a submerged boat that allows for some underwater viewing.

Spannender Naturpark, man fährt mit einem kleinen Boot oder einem Shuttlebus zum Parkeingang mitten in der Wildnis.
Hier gibt es von Flamingos, über Pelikane, Alligatoren und vielen Vogelarten auch die vom aussterben bedrohten Manatees zu sehen.
Der Park hat eine Manatees Station, wo in Not geratene Manatees wieder gesund gepflegt werden. Sogar einen Florida Panther gibt es zu sehen!
Ich ziehe diesen staatlichen Park den ganzen Touristenattraktionen vor, da die Tiere hier sehr artgerecht gehalten werden und auf Shows und Dressur verzichtet wird, dafür kann man viele Tiere in Ihrem natürlichem Wohnraum beobachten.
Sehr zu empfehlen, auch für Kinder!