Snorkel and Dive at Devil's Den

Devil's Den is one of Florida's most under rated and best kept secrets. Usually filled with mostly locals from the greater Ocala area, this underground spring is popular in the summer to switch up the usual beach and lake days. The facility is privately owned and a bit of a drive out of town but well worth it for the gorgeous experience of swimming in the cool water. 

Definitely get to the spring as early as possible, as wait times are unpredictable (in high season people have been wait more than 4 hours) and your experience will be better the less crowded it is. Its important to note that there is no free swimming allowed here, they only allow scuba diving and snorkeling, so its best not to take young children that cannot snorkel.

Once you check in and pay your admission fee and equipment rental if needed, you'll head over to a large pavilion where you can put your stuff down and gear up. There is a path leading around a small lake that can be misleading, many people start walking in that direction thinking the entrance to the spring is that way. The entrance is a bit nondescript, but very close to the check in office. You will have to crouch down a bit and be very careful as you descend down the somewhat slippery stairs (they are very steep) that lead you to the platform. Once your down to the platform, you can just dive in to the cool 72 degree water. If your snorkeling, the bottom of the spring is a beautiful bright blue that is great to swim around, and free diving to reach the illuminated rocks below is a very popular activity. If your scuba diving, there are underwater passages further below the surface from extinct prehistoric animals and even human remains that have been dated from 7,000 BC that have been removed, but you can still see the fossil beds.

There is a camp ground and cabins on site available for lodging. However, I would recommend this as a half-day or one day trip. There is no time limit once you are down there but generally people snorkeling feel satisfied being down there for 1-3 hours, as other than scuba diving, there isn't much activity once your in Devil's Den except taking in the absolutely brilliant and one of a kind views.