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All 33 Crystal River Attractions »

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge

1502 S.E. Kings Bay Dr., Crystal River, FL 34429
352-563-2088
4.5 of 5 stars 15 Reviews
Type: Nature/ Wildlife Areas, Bodies of Water
Activities: Swimming, Viewing wildlife, Snorkeling
Description: Swimming with manatees is the highlight of a trip to this nature reserve.
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15 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    11
    4
    0
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Date Rating
Sebastian, Florida
Top Contributor
119 reviews 119 reviews
Reviews in 47 cities Reviews in 47 cities
46 helpful votes 46 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

Crystal River is such a lovely spot. Stop for a visit and see what the real FL is. We enjoyed some men building a boat as they did at the time of the Cival War. They were very friendly and eager to explain just what they were doing. My husband, a retired engineer, was really in his glory at this... More

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See 3 more reviews by barbara270 for Crystal River
Peoria, Illinois
2 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

was great place for the price the all volunteer staff was very knowledgeable. More

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PA
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 9, 2012

We went out with Aardvark's on a kayak tour last year. The water was so clear, we could see all the vegetation and sea life, including fish and stingrays swimming by our kayaks. Islands filled with breeding pelicans and cormorants, and even a few sea turtles. Not a lot of motor boat traffic, either! More

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See 3 more reviews by Cindy A for Crystal River
Crystal River, Florida
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 29, 2012

This picture is from the Homosassa Wildlife Park.....no gators at the Refuge.......but plenty of information and knowledgeable folks to share it. More

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See 7 more reviews by z00ch for Crystal River
Top Contributor
62 reviews 62 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed March 28, 2012

We saw bald eagle, tons of other shore birds, a river otter, and manatees, but the best manatee viewing we had was from the boat rather than from swimming with them. The water was too murky to be able to see them unless they were right in your face! More

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See 3 more reviews by ventureforth for Crystal River
Little Weighton, United Kingdom
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 27, 2012

Well worth a couple of hours. Plenty of wild life to catch the eye. More

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See 5 more reviews by Parishes1 for Crystal River
Lawrenceburg, IN
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 4, 2012

This is a not to be missed attraction. It is the best palce to see manatees and swim with manatees. More

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See 3 more reviews by rittenhouse22 for Crystal River
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 22, 2012

This place was beautiful. The manatees were majestic. It was nice to have a Fish and Wildlife officer to watch over the people who were swimming with the manatees. It was an amazing experience. More

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Rocky Mountain House, Canada
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed February 22, 2012

This refuge has lots of wildlife to see in reasonably natural settings. More

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See 2 more reviews by need2see-need2be for Crystal River
Hobe Sound, Florida
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed February 5, 2012

Very clean and friendly staff. Also a nice restaurant at this location. Animals looked well cared for and healthy. More

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See 2 more reviews by Jose A for Crystal River

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