School’s Out! Summer Series: Perfect Florida day trip guide with Get up and Go Kayaking – Crystal River

After surviving the school year, you and your family deserve the perfect summer trip to Crystal River! This small, adorable town is the ideal spot to visit in the summer, with loads of fun events and unique activities to help you and your family spend quality time together.

The city of Crystal River is well known as a destination for manatee lovers all over the world. It’s the only place in the United States that you can legally swim with manatees! This brings in huge crowds during the winter months, when manatees are most abundant. However, as the manatees leave the springs to venture back out into the Gulf as summer approaches, so do the large crowds. That leaves Crystal River as a beautiful, warm, relaxing, and quiet oasis during the summer months!

Luckily, we are local experts and we can help you create the BEST way to spend your time here. Let’s dive in.

Kayaking Three Sisters Spring this Summer

Crystal River’s Three Sisters Springs National Wildlife Refuge is the highlight of the city, being the winter home to hundreds of manatees! However, the only way to access the beautiful, clear water is by actually paddling in. That’s right – there are no entry points to the water through the refuge itself (to protect the delicate shoreline from degradation!). So if you want to swim in the spring, you’ll need a kayak!

The best way to get to the springs is with Get Up and Go Kayaking – Crystal River’s guided ecotours that use 100% clear kayaks. This will ensure you get 360-degree views the entire journey! Watch as fish swim below you, turtles pass by, and even diving cormorant birds race alongside your boat! Sometimes, if you’re especially lucky, you may have one of Crystal River’s resident manatees pass underneath you, too!

By joining our guided tours, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic, informative adventure unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Each of our passionate guides will enthusiastically share facts about the local wildlife and have a trained eye to spot every creature along the paddle! Our tours fill up quickly, so be sure to reserve your spot online or give us a call at (352) 747-4289 to get booked onto a tour right away!

Local Events Coming Up That Are Worth the Trip

Just because the large tourist crowds have left doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to do! There are plenty of fun things to do in Crystal River during the summer months.

• Crystal River Nights Concert Series (May 23, 2026) is a free concert featuring live music and with food and drinks for purchase by local vendors!
• Summer Sizzlin’ Bash (May 28, 2026) is a family-friendly event that encourages local children to get involved in youth sports and extracurricular activities. They have loads of fun kids’ activities and is great for a variety of ages.
• Homosassa Fireworks Festival (June 27, 2026) is only down the road from Crystal River and offers an exciting fireworks show!
• First Fridays in Crystal River is a monthly event every first Friday with live entertainment, local vendors, and crafts
• Crystal River’s 4th of July Celebration (July 4, 2026) Independence Day Celebration! Expect live music, fireworks, vendors, and more!

Unlike these scheduled events, there are plenty of year-round activities in the area. The absolute best way to experience Three Sisters Spring, any day, is clear kayaking to the natural springs with Get Up and Go Kayaking – Crystal River!

Other Summer Activities for Your Day in Crystal River

While your guide is sure to have recommendations on places to check out while you’re in the area–here are some suggestions to get your planning started!

Crystal River is home to many amazing restaurants, check out these suggestions for any of your breakfast, lunch, or dinner needs!

• Grannie’s Country Cooking
• Waterfront Social
• Tipsy Tarpon
• Cracker’s Bar and Grill
• Peck’s Old Port Cove

Did you know that Crystal River also has their own mini-golfing location? A perfect place to spend an afternoon with your family for some friendly competition! Check out Crystal River Mini-Golf while you’re in the area! Once you’re done being the mini-golf champion of your family, try exploring the many different boutiques and specialty shops within Crystal River as well.

If you are looking for a kayak tour location a bit closer to Tampa, try checking out our nearby location–Chassowitzka River! Only about 20 minutes south of Crystal River, you can find yourself completely immersed in Old Florida nature and even more beautiful, clear spring water!

Join one of our guided clear kayaking tours in the Chassahowitzka River to see even more wildlife, experience more amazing clear blue springs, and enjoy more quality time with your family this summer.

You can make reservations online or call (352) 676-7295 to talk to one of our admins who will be happy to answer any questions you might have!

We look forward to welcoming you and your family to Crystal River this summer! Congrats on another school year, now it’s time to celebrate!