For years, the visit started with the boat. Guests parked on U.S. 19, rode 15 minutes down Pepper Creek, stepped off at the West Entrance dock and crossed the street to the Wildlife Walk. This winter that first leg is gone. Florida State Parks posted that the shuttle boat at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park has been unavailable due to low water levels since Feb. 4, 2026. The park's concessionaire repeated it in a July 19 update that still reads "Boats are closed due to low water levels" as of late October.
The Visitor Center building has also been closed for renovations since summer, with only limited daily services. So the park you're taking out-of-town family to between Thanksgiving and New Year's runs differently from the one they remember. The day now runs on two manatee programs at set times and a new guided kayak tour on the Homosassa River. The holiday calendar adds several evenings at the park.
The ride that used to start the visit
The boat was always a short trip. Guest Services lists it as a 15-minute tour for $5 a person, from the Visitor Center Boat Dock to the West Entrance. Losing it doesn't cut you off from the springs. You lose the scenic opening, and you have to decide how to cover the distance between the two entrances.
There are three free ways across, according to the park's operator, Guest Services, Inc.:
- The tram. It's complimentary with park admission and picks up at either the Visitor Center or the West Entrance.
- Driving. Park at one entrance, then move the car to the other.
- Pepper Creek Birding Trail. It's a 0.75-mile path that starts at the Visitor Center parking area and loops through the parking areas at the West Entrance. It's one of 20 Citrus County trails on the Great Florida Birding Trail.
Florida State Parks describes the trail as paved and wheelchair accessible. That makes it the easy substitute for older guests who wanted to see the creek from the boat.
On the U.S. 19 side, the Visitor Center notice reads "Closed for Renovations." Parking, the tram, the complimentary kennels and the administrative building are still available. Limited daily services began Aug. 1, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No reopening date has been posted.
Two times on the clock that shape the day
Without the boat setting the pace, the manatee programs do. The Manatee Educational Program is a 15- to 20-minute talk by park staff and volunteers, followed by feeding the resident manatees at the Wildlife Pavilion. It's free with admission and needs no registration. The listed times are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The program page's overview mentions three daily programs, so check the schedule posted at the West Entrance on the day you go. Guest Services says other programming changes daily and gets posted there.
Build around those two times and the rest of the visit fills in:
- Morning arrival. Gates open at 9 a.m. Admission is $13 for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12, and free for 5 and under.
- Before 11 a.m. Walk the creek trail or take the tram to the West Entrance, then start on the Wildlife Walk, which Florida State Parks describes as a 1.1-mile trail.
- 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. The manatee program at the Wildlife Pavilion.
- Either side of it. The Fish Bowl.
- Mid-afternoon cutoff. Ticket counters close at 4:45 p.m. and the park closes at 5:30 p.m.
The Fish Bowl is the piece returning guests may not have seen. The Underwater Observatory floats in the main spring and gives an eye-level view of the water, seasonal schools of fish and manatees. It reopened in October 2025, so anyone who last came two winters ago missed it.
The water you can still get on
Guest Services now runs a guided clear-bottom kayak tour on the Homosassa River. It's a small-group paddle that needs no experience, with a guide pointing out fish, springs and wildlife below and around the boat. The operator's activities page calls the tours new.
Here's what the booking page lists:
| Detail | What's listed |
|---|---|
| Length | One hour |
| Meeting point | 9225 West Fishbowl Drive, Homosassa |
| Check-in | At the food trailer, then on to the kayak dock |
| Paddler, age 12 and up | $60 |
| Passenger, age 6 and up | $30 |
| Child, age 5 and under | Free |
| Park admission | Not included |
Compare that to the old ride. The boat cost $5 and ran 15 minutes. The kayak costs $60 per paddler, runs four times as long and puts you on the water itself. Admission is separate, so a guest who wants both pays $73. Families splitting the day may want the kayak in the morning, with the Wildlife Walk and a manatee program after.
The calendar shows a 10 a.m. tour on Saturday, Nov. 14. That's the same morning the Homosassa Arts, Crafts & Seafood Festival opens at the Civic Club Festival Grounds.
From the festival grounds back to the springs
The park is one stop on a run of Homosassa dates that starts Saturday, Nov. 14. The Homosassa Civic Club calendar and the park's own event listing set it out like this:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat.–Sun., Nov. 14–15, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | 51st Homosassa Arts, Crafts & Seafood Festival | Homosassa Civic Club Festival Grounds | $5 donation requested |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m. | Community Christmas Tree Lighting | Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | Santa by the Sea | Heritage Park | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 6 p.m. | Christmas Music in the Park with Nature Coast Winds | Heritage Park | Not listed |
| Sat., Dec. 12, after dusk | Homosassa River Lighted Boat Parade | Starts near Heritage Park | Not listed |
| Dec. 18–23 and 26, 5:30–9 p.m. | 35th Annual Celebration of Lights | Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park | $10 adults, $5 ages 3–12 |
| Sat., Dec. 19, meet at 10 a.m. | Old Homosassa Christmas Golf Cart Parade | Homosassa Civic Club | Not listed |
According to the Civic Club, the festival weekend brings an art show with pottery, stained glass, wood and metal sculpture and jewelry, plus hand and edible crafts, local seafood, raffles, a Kids Zone, live music from area bands and commemorative shirts and hats. The Homosassa History and Heritage Center is open to visit too. The festival's own site has the arts-and-crafts details.
Dec. 12 puts two events in the same evening around Heritage Park. Nature Coast Winds plays Heritage Park at 6 p.m., and after dusk the lighted boat parade leaves from near Heritage Park. It passes MacRae's Landing, Crump's and Seagrass, then heads back.
The springs after dark
The park's biggest winter nights belong to the Friends of Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. Their 35th Annual Celebration of Lights runs 5:30 to 9 p.m. with the first light show at 6 p.m. A snack stand is open each night, and there's a different act every night:
- Dec. 18: Billy "Elvis" Lindsey
- Dec. 19: Village Ringers
- Dec. 20: Pickin' Bluegrass
- Dec. 21: JoJo Jones
- Dec. 22: Lisa Coan and Family Night with Santa
- Dec. 23: Leaving Eden
- Dec. 26: Billy "Elvis" Lindsey
The admission donation is $10 for adults, $5 for children 3 to 12, and free for 2 and under. Entry is first come, first served, with no advance tickets or reservations. Wagons and pets aren't allowed, so the stroller-wagon and the family dog both stay home.
The calendars disagree on the last nights. The park's listing, dated Oct. 22, gives Dec. 18–23 and 26. The Civic Club calendar shows Dec. 18–22, 27 and 28. If your guests arrive after Christmas, check the Friends of Homosassa Springs listing or call the park at 352-423-5600 before you drive over.
Parking is at both the Visitor Center and the West Entrance. The event listing doesn't say whether the tram runs at night. With the boat still out, the most dependable plan is to park at whichever lot puts you closest to where you want to walk in.
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