The new viewing platform at Magnolia Spring started with a crowd control problem. When the Friends of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge began raising money for it in early 2023, former executive director Ronda Hemminger described the need to the Citrus County Chronicle this way: "USFWS identified the need – manatees congregate at Magnolia Spring, and visitors would get as close to the edge as possible."
Three years later the platform is being built. The work is happening during the season when the refuge is busiest, and the city expects this winter's visitors to arrive mostly by shuttle from downtown. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge manatee season started Nov. 15 and runs through March 31. The Three Sisters Springs you'll walk this winter is partway between its old version and its new one. For a Crystal River resident, the easiest way in starts downtown, with a county ID in your wallet.
A deal from more than a decade ago, finishing now
The construction at Three Sisters isn't a random maintenance cycle. The Chronicle reported in August 2025 that the viewing platforms and youth fishing pier are the last improvements required under the agreement that brought the 57-acre property into public ownership more than a decade ago. Friends vice president KC Nayfield told the paper, "Basically, the improvements were part of the deal with the Florida Community Trust grants. We're fulfilling the contractual requirements."
The partnership behind it includes the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the City of Crystal River, Citrus County and the Friends group. The Friends formed in 1998 and have put more than $400,000 in equipment, programs and construction into the refuge, from a Marsh Master amphibious vehicle to a manatee rescue truck.
The City's Sept. 29, 2026 update describes three projects underway at once:
- The Lake Crystal pier, which is up and was nearing completion as of late September.
- A new viewing platform along Magnolia Spring, where the Friends' fundraising push began.
- Phase I of the boardwalk replacement, which covers about one-third of the boardwalk. Phase II will replace the remaining two-thirds.
The City's boardwalk page says portions of the boardwalk are under construction and temporarily inaccessible, so not every section can be walked right now. The nature trails toward Magnolia Spring, Lake Crystal and the wetlands are still part of the land visit. Because Phase II is still ahead, this winter is the first of the boardwalk's in-between seasons, and probably not the last.
Why the timing lands on the busiest stretch
The construction is happening while the springs draw some of their largest crowds yet. When the City Council took up a third shuttle bus ahead of Manatee Festival weekend, Assistant City Manager Troy Slattery said Three Sisters had more than 7,365 visitors in November, up 86 percent from the year before, and more than 17,000 in December, according to the Citrus County Chronicle. In the same story, Slattery said that with two buses a full shuttle loop could take up to an hour. Adding a third would cut that roughly in half.
The council approved the purchase unanimously. The bus is a 2017 Starcraft with 24 seats, two wheelchair spaces and a ramp, paid for through the city's enterprise fund. Bay News 9 reported in February 2026 that the city had bought the shuttle. The same report described visitors buying tickets by QR code at the parking locations.
Councilwoman Mindi Hastings explained the reasoning for residents in the Chronicle story: "I think encouraging tourists to use other parking lots and busing them where they need to go helps the quality of life for residents." The shuttle exists to keep cars out of the neighborhood around the springs, and that matters more this year with parts of the boardwalk closed for construction.
The local way in
You can't drive to the boardwalk and park there. The City lists no public parking at the boardwalk beyond six first-come, first-served accessible spaces, and it points visitors to city lots and shuttle stops instead. The one-day admission includes the shuttle. It runs continuously from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from the Three Sisters Springs Center at 917 Three Sisters Springs Trail. It also stops at:
- The USFWS Visitor Center
- Hunter Springs Park / NW 3rd Street
- Town Square
- Heritage Village
Ticket sales end at 3:30 p.m., so a late lunch downtown can run past your entry window.
The resident rate makes the biggest difference. These are the City's posted winter prices for Nov. 15 through March 31:
| Ticket | General winter rate | Citrus County resident with ID |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $20.00 | $12.50 |
| Senior, 55+ | $17.50 | $11.25 |
| Military | $15.00 | $10.00 |
| Ages 6 to 15 | $7.50 | $3.75 |
| Ages 5 and under | Free | Free |
With a county ID, an adult pays $12.50 in peak season. That's the same price the City lists for general adult admission in summer. The resident discount applies to the cardholder, so out-of-town guests pay the general rate.
The water side has its own seasonal rules. The City says paddlecraft are allowed inside Three Sisters only from April 1 to Nov. 14, and the boardwalk operates separately from the in-water rules. The refuge's seven warm-water sanctuaries are in effect through March 31, and the federal manatee protection rules prohibit waterborne activities in the designated sanctuary areas during that period, with limited exceptions spelled out in the regulation. From now until spring, the boardwalk is the way to see the springs themselves. That's one more reason the construction is happening on the land side.
The other half of downtown is also under construction
The shuttle stops at Hunter Springs Park and Town Square are close to the Kings Bay waterfront, and it's being rebuilt this winter too. According to the City's Riverwalk update, Segment 01 was about 71.5 percent complete in early October, with substantial completion targeted for December 2026. That segment includes the new bridge linking Kings Bay Park and the Crab Plant. The Oct. 21 entry says pedestrian lights are now installed and working along the park-side boardwalk. Crews have started timber stairs at the West Side Crossing and restored the concrete seawall cap.
The next stretch, Phase II, is a boardwalk starting at Crackers and connecting to the Riverwalk trail at Kings Bay Lodge near Riverfront Social and Tipsy Tarpon. The City plans to submit permit applications in January 2027 and start construction in fall 2027.
The historic train depot is part of the same downtown picture. The City announced on Oct. 21 that the depot, built after Citrus County's first railroad arrived in the late 1880s, has new trim and a fresh coat of paint. In March 2026, Slattery told the Crystal River Area Council that the long-range plan is to move Three Sisters operations to the depot once it and the rail cars are remodeled and the restrooms are expanded. When that happens, the parking leased near the springs entrance would go back to its owners, the Chronicle reported. The springs, the shuttle and the waterfront are all moving toward a visit that starts in the historic district.
Where the season goes from here
The season's biggest downtown weekend is the 40th Florida Manatee Festival, Jan. 16–17, 2027. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Adult admission is $10, and children 12 and under get in free. Paddletail Waterfront Adventures runs guided kayak tours from Kings Bay Park during the festival. They last 30 to 45 minutes, cost $15 per person, and leave hourly from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. both days. You'll need a reservation and festival admission. Festival boat tours are offered in partnership with Plantation. They run about 25 to 30 minutes and cost $15 for adults and $10 for ages 4 to 12. Ages 3 and under ride free.
When the council approved the third bus, city leaders were already planning parking enforcement for festival weekend, the Chronicle reported. For a quieter boardwalk, a weekday morning in December or February, with a county ID, still fits inside the 8:30 a.m. opening. The refuge's trails close on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The construction at Three Sisters and along the Riverwalk is also changing how these Kings Bay and historic district streets work day to day, for buyers and sellers alike. If you'd like to know how that could affect your home's value, That Other Laura Bush can walk through it with you over coffee downtown. Get Your Home Valuation, and we'll take care of the details.
