Devil’s Den Pre-Historic Spring

Really pretty place to snorkel/​scuba dive. You can get certified here as well. Get there early! Especially on a weekend. Staff can be rude but the sinkhole is an amazing experience.

Ok so a couple things about the Devils den. You need to get there early if you decide to go they let the scuba divers go from 8 – 9 am but people start lining up at 8. It’s 20 $ entry and they charge for snorkel supplies (so if you have your own bring) They stop letting people in when it gets full. It was awesome but it was the only thing to do there lol. One last note, even though it’s great to get there early the cave is pretty dark and cold, so as the day goes on the more light in the cave which makes it better visibility.

Not really worth $ 30 to snorkel ($ 20 admission fee and $ 10 for gear). I recommend you bring your own snorkel gear so you don’t have to wait. We waited at least 20−30min just to sign up because there was only one person working the counter. And maybe 45 min for snorkel gear because there is no time limit. So you only get the gear when someone returns it. I rather it be cheaper and pay per hour than have unlimited all day access. Because honestly the natural spring is pretty small you won’t need more than an hour to snorkel. It’s pretty crowded.
The spring itself was super cool and it felt great swimming in it. It was unique! But we drove 2h just to see it and I would say it wasn’t totally worth the drive.

Terrible customer service! Literally closed the door on us while walking in. Was told they were not open till 5:30 yet shut down at 3:15! Told not to come back tomorrow due to Fathers Day. Why come back at all! Couldn’t even take a look at the Cape for that another employee yelling at us.

Took a weekend trip to Florida with 2 friends from Atlanta and Devil’s Den was our first stop. We got here around 1 pm on a Friday. We parked our car and walked towards the signs that said «office». Once we got into the office, there were 2 girls in front of us who were complaining because they drove 2 hours and didn’t know you had to be 18 or older to snorkel without a parent/​guardian. So, if you are under 18, make sure you bring a parent/​guardian! Anyways, it was a $ 15 admission fee since it was a weekday (it’s $ 20 for weekends) and $ 10 to rent the snorkel equipment. I highly recommend bringing your own snorkel equipment if you have some because their googles kept fogging up. They told us we couldn’t bring phones down unless they had a water proof case on it. So, I ended up buying the water proof phone case they had for sale there ($ 27) and I’m so happy I did! We ended up using the case for the rest of our trip. It doesn’t let you take pictures under water because the touch doesn’t work but it’s great for videos. We did see many people without any cases on their phone though and no one said anything to them. Oh well.
You can definitely feel the temperature get lower as you walk down the stairs to the cave. There wasn’t many people, maybe 8, when we got down. I was a little bit nervous walking down because I’ve never snorkeled before and deep water intimidates me. Right when I was about to get in, a snake was swimming right towards us and I got scared! I went back up to look at the cave from up top and relaxed a bit. Once I got over the fear and finally just went in, it was awesome! Absolutely breath taking. The water felt really nice after a while, one of my friends said her feet were going numb so she went back up but I had no problems with the water.
Overall, definitely a must visit place if you love adventure and nature! The staff was very nice to us and funny! Make sure to stop at Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens as well. I plan on visiting again and bringing my boyfriend next time!

This place is absolutely AMAZING! If you are an adventure seeker and love being surrounded by the beauty of nature, you have got to see what this place has to offer!
They have facilities on site to accommodate for camping, cabins for families up to four, and a double wide trailer for parties up to 6! I had no idea how beautiful central Florida was until we made this trip! The underground cave encases a beautiful spring that you can either snorkel or scuba dive in. Words really can’t decline how cool this experience is! You really got to see it in person to appreciate it!
The staff is friendly as well. Just make sure you call to confirm your cabin/​lodging before you show up, then get ready for a trip you will never forget!

Very cool spot. You walk down a narrow staircase cut in stone to an underground cave. This place was awesome. We also got to swim which we couldn’t do at Silver River. The only reason this place did not get the stars is the equipment. We agreed we would gladly pay more for better kayaks and lighter paddles. Upgrade please.

Beautiful location. Water is freezing cold. Its a bit pricey and scuba divers get way more preference than snorkelers. Great for photos and you can snorkel all day if youd like. There are fish and turtles in the cavern itself.

This was our first open water dive to get certified and was talking to other divers the night before and they mentioned how there are usually snorkelers at Devil’s Den. I found this a little add as the water is quiet cold but I thought it wouldn’t be a problem.
Keep all this in mind as we stayed at a place down the road so I am comparing the two. The grounds were nice but not nearly as nice and well kept. I am also very glad we didn’t rent a cabin here but they looked like they needed a lot of care and attention to be considers a 2 star stay. The showers and facilities were in need a care too.
The spring was a little difficult to get to as only one person at a time can use the stairs. There can be quiet a long line and you can get tired before you get to dive when you are standing there with all your gear and weights. The snorkelers were loud and didn’t really observe any diving rules. But hey, the girls are wearing skimpy suits so that makes up for it all.
I definitely prefer the place down the road.

What a great staff! Roena, Gary, the whole crew are laid back and VERY helpful for our divers and crew.
Anyone who shows up prepared always has excellent experience –the majority of negative reviews are a result of poor planning and not reading up on the rules for entering, snorkeling or diving this unique oasis!
This is primarily a dive resort.
Also, the crew was particularly helpful in assisting iDive with the Zombie Dive after hours. That takes a lot coordination and man power, and they delivered!
Worth the trip. Worth the fee. And definitely bring that GoPro or Watershot camera — this is a photogenic location.
Can’t rave enough — a «must dive» for all divers!

Devils den is one of Florida’s ‘hidden gems’ that people are told to visit among other nature spots. The sinkhole is wide and is filled with fresh spring water that he home to many fish and turtles. The den itself is beautiful and helps to give off a mysterious vibe.
Just as every other review has said the staff cater mostly to people who are scuba diving. They explicitly stated 3 – 4 times during the briefing that we are to get out of the scuba divers way and to let them do what they want.
The price for your snorkel and fin gear (if you don’t have your own) is 25 $ along with a 5 $ armband fee that allows you to walk on the campground for 30min.
It’s definitely an experience that everyone should try once, but because of the price of renting and the size of the den I will not be a repeating customer.

My boyfriend and I drove 2 hours to see the devils den and snorkel since the pictures looked cool but after 15 min we were done. The cave isn’t that big and there really isn’t any fish or artifacts besides rocks to look at. The staff was rude and it wasn’t worth it. PLENTY OF OTHER SPRINGS IN FL THAT ARE MORE ENJOYABLE AND LAST LONGER THAN 15 MINUTES!

I can’t believe the negative reviews on here. This place is amazing. Maybe people should do their homework before they come. They website laid out all the rules VERY clearly ahead of time! Non-​divers can not go down into the den. Also, the website clearly explains about the types of fins that are not allowed. This place caters to divers. This is also a great training site so you may encounter so inexperienced divers.
Now for the good stuff… The ladies running the desks today were awesome. They gave us great safety tips. They explained the sink hole very well and gave us great tips for exploring! Their air compressor was down so we couldn’t rent tanks, but they gave us great directions to Blue Grotto so we could rent tanks. That was no big deal.
The picnic areas are great to set up and breaks down your gear. The bathroom facilities were adequate.
The sink hole is AMAZING!!! Visibility is unreal. The swim through are so neat to do! The fish love to swim with you! We did an hour long dive and if my 13 year old wasn’t cold we probably could have done another hour. Still, this was an unbelievable experience! Thank you!

VERY rude older man at the office ! I was at the entrance of the cave and I stepped closer to read the rules posted at the top and he immediately yelled at me from far to step away. I explained I was reading the sign and he kept yelling and screaming at that i can read it from far. I yelled back and told him I did not have my glasses on which he did not care about. Everyone was staring at me in shock he was yelling. Very very rude customer service ! We got in our car and left.

I called and explained that I wanted to come take some pictures but didn’t want to drive 1.5−2hrs and not be able to get in. The pleasant woman on the phone replied something along the lines of «Come on over» after the 100 plus mile back road drive we arrived. After entering the dive shop and explaining we wanted to take pictures, we were told that there were divers in the cavern. I’m not sure how taking pictures above the water would affect the divers below water, but he went to see if we could go in. After 15 – 20 minutes of waiting for him to return we gave up and left. I never got to go inside so I hate to give a one star review buy you don’t tell someone to drive 2hrs, deny them entry, and then dissappear for twenty minutes.

A REVIEW FOR SCUBA DIVERS: I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent scuba diving at Devil’s Den. Be warned, though, they won’t fill up your tank past 1700. I felt this was a little bit of a rip-​off. Also, on weekends they take forever to fill up your tank. Furthermore, on the Saturday I visited, teenage snorkelers clogged the water and seemed more interested in taking selfies than actually enjoying the natural spring. What I would advise is GO EARLY and AVOID THE WEEKEND. Those teenagers will hopefully be in school and the wait won’t be an issue. Everything aside, though, scuba diving there was very pleasurable. Lots of places to explore underwater. I would love to go back in the near future. Very clean and well-​maintained camping site, too.

Went there for spring break, there was a 2 hour wait and the woman rudely told us that we weren’t gonna get in that day. Won’t be coming back because of the rude service.

Is it a weird little Florida tourist trap? Yes.
Is it worth going to? Absolutely.
This is a big olé hole in the ground, with clear spring water in it. It’s like nothing else in the state of Florida. It’s beautiful and unique.
There are also about a million rules about what you can’t do here, many of them seem more aimed at making money than increasing safety. You’d think people die in here on a daily basis given all the rules and ominous warnings posted everywhere.
For example: you can’t have free-​diving flippers in here. What? Why? You also can’t go down in without a snorkel and a mask. Even if you don’t end up using them.
Speaking of which, the rental masks are terrible. I highly, HIGHLY recommend bringing your own. The rentals are uncomfortable and fog up constantly. You’ll spend more time cleaning your mask than you will looking through it.
There is a large crowd of «scuba divers» here as well. I use quotes because it seems like many of the folks here like lying about talking about scuba diving more than they actually like scuba diving. There were also lots of people scuba diving here that seemed like it was their first time.
We went during a very warm December. It was fun to hang out in swimming trunks for an hour and listen to portly scuba divers, clad head-​to-​toe in neoprene, whine about how cold the water was.
I must reiterate though: the sheer uniqueness and novelty of «wow, this is really in Florida?», overpowers the many negatives.
Great people watching too, keep Florida weird.

Natural spots like these are why I love Florida so much. Simple place, but amazing nonetheless. If you are in the area, or headed to another spring this place is a definite must see. There really isn’t enough to do to spend hours here, unless you are scuba diving, cooking out or camping, but don’t let that stop you from the experience. Can get packed quickly, so your best bet is to show up VERY early to get in and get out. It’s beautiful, and a neat place to take family/​friends from out of town.

Great place! Megan was very friendly and helpful. Would def recommend to my friends.

If you want to stand on top of dirt, get bit by mosquitos and look at people’s heads, then this is the place for you. Save yourself the 5 $ per person for the walk through, all you see is a hole with leaves and peoples’ heads. We all had to sign waivers which were basically for nothing. The girl at the front desk, Megan was extremely rude. This place is a SCAM. We spent 49.97 $ for 10 people and even bought fish food. After paying, Megan decided to tell us we were not allowed downstairs in the actual den/​water area to feed the fish. She told us we can throw the food from all the way on the top of deck as long as nobody’s head was hit. How can I throw fish food from 10 ft. above the den to feed the fish when ALL I see are flippers and heads? As soon as we left we called to speak to the manager. She told us to turn around that she would give us a refund. Once we got back she refused to give us the money and tried accusing us of using abusive language. None of us used any abusive language, but since Megan, the 5 day employee told her it had to be true. The manager said «I know her, she wouldn’t lie» however, Megan had just started working there 5 days ago… moral of the story DO NOT pay for a walk through at Devil’s Den… there’s a reason why it’s called that.

The cave itself is dark other than the little area where the sun shines through. Little picnic area provides a place to leave your belongings, nothing expensive, & a place to eat when you need a rest from the adventure. There’s even a little area to walk around & enjoy the scenery. Need to return but to scuba dive next time

Yes, the pictures for this place looks AMAZING. Yes, when you get there it looks beautiful. All-​in-​all however, this is a place that you can enjoy for about 15 – 30 mins, and after that, you’ve seen it all, at least if you are snorkeling. I’m sure that people who go diving will enjoy it a lot more. I was a bit disappointed that I spent $ 20 there. If it was $ 5 a person, then this place would probably get 5 stars from me.

Had the best time diving at Devil’s Den last weekend. What a unique and one of a kind. Place. The facility is really well laid out and the folks that own and operate it are helpful, professional, and do an excellent job of keeping everyone served and happy. I also have to give them a special thanks for helping me connect with the dive shop that ended up with one of my tanks. Thanks Mr. p — you’re the best!

I had wonderful experience What’s a fun place to go Diveing The owners there was very nice and helpful I also went camping it was great I even had power and water right there at my campsite only thing was too far to walk to the bathroom would’ve been nice if they have bathrooms closer to the campsite I will definitely go back there

Tent camping is amazing if you like an upgraded camping experience (water, electricity). They don’t take reservations but we showed up at 1pm on a Sunday and had the place to ourselves. No fire rings at the campsites. Plenty of grills, bring charcoal.

After seeing a photo of this place, my friends and I decided to take a road trip to Wiliston, Florida to see it with our own eyes. The place is majestic… Truly divine.
There are lots of rules to follow, and you’ll be briefed on all of them (as well as the consequences for any transgressions thereof), so you’ll want to pay close attention. Once that’s done, you’ll want to make your way over to one of the pavilions, put your stuff down, and get suited up. Oh, and they have barbecue grills here as well, so there’s that. Anyway…
As you descend deeper into the cave, you’ll probably notice the change in temperature. If you do, it’s because you’re not wearing a wetsuit. Trust me – get the wetsuit! I’ll stop here; you’ll want to experience the rest firsthand.
Can’t wait to go back.

One of Florida’s hidden gems!
I cannot wait to grab some friends and go back and I encourage you to do the same. Call ahead and talk to Prince — he’s not only friendly, but hilarious. Quite the comedian.
The spring is refreshing and a diver’s dream. The spring was a perfect 72 degree and right about 1:00 p.m. the sunlight shined into the Devil’s Den illuminating the magic of the spring. So much history, so much fun!
Nearby, you can also ride horses and enjoy all of Florida’s natural beauty. If bringing friends, pack a lunch. There are grills and picnic tables to take a break too.

2.5 hrs away from Daytona and well worth it! We came at 1000 hrs on a Wednesday and dove until 1630 hrs.
Had a wonderful time diving the «den». Dreamland like experience in the cave, serene and tranquil. Impressive amount of underwater space as it is shaped like an upside down mushroom. Swimming under the mushroom cap means using your training and putting your hand up as you ascend… or bumping your head for a reminder of your training :-) but only once. All dangerous areas marked off and or fenced off under water to keep the knuckleheads breathing.
The pictures you see are views down into the water some 30+ feet. Clarity is wonderful and the environment is really that blue. Bottom is a little over 50 ft in the trenches. There are underwater decks marked with buoys that are used by various schools that use the facility for their open water dives.
Quite a few fish, some fairly large, swim around and get fed by the staff so they are curious and up close. As grass hoppers and crickets fall through the big hole in the cave ceiling, the fish will jump and grab them. Fun to watch. The big catfish that lives there lets you pet him we are told but he is not out during the sunshine part of the day. There are two dive cats that think they are dogs and are prone to swimming. The kitten smells like sunshine. Not crazy about cats but dog-​cats are cool.
Very much a family affair as this is a no-​drinking environment, no cussing environment. The «F» word there is «Fun». Many young people visit during the day snorkeling. Heard a good number of eastern european accents which indicates the place is «on the map».
The staff is really friendly accommodating, and has some great stories (as him about diving Egypt). Wife was nervous about getting under water after not diving for several years and with the staff’s patient explanation of everything as well as jovial nature, she was comfortable and as at home as if we were in a pool. We rented gear there, brand new Sherwood vest with integrated weights, new Sherwood octopus rigs. Wet suits in good shape. New masks. (yes lost mine, needed rental).
Had a great time, will be back next year.
Recommendations: Get there early and have the place to yourself for a while on the week day. Bring the kids, they rent mask/​fins/​snorkel for the snorkelers. Last dive enters the cave before 1630. Think real hard about diving two tanks of air and plan on that kind of time below. Bring a slate because you really wish you could talk under water when you are down there. Bring a picnic, place is very nice top side too.

a few weeks ago, i just happened to see a picture of devil’s den on pinterest. after some research, i realized it was only about 3 hours away from my in-​laws in sarasota… well it just so happens that my husband is on spring break this week so we had planned on visiting them anyway. we decided to hit devil’s den up on the drive home since it was on our way.
it is located about 30 mins off of I-​75 and WELL worth the trip. if you love gorgeous natural wonders and snorkeling or scuba diving in a place that is like something out of paradise, tucked away in a random town in florida, this is the place for you.
neither my husband nor i are certified scuba divers so we knew we would be snorkeling, which was totally fine by me! once we pulled up to the office, we met p (stands for prince), a really nice and talkative man who gave us a waiver to sign, rang us up for snorkeling ($ 10 each with an extra charge if you need to rent any gear) and then showed us around while telling us the history of the place.
the cave is in the shape of an upside down mushroom, with a hole in the ground above that lets in natural light (and plenty of caterpillars in the spring). the crystal clear water is around 72 degrees year round. there are tall, narrow stairs that lead down to a platform in the middle of the springs where you can dive in or step down more stairs into the water. there are some fish, a turtle, and fossils for you to check out during your dive!
once we got changed into our swimwear, we went down the stairs to the cave. we picked the perfect day to go because it was supposed to rain but ended up being clear skies. therefore, we had the entire place to ourselves! we probably spent about 2 hours snorkeling then we had to hit the road. i wish we had been able to stay longer and that we would have brought a flashlight to see more! we will definitely go back the next time we are in florida!
**also one thing i would like to note is that neither of us wore a wetsuit and we personally felt fine! it was chilly at first but once we were in the water moving around, we didn’t feel a real need for a wetsuit.**

Came here to do our check out dive to get certified. Very pretty but man is it expensive. As students we only got one tank and after our skills we didn’t get too much time to explore but it was fun. You can go deep or stay at around 20′ or so and I like that choice. The trip up and down the stairs was worth it!
They have a shower (that’s hot) and picnic tables. They have grills too so bring the burgers and charcoal!

This place is amazing. It’s a great place to dive! With two tanks, you can thoroughly explore the site. The stairway down to the water is a bit narrow, but there are far tighter squeezes in the actual water! I’m not sure if this is someplace to go back to, given the price, but it is a great facility to spend a day diving!

This is a nice find, in a beautiful location. The staff is super friendly and the prices are reasonable. Fresh water, open water dive.
It’s an upside down mushroom-​shaped cave about 50 feet deep with a large opening that lets in a beam of light. You still need a flashlight to see the crevices and some of tighter side caves are wired off for safety. The water is a tepid 70 degrees which feels cold when you stay longer than an hour in a 3 mm suit (or if you get cold easily.)
It’s a climb in, down a narrow staircase to a platform where you can just drop on down.
The water is fairly clear, not much of fish life, the other water creatures sort of float in and out as the channels brings them through. Apparently there’s a tortoise if you are lucky enough to catch him. There’s fossils embedded in the walls that a fun to look at and you can get some great shots with an underwater camera.
Dive equipment was a little old– as far as fins and boots– I’d bring your own especially if you aren’t standard size. Paul was awesome in helping picking out equipment that fit and making adjustments in weight belts etc.

This place is beautiful and the staff are friendly and helpful.

This is an ancient domed cave with about 50 – 55 feet of super clear blue water surrounding a central rock mound. Apparently a large chunk of rock in a dome shape fell from the roof of this formation, leaving a central sky light open to the surface. The center of the rock forms an island, the outer edges are the deepest water.
You get to the island by walking into a hole in the side of a rock formation, down a sloped shaft with steps carved into the rock. This shaft penetrates the side of the dome, from there they have wooden stairs leading down to a wood platform on the central island… It’s cool beyond belief. The blue water, the shaft of light from the large overhead hole in the ground… it’s like something from another planet.
If you dive, its great. It’s an open water dive so you don’t need cave certification. Water is cold, so you need 5 mills or a dry suit — hood, gloves would be nice too.
Bring a camera there are fossils in the walls, the light shaft penetrating through the water and the unearth like domed roof and «sky light» striking the blue water make for some great looking shots…

SOOOOOOOOO AAAMAAAZING! This spring/​sink is on privately owned land not too far from I-​75. We took an excursion up here on our way from Ft. Myers to Tallahassee and got here kind of late (~4:40 PM). The guy allowed us to go down for about 35 minutes to snorkel and explore, and it was not enough! The water is *crystal clear* and collddd and there’s enough wildlife (fairly big fish, baby sliders, etc). Truly a gorgeous natural wonder and I would recommend dedicating at least an hour to exploring this place.