Royal Spring

Off the beaten path, Royal sits lovely and hidden off a maze of dirt roads. The tree-ringed spring bowl is home to turtles and a spring-fed cavern, spilling over into an unusually shallow spring run. Conditions at Royal are highly variable; on a good day, Royal is one of the prettiest springs in the area. Divers enter down the steps into just a foot or two of water, making Royal a great place to bring kids and non-divers. A jump platform beckons divers to a post-dive splash into the waters below. The spring basin at Royal makes a great dive for new divers or those working on skills, while intermediate to advanced divers can enjoy the cavern overhang.

🎥 How to Dive Royal in 60 Seconds

Access: Very short walk from boat ramp parking lot; slightly longer walk from main parking lot. There are three sets of stairs: the first leads to a jump platform (fun, but too high for a giant stride!), the second ends at the old high waterline, and the third is farther along the spring run. Depending on conditions, you may descend the steps onto dry rock or a foot or two of water. Make your way to the edge where deeper water starts before putting on fins.

Hours: Check the county park website

Admission: Free. Just drive on up.

Parking: It can be difficult to find parking on busy days; there is a main parking lot, as well as a parking area by the boat ramp. If very busy, conditions in the spring are likely to be poor; consider relocating. If the park is empty, parking near the boat ramp gets you closer to the spring entrance.

Gear up: At your car; there are no picnic tables or benches.

Conditions: Highly variable; visibility can range from a milky blue or clouded green in summer, when crowds and sunlight stir up silt and phytoplankton, to perfect crystal clear conditions. Not knowing is part of the fun of Royal! No flow, max depth 65’ in the cavern. There is a training platform in the middle of the spring basin.

Cave/cavern: Yes. There is a cavern under a deep overhang, however the bottom is extremely silty. Flutter-kicking in the cavern will quickly stir up silt that will spoil visibility in both the cavern and spring basin. Stick to frog-kicks and stay out of the cavern unless you are confident you can stay well off the bottom.

On the flip side, this is a great place to practice no-silt kicks, because the cavern will quickly tell you if you’re mucking it up. Royal does have a cave; however, diving it is not advised. There have been multiple deaths here over the years, and the line is said to be in poor condition. Unusually, there is no posted sign marking the cave entrance; there are, however, the remains of a concrete block and metal rod. To quote local dave divers: “the only reason to dive the cave at Royal is to retrieve a body or become one.”

Cautions: Prone to flooding after heavy rains; ask about visibility on local vis report groups. There is an extremely silty and dangerous cave entrance on the right-hand side of the cavern; do not enter. Its entrance is not marked with a sign. This not a recommended cave site, even for certified cave divers; the line is in disrepair, and it is extremely silty with no flow, all but guaranteeing a low-to-no vis exit.

Tips: This is a county park. Diving is permitted but largely unregulated. There are no restrictions in place regarding lights or dive buddies. Royal is a great place to work on skills or try out new equipment or weight checks. Definitely try out the jump platform after your dive!

Nearest dive shop: Dive Outpost, Amigos

Food: No concessions on site. Visit Branford. 

Hot showers: No

Rinse station: No

Toilets: Port-a-potties

Changing area: No