Silver Springs State Park, near Ocala

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Orlando, FL
Silver Springs State Park, near Ocala
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Silver Springs State Park, near Ocala, is a blissfully beautiful place with tall trees of all shades of green and clear, blue-green water. You can take a glass bottom boat ride to see the spring vents, where water flows out of the Florida aquifer. From the moment you enter the historic palace-like gates you know you're in for a treat. You walk past an old-fashioned promenade of shops with a pizza place, hot dog place, and ice cream store, to the glass bottom boat docks. This is one of the first places that glass bottom boats were ever used, starting in the 1870s! 

The glass bottom boat ride is not to be missed! You see perfectly through the clean glass to the deep springs below. There are many springs and the captain will show you each one. What a joy! You also look down on grasses moving with the current, and little fish! There are statues on the river floor, left behind by movie crews. Many animals can be spotted such a yellow and green turtles atop logs, and alligators, yes alligators! Many people have encouraged me to swim in springs telling me that alligators avoid the cold spring water and can't be found there. Well, there was one alligator swimming happily in the spring water when we visited and one sunning on a mat of brown algae, and this left me feeling nervous about my swims at other Florida springs.
You can't swim or fish at Silver Springs.
After your boat ride,  you can walk around the gorgeous gardens with their tall trees! There is a horseshoe-shaped palm tree- they say you should take your photo there and you'll have five years of good luck- I wouldn't recommend this.
Bring mosquito spray because mosquitoes love areas with manicured lawns. There is a concert stand and a large lawn in front of it. 
While at Silver Springs, you can also rent kayaks to explore the 4 1/2 mile Silver River that runs down from the spring vents and meets up with the Ocklawaha River. 
Silver Springs was the first tourist attraction in Florida. Many presidents have visited, such as Ulysses S. Grant and Calvin Coolidge. The first movie shot here was The Seven Swans in 1916, followed by many movies such as the Tarzan series and Creature from the Black Lagoon. There have been many imaginative theme parks at Silver Springs over the decades, but only the water park remains today.
Mats of brown algae have formed in the spring due to lawn fertilizers and septic runoff. These mats smother the native eelgrass that manatees feed on, hence the manatees don't come to Silver Spring anymore. Also, industry has drawn water from the aquifer leaving the spring with 350 million gallons per day instead of 510. The construction of Adena Springs Ranch could do more damage to the flow and create pollution from cattle and horses.
Other wonderful springs to check out in Florida are Ichetucknee Springs State Park near Gainesville, , and Madison Blue Spring near Highway 75 on the way to Georgia, Blue Springs State Park near DeLand, Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee, and the Venetian Pool in Miami.
Florida has the largest concentration of freshwater springs on earth, with 33 First Magnitude springs (springs that produce over 65 million gallons per day).
A nice restaurant in Ocala town is Pronto Pizza with counter-service New York Pizza by the slice in an attractive restaurant with decorative copper ceiling tiles.

Continue to directions...

Inside the glass bottom boat.

The gardens on your left side and wild nature on your right.

Glorious nature at Silver Springs.

Alligator hanging out in the spring, sunning on a mat of brown algae.

The water is so clear you can easily see to the bottom.

Green and yellow turtle on a log.

Magnificent views of nature through the back of the boat.

The promenade with shops.

Looking down at one of the springs and statues from a movie set.

Grasses and fish.

You can see clearly through the glass on the glass bottom boat.

What beautiful colors!

Statue of Chief Osceola in the gardens.

Pink flowers in the gardens.

The attractive buildings, designed by Victor A. Lundy in 1955.

Flower in the gardens.

Vine-covered arbor.

Arbor in the gardens.

Giant-leafed plant.

Palm grove.

Winding walkway with bench looking out on the water.

Statue of Chief Osceola.

Watching a glass bottom boat from the gardens.

The tranquil gardens, and buildings by Victor A. Lundy.

Ice cream shop at the promenade.

The amazing walkway into the park, with cypress trees left in place.

Fountain at the entrance.

The whimsical entrance.

Entering the park, you feel glad you came!

You have arrived at a magical place!

Directions

Silver Springs State Park is located at 5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd, Silver Springs FL 34488, call (352) 236-7148, near Ocala. For the glass bottom boat tour, you enter the park off Highway 40, roughly across from Silver River Inn (slightly to the east).
Open daily 8am-sunset, and until 8pm on Friday nights to allow campers to arrive, if you call ahead.
Glass bottom boat tour lasts 1/2 an hour, and are on the hours starting at 10am with last tour at 4pm.
Admission is $8 per car, $2 per pedestrian or bike. 
Glass bottom boat tour is $11 per adult, $10 for seniors aged 55+ and children aged 6-12. Children aged 5 and under ride free.
It isn't possible to bring wheelchairs onto the glass bottom boat, but if you can transfer that is ok.
Kayak rental $15 first hour, $5 additional hour; double kayak, SUP, or canoe $20 first hour, $10 additional hour.

map

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Comments

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Louise

Thu, 16 Apr 2015

We toured this spring in January. Beautiful grounds.

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Ron

Fri, 20 Dec 2019

Very very nice!

Last Updated: Mon, 25 Feb 2019 18:06:47 GMT

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