Silver Springs

Try This: Silver Springs State Park

We have stayed there. It is a very nice state park.

For what it is worth the State of Florida has also taken over the Silver Springs attraction right next door.

Dog Folks wrote:
Try This: Silver Springs State Park

We have stayed there. It is a very nice state park.

For what it is worth the State of Florida has also taken over the Silver Springs attraction right next door.

Yes that's a nice place but when I was there they didn't allow Any swimming, boating, wading, dogs in the water,dogs on the trails dogs on leash, no camp fires no picnics on the river,:( matter of fact if you wanted to take a picture of the river you had to get permission from the park ranger.. OK that last one wasn't true but that was the only thing that was not on the don't do list.

Silver River state Park is a very nice park. It has a long path through the woods to a kayak launch. You can also drive to a county park directly on the River on SR 40 and launch any size boat there on regular boat ramps. It's a fun trip. Take bread so you can tie up at one if the "Don't Feed the Monkies" signs and feed the Monkies.

You can have fires when there is no ban in dry season. True no swimming area. It's a strong run and kids would drown. Plus destroy the delicate vegetation.

You can have dogs. Take ours all the time. True no dogs on the trails. Too many bears.

The State of Florida recently purchased Silver Springs as DogFolks stated. The state has operated a state park on the Silver River for many years called Silver River State park. Both locations are now combined into Silver Springs State Park. The CG is along the river and the headsprings viewing area is still along SR 40. I expect to see significant improvement to the springs area in the future as they clean up the mess the former tourist attraction had become.

As a footnote, please do not get short sighted when you see a rule you don't like.

Silver Springs has some of the clearest water on the planet, and the State Of Florida is trying very hard to keep it that way.

Until underwater filming technology caught up in the 70's, lots of underwater photography was done there.

Those us that are old enough: Remember Sea Hunt, with Lloyd Bridges? Filmed there, with many other movies.

Enjoy the area. It is a beautiful and unique.

When I read the original post I was just about to say: "Silver Springs State Park" but then I saw that was no longer necessary!:)

But we did take our dog down to the river along that nice trail. If there was any rule at that time we were not aware of it.

You can put a canoe or a motorized vessel in at Ray Wayside, a county park near the Oklawaha River bridge on SR 40, and travel upstream on the Silver River to the spring head. Since the state's aquisition of Sliver Springs, you can now also launch a canoe at the spring for a downstream run.

There is also a nice RV resort, Wilderness RV Resort, on SR 40 just east of the Oklawaha River bridge. The Oklawaha River is also a very nice run. About 90% of its flow is from the Silver River. Very clear and clean.

Dog Folks wrote:
As a footnote, please do not get short sighted when you see a rule you don't like.

Silver Springs has some of the clearest water on the planet, and the State Of Florida is trying very hard to keep it that way.

Until underwater filming technology caught up in the 70's, lots of underwater photography was done there.

Those us that are old enough: Remember Sea Hunt, with Lloyd Bridges? Filmed there, with many other movies.

Enjoy the area. It is a beautiful and unique.

I remember Sea Hunt. I was told that Tarzan movies were filmed there thus the resident monkey population.

The river is truly spectacular and a must see. I plan to go back in my travels.

Did the state keep the giraffes and other non-native species?

If you want an experience hard to duplicate elsewhere, take a kayak to the springhead and do an Eskimo roll. You don't need a bomb-proof roll, the water coming up from the spring will help you over :-)

longrider1100 wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
As a footnote, please do not get short sighted when you see a rule you don't like.

Silver Springs has some of the clearest water on the planet, and the State Of Florida is trying very hard to keep it that way.

Until underwater filming technology caught up in the 70's, lots of underwater photography was done there.

Those us that are old enough: Remember Sea Hunt, with Lloyd Bridges? Filmed there, with many other movies.

Enjoy the area. It is a beautiful and unique.

I remember Sea Hunt. I was told that Tarzan movies were filmed there thus the resident monkey population.

The river is truly spectacular and a must see. I plan to go back in my travels.

Did the state keep the giraffes and other non-native species?

Don't know for sure but I did read that the state closed the zoo there so I guess the giraffes are gone.