Silver Springs

[jimwooster]

Heading back north at the end of March from Key West and was curious if there are any campgrounds that you can access the Silver River and Silver Springs. I remember as a kid my dad took us up the river on his boat. I have a Zodiac inflatable and would love to be able to do this. Not sure where to start. Thanks, Jim

[JimMartin]

Which park in the Silver Springs area would be the most fun for 7 to 12 year old kids??

[Big_Katuna]

No hookups tho.

[trsky]

Try looking at the near by Ocala National forest. Silver springs is not the only natural spring in the area. Look up Juniper spring or Alexander springs. Great swimming and kayaking. They are all in the same area. Silver springs is nice but you'll be surprised at what the national forest has to offer. I always thought that Alexander springs had the best swimming.If you're there for a couple of days you can hit them all.

[Dog_Folks]

jimwooster wrote:
Thank you all so much in response to my post. I think for what we are interest in doing the RV park is our best bet. I need a park with a ramp in the park to put my Zodiac in the river. All this info got me excited about revisiting the Springs. Jim

Thanks for the update, and enjoy the area.

[jimwooster]

Thank you all so much in response to my post. I think for what we are interest in doing the RV park is our best bet. I need a park with a ramp in the park to put my Zodiac in the river. All this info got me excited about revisiting the Springs. Jim

[khenson]

In our 2.5 years of full-time RVing we put Silver River SP in our top 5 parks. Mainly because we had such a great time on the river! The birds, gators (big!), and monkeys were a lot of fun to observe.

[GMandJM]

We were at Silver Springs last month. No giraffes. Campfires are allowed, although you are not allowed to bring your own firewood nor to scavenge for it.

Sadly, the canoe and kayak rentals have been moved from the old launch area to the headsprings. So now you have to paddle BACK against the flow. It was funner to paddle up to the springs and then just float back.

And please don't feed the monkeys. But if you do, they prefer CheezeIts. 😉

[Tripalot]

The past 2 winters we have spent time at Wilderness RV Resort - a very nice park with excellent facilities. Both years we rented a pontoon boat in the RV park, and motored up the river to Silver Springs. We have never seen so much wildlife in l/2 a day! There are hundreds of monkeys, alligators, deer, lots of birds, turtles, etc. I highly recommend this park and a ride on the river.

[NanciL]

I love paddling the Silver River
Check out our web site for directions and description

https://sites.google.com/site/flkeyskayaktrips
It is under the Springs Area

Jack L

[armadillo_17]

We were at Silver Springs State Park the last week of December. Park is perfect for us as the wife's daughter, grandkids, and great-grand twins live in Ocala. Took the glass bottom boat ride for the first time, but not the last..
Park does not have sewer hookups, but a nice dump station. Not a big problem with our little Class A.

[Dog_Folks]

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.

[HappyKayakers]

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]

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?

[footslogger]

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.