Juniper Springs Recreation Area

In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a concrete swimming pool around a crystal-clear spring vent in the heart of the Ocala National Forest, piped the overflow through a working mill house with a waterwheel that generated electricity for the campground, and called it done. Ninety years later the pool is the same temperature (72°F), the mill house is now a visitor center, the waterwheel still turns, and the spring still feeds one of the top-rated canoe runs in the Eastern United States — a 7-mile, one-way downstream paddle through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness that National Geographic and ReserveAmerica have both placed on their short lists.

The oldest national forest east of the Mississippi deserved a spring this good.

• Location: Ocala National Forest (Marion County), on SR-40 between Ocala and Ormond Beach
• Address: 26701 East Highway 40, Silver Springs, FL 34488
• Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily
• Day-use fee: $14.50 per person (children 5 and under free)
• Water temperature: 72°F year-round
• Magnitude: Second-magnitude (~5.3M gallons/day)
• Pool dimensions: ~135 ft × 80 ft (CCC-era concrete oval)
• Canoe run: 7 miles one-way through Juniper Prairie Wilderness
• Camping: 79 sites, no hookups, hot showers
• Phone: 352-625-3147

• Orlando: 1 hour 15 minutes (SR-50 west to SR-19 north, then SR-40 west)
• Daytona Beach: 1 hour (SR-40 west through the forest)
• Ocala: 36 miles east on SR-40
• Gainesville: 1 hour (US-441 south, then SR-40 east)
• Tampa: 2 hours (I-75 north to Ocala, then SR-40 east)

No cell service in Ocala NF. Download offline maps before turning off the highway.

The oval concrete basin — 135 feet long, 80 feet wide — sits at the spring head, ringed by the shade of the surrounding hammock forest. Water flows from the vent at 72°F with extraordinary clarity; eelgrass carpets the limestone bottom and American eels glide through it. Floats under 60 inches are permitted. No lifeguards. This is one of the most beautiful constructed swim basins in any national forest in America.

The reason most paddlers come. The 7-mile downstream paddle starts at the spring head and ends at the Juniper Creek bridge take-out near SR-19. The route threads through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness — 14,283 acres of ancient cypress, cabbage palm, and live oak — with a narrow, winding channel, low-hanging branches, limited pull-out points, and no road crossings until the end. This is not a beginner run; technical maneuvering is required.

• Paddle time: 3 to 5 hours
• Daily vessel limit: 95 boats (rental + private); max 10 rental launches per half-hour window
• Rental launches: 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 — arrive 30 minutes early
• Last launch: 1:00 p.m. sharp — no exceptions
• Shuttle pickups: 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 p.m.
• Single kayak rental: $65 (includes paddle, PFD, whistle, shuttle)
• Tandem kayak or canoe: $75
• Private vessel shuttle: $15/person (space permitting)
• Children under 12 not recommended; under 8 not permitted on the shuttle

For younger children, the CCC pool is the family centerpiece. The canoe run is for confident paddlers.

• Snorkeling in the spring pool — permitted; excellent visibility. Not permitted on the canoe run itself.
• Hiking — the Timucuan Trail interpretive loop near the facility; the Florida National Scenic Trail runs through Juniper Springs with a 72-mile unbroken segment through the wilderness.
• Wildlife — alligators, otters, bears, deer, wild turkey, raccoons, wading birds, albino gray squirrels (a local rarity near the mill house), American eels.
• Camping — 79 shaded sites in three loops.

• CCC-era Mill House visitor center with waterwheel (1935)
• Bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets
• Canoe/kayak rentals and shuttle (Naventure concessionaire)
• General store / concession (snacks, ice cream, ice, charcoal, firewood, beach supplies)
• Picnic area with tables and grills
• Bear-proof food storage lockers at campsites
• Dump station and potable water

79 shaded sites across three loops (Tropical, Sand, Fern) — one of Reserve America's Top 100 Family Campgrounds in the US. No hookups (no electric, water, or sewer at individual sites). Hot showers and flush toilets in the central bathhouse. Dump station. Each site has a picnic table, grill, fire ring, and lantern post.

• Max 2 tents, 5 campers, 2 vehicles per site
• Check-in 2 p.m., check-out 11 a.m.
• Quiet hours 10 p.m. – 6 a.m.
• Pets in campground only (not in day-use area or on canoe run)
• Reserve via Recreation.gov (facility 234031)

No lodging options inside the forest near the spring. Nearest:

• Astor (~20 miles east on SR-40, then south on SR-19) — riverfront cabin rentals and fishing lodges
• Ocala (~36 miles west on SR-40) — full hotel range
• Silver Springs (~30 miles west) — vacation rentals near Silver Springs State Park

No restaurant inside the recreation area. The concession handles snacks only. Pack a cooler. Lena's Seafood (near Silver Springs on SR-40, open since 1986) is a well-loved post-springs dinner stop.

A 15-minute walk from the Juniper Springs main area via the nature trail, Fern Hammock Springs is a shallow, crystal-clear pool rimmed by subtropical fern forest — one of the most photogenic springs in Florida. Swimming is prohibited at Fern Hammock (ecological protection; alligators in residence), but the viewing from the footbridge over the 25+ active sand boils is extraordinary. See our separate Fern Hammock profile for details.

• The canoe run is one-way and takes 3–5 hours. No road crossings, no bailout points. Coordinate shuttle logistics before you launch.
• Last launch is 1 p.m. — no exceptions. Arrive early.
• Children under 8 are not allowed on the shuttle. For families with young kids, the CCC pool is the main attraction.
• No cell service. Download offline maps before leaving the highway.
• Bears are active in the campground. All food, trash, and scented items must be in bear-proof lockers or vehicles. Ejection without refund for non-compliance.
• Mosquitos at dusk. DEET, long sleeves, head net for evening campsite time.
• No inflatables on the canoe run. Inflatable kayaks, tubes, rafts, and SUPs are strictly prohibited.
• No dogs in the day-use area or on the canoe run. Campground only, leashed.
• No alcohol in the day-use area or on the canoe run.
• Shallow sections in dry season require portaging. Bring water shoes.

• Fern Hammock Springs (15-minute walk from Juniper) — Photography-only spring with spectacular sand boils; no swimming.
• Alexander Springs (~20 miles south on SR-19, then CR-445) — Only first-magnitude spring in any US National Forest. Swimming, scuba, camping.
• Salt Springs (~12 miles north on SR-19) — Slightly mineral/saline water; full-hookup RV camping (the only one in Ocala NF).
• Silver Glen Springs (~15 miles north on SR-19) — First-magnitude, Timucuan archaeology, day-use only.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. The boardwalk section of the nature trail to Fern Hammock was temporarily closed as of March 2025; an alternate campground route exists. Verify current trail status, canoe-run conditions, and fees at fs.usda.gov/recarea/ocala or call 352-625-3147 before visiting. Photos via Wikimedia Commons.