Silver Springs State Park

Silver Springs has been entertaining tourists since before the Civil War. In the late 1870s, a local named Hullam Jones built the first glass-bottom boat out of a rowboat with a window in its hull, and the visiting public has been peering down through clear water ever since. The spring discharges about 359 million gallons every day — making it one of the largest in Florida — and the park surrounding it, a 5,000-acre swath of cypress, oak hammock, and Silver River frontage, was Florida's most-visited tourist site for nearly a century before Disney World opened down the road.

Today the park is run by the state. The glass-bottom boats still leave the dock every fifteen minutes.

• Location: Silver Springs (Marion County), 8 miles east of Ocala
• Address: 5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd, Silver Springs, FL 34488
• Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, 365 days a year
• Vehicle entry: $8 per vehicle (camping/equestrian entrance), $2 per person (main)
• Glass-bottom boat (30 min): $17 adult / $15 senior or child 3–12
• Water temperature: 72–74°F year-round
• Magnitude: First-magnitude (~359M gallons/day)
• Swimming: Not permitted — boat tours and kayaking only
• On-site lodging: 10 cabins + 59-site campground

The park sits on SR-40, 8 miles east of downtown Ocala. Approximate drive times:

• Orlando: 1 hour 30 minutes (I-75 north to Exit 352, SR-40 east)
• Gainesville: 45 minutes (I-75 south or US-441 south)
• Tampa: 1 hour 45 minutes (I-75 north to Exit 352)
• Jacksonville: 1 hour 45 minutes (I-75 south to Exit 352)

The main entrance on SR-40 handles glass-bottom boats and kayaking. A second entrance off Baseline Road / CR-35 serves the campground, equestrian trails, and the Silver River Museum. One admission covers both; keep your receipt.

The Silver Springs Group includes more than 30 named springs feeding the head of the Silver River, which flows east for about five miles to its confluence with the Ocklawaha. The largest vent — Mammoth Spring — drops to about 30 feet at its deepest, with smaller named springs scattered through the headspring basin. The water averages 72–74°F year-round and is so clear you can identify individual fish through the bottom of a boat fifteen feet up. The park earned its National Natural Landmark designation in 1971; the state assumed operations in October 2013, merging the spring with the adjacent Silver River State Park to create today's Silver Springs State Park.

If you visit Silver Springs and skip the glass-bottom boat tour, you've missed the point. The 30-minute tours depart from the historic boat shelter every 15 to 20 minutes starting at 9 a.m. Each boat is a hand-built wooden hull with a windowed floor, and at $17 per adult, the tour is a remarkable value for what you'll see: the spring basin in full clarity, the named feeder vents, schools of mullet and bream, alligators and turtles when present, and underwater archaeological artifacts including movie props from Silver Springs' long Hollywood history.

Tours sell out on weekends and holidays. Reserve at silversprings.com. The fleet includes one wheelchair-accessible boat (the Chief Potackee) available on specific dates.

A longer 90-minute tour runs occasionally and travels further down the Silver River. $35 adult / $30 senior or child.

• Kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding from the in-park launch (Cape Leisure / Paddling Adventures). The Silver River Paddle is a guided 5-mile downriver float to Ray Wayside Park with a shuttle return — one of the best paddle days in Florida.
• Wildlife viewing of the famous Silver Springs rhesus macaques — about 300 monkeys descended from a 1930s tour operator's release. They roam freely throughout the park. Do not approach or feed them; many carry herpes B virus.
• Manatee viewing in winter (December–February) when manatees move upriver into the warm spring water.
• Silver River Museum (weekends only, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., $2 admission) — Florida geology, Native American history, and natural science exhibits.
• Hiking on the Mesic Loop (2 miles), Sandhill Loop (1.3 miles), and the Silver Trail connecting all park entrances. Bicycle and equestrian trails available.
• Ranger programs Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., free with park admission.

Swimming is not permitted anywhere in the park — kayaking and boat tours are the ways to experience the water.

Silver Springs is one of the few Florida state parks where you can sleep within walking distance of the spring. The Springside Campground has 59 sites across two loops with water, electric (20/30/50 amp), and sewer hookups, plus a fire ring, grill, and table at each site. Ten cabins are available for overnight stays — $110/night plus tax, two-night minimum, no pets.

Reservations through reserve.floridastateparks.org or 800-326-3521.

• Springside Cafe (inside the park) — kid-friendly menu, solid park food.
• Downtown Ocala (~8 miles west on SR-40) — wide range of restaurants on and near the historic downtown square.
• East Silver Springs Boulevard (immediately outside the park) — casual diners, chains, and convenience options.

• Reserve boat tours in advance. Weekend and holiday tours regularly sell out.
• Arrive 30 minutes before your boat departure to handle parking and ticket pickup.
• Do not approach or feed the monkeys. Eat inside the cafe to keep your food out of their reach. The herpes B virus risk is real — keep at least 50 feet of distance.
• Best season for manatees: December through February.
• Summer heat is intense. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine June–September; book morning boat tours.
• No swimming. Repeat the rule to your kids before you arrive — there is no spring beach here.
• The Sea Hunt Deck is currently closed. New trail system is open. Check floridastateparks.org for current conditions.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. Verify fees, hours, and trail closures at floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/silver-springs-state-park before visiting. Photos and historic glass-bottom boat image via Wikimedia Commons and the National Archives.