Location: Silver Springs
Top Things to do in Silver Springs
Top Restaurants in Silver Springs
The 10 Best Things to Do in Silver Springs, United States
Silver Springs is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is the site of Silver Springs, a group of artesian springs and a historic tourist attraction that is now part of Silver Springs State Park. The community is part of the Ocala metropolitan area.
Restaurants in Silver Springs
1. Silver Springs Kayaking LLC
Overall Ratings
5 based on 116 reviews
Silver Springs Kayaking LLC provides 2-mile (2 hours) and 5 mile (4.5 hour) Guided Kayak Tours of the Beautiful Silver Springs. Beginners are welcome and we give free lessons at the beginning of each Tour. Silver Springs is where the Tarzan movies were filmed and it is the Real Florida, untouched, and beautiful!! Our "Welcome to the Jungle" tour is our most popular tour, a leisure paddle down the beautiful Silver River. We see lots of wildlife including the World Famous wild Monkeys! Our "Springs" tour is a 2 hour 2 mile tour of the beautiful Silver Springs. This is an adventure your family will never forget!!!
Reviewed By Questovia - Minot, North Dakota
The team of employees that assisted us with the rental, life perserver, and kayak were very helpful. They have a good launching location where you don't even have to get your feet wet as the team pushes you in the water. The kayaks themselves aren't the greatest but got the job done. Numerous water routes offer different experiences. It's especially interesting to take the route through the old abandoned amusement attraction. Evidently it's extremely common to see monkeys but unfortunately we didn't find any the morning we went out. But we did see lots of gators and that was very thrilling!
2. Silver Springs State Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1 reviews
A 5000 acre park in north central Florida.
Reviewed By seebeech - Tallahassee, Florida
I was excited to take my toddler son here after having many fond memories of going as a child and riding the glass bottom boats. However, upon entering the parking lot, I noticed how run down everything is. Weeds were growing everywhere and the parking lot was dirty and full of trash. My experience with other state parks in Florida is that they have always exceeded my expectations, whether it's just a day trip or camping overnight. I'm not sure how much of this is due to the previous private owners though.
I didn't even feel safe leaving my car in the parking lot because as I parked a gentleman parked next to me advised me to watch out for the glass on the ground which had not been cleaned up from a car break-in from the day before. Before taking my son out of his car seat, I looked over and sure enough there was broken vehicle glass all over the ground. That was it for me. I left my son in his seat and left the park.
Based on all of the great reviews here, it seems that once you are inside the park, it's lovely. But as a woman visiting alone with a toddler, I didn't feel safe in the parking lot so I didn't get to experience the park at all. I hope that my experience was just a bad occasion but I'm not one to take chances when I have my toddler with me.
3. Juniper Springs Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 181 reviews
Reviewed By Laura G
These people should not have this run open. They were closed for a week after hurricane Irma for " clean up." It's like an obstacle course, constantly in tight spaces, surrounded by trees and bushes smacking you in the face. I'm an experienced yakker, and this was the hardest run I've ever experienced. I almost tipped twice, being smacked in the head by a tree in a narrow space, only to recover and have a bush grab me. I don't advise anyone to do this in a kayak or canoe until they clear out the debris. People will get injured or even drown. You can't take in the scenery or enjoy nature because you're just trying to survive.
4. Juniper Creek
Overall Ratings
4 based on 71 reviews
Creek in the Ocala National Forest popular for canoeing and swimming.
Reviewed By etw2017 - Palmetto, Florida
Juniper Springs was running somewhat low - 450 pound limit for vessel and occupants. The narrow, twisting route kept us on alert for shallow spots and fallen trees. Loved the natural environment the entire 7+ miles. Actually heard and saw bellowing alligators that could have cared less about us. Used the reverse shuttle which was very convenient - no waiting when we finished; just loaded up and went on our way. Make sure you are aware of your ability and size of your vessel. Longer kayaks were having a great deal of trouble navigating the twists and turns. Glad we picked a weekday when it was not crowded.
5. Appleton Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 273 reviews
Reviewed By lisajj007 - Ocala, Florida
The Appleton Museum of Art has hundreds of artworks & sculptures on permanent display as well as many special exhibits that change every few months. You can easily spend hours here touring all the art. They also have a special children’s section of the museum also.
6. Ray Wayside Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By Madgee710 - Elkton, Florida
I have launched kayaks there before, to paddle up to Silver Springs and back. Participated in the Protest Paddle to help protect the springs and we all gathered here at the end of the paddle. I like that they accommodate kayakers and canoers as well as other boaters.
7. Silver Springs River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 264 reviews
Reviewed By Bill T - Ocala, Florida
If you Kayak this river, look out for alligators. In January, the alligators areleast active & slow moving. You may not have to worry about an attack. This lazy river has a marked 5 mile run with little current. It could easily take you 4 hours to Kayak. Wild monkeys hang over the river in the trees & generally stay in their same home area. You can rent kayaks or load one. Free parking is on the opposite side of rental kayaks.
8. Kayak Florida
Overall Ratings
5 based on 3 reviews
We offer kayak & paddleboard tours in Silver Springs State Park. Our kayak tours are slow paced,family friendly and very informative of the rich history and abundant wildlife of Silver Springs. The state park is one of the few places in Florida to observe wild monkeys and enjoy several different species of Florida wildlife. Our guides are CPR certified and our kayaks are coast guard inspected annually. We will also take pictures of your adventure for you to share and cherish forever. Safety is our number one priority and FUN, FUN, FUN is our passion. So what are you waiting for? Step off the tour bus and enjoy some wild Florida today!
Reviewed By KRPoston
My friends and I really enjoyed our kayak trip at Silver Springs! Greg was a fantastic guide. He shared his extensive knowledge of the springs and the history of the park making our paddle so much more interesting and fun. I would recommend this adventure with Kayak Florida to anyone looking for a unique and memorable Florida adventure.
9. Blue Spring
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Spring known for its deep color of blue.
Reviewed By Shawna G - Jacksonville, Florida
Beautiful water! Swim, float, kayak, or jump off the wood platform. During the summer and holidays this place is busy. Go during the week for a less crowded spring. The swimming area is connected by a long flowing spring/river that makes its way out to the Sante Fe River. Shallow enough to walk that part or float down on a tube. Going back against the flow is a bit of a challenge but still lots of fun. Plenty of shade from the trees and a beautiful boardwalk that follows the spring/river. Lot's of kids and adults jumping off the platform, it's a bit scary so use caution. Great place to spend the day when summer arrives!
10. Silver Springs State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 116 reviews
Reviewed By BearFacts - Florida
What a bargain...$2 per person admission! It was so nice to experience an old Florida attraction. There is a gift shop which is where you purchase your glass bottom boat tour tickets (an additional cost). You have the option of the traditional glass bottom boat tour which takes you over the many springs, or you can enjoy the extended tour which takes you down the river. We chose the extended tour and had an excellent time. Our boat captain was fantastic...sharing many stories regarding Silver Springs, and pointing out the baby alligators, manatees, and sun-bathing turtles. We walked the grounds while waiting for our boat tour time.
My one and only complaint regarded the small cafe on-site. We wanted something small and somewhat healthy. The menu board has an asterisk (*) on a few selections indicating a healthy choice. We both chose the pretzel. Umm...not so healthy! It appeared to be flash-fried and drenched in melted butter.
I was surprised that dogs are welcomed (there were a large number of them), but they are NOT allowed on the boats.
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