The Great Wander

Before Walt Disney World was an attraction in Florida, the place to go to was Silver Springs State Park.  Near Ocala and at the head of the Silver River, it’s a really a cool place to visit.  We had some friends recommend it, so we took a day off of boat projects and drove down there. 

The park is about 4,000 acres.  There are a few trails to walk on, but for the most part if you are going there, the real attraction is the river and all of the springs in the river.  The water there is amazingly clear.  It’s so clear that what started to draw people there was a ride in a glass bottom boat.  

From the glass bottom boat, you can see the springs, the vegetation, and aquatic wildlife.  As we went down the river, our boat went right over a couple of manatees.  Truly amazing to see these creatures so close.  I am fairly certain that was the first time I’d ever seen a manatee that close, perhaps even ever.  We also observed some splashing in the water as well, which stirred up the sediment, but was still amazing to see.

Cruising down the river, you see all kinds of birds, trees, alligators, turtles and fish.  It’s an amazing experience.  You also can rent, or take your own, kayaks and Stand Up Paddle Boards.  That’s on the list of things for us to go do.  We just didn’t have time to do that as well on the day we were there.  If you take a kayak down, you can either paddle upstream or pay for a van ride back up to the park parking lot.  

There’s a chance you’ll see some monkey’s there too.  Apparently when the attraction was first getting started, the owner went and bought a couple of dozen monkeys and put them on an island in the river.  What he didn’t know is that they could swim, so when he took his guests there the next day, the monkeys were gone.  There’s a population of about 3,000 monkeys now that are spread from Ocala to Miami and Tampa.  Quite a few still reside in the park, so you might see them as you are cruising down the river.

Entrance to the park is $2.00 a person, but then the glass bottom boat rides are $13 or $25 depending on the length of the trip.  Cheaper boat rides are 30 minutes, the longer rides are 90 minutes.  I’d recommend the 90-minute ride.  You will see more wildlife and the trip, obviously goes further down the river.   It’s a great ride.  I really recommend it.

If you decide to go there and you only have one day. Get there early and either have a kayak or stand up paddle board, or rent one. Reserve a shuttle spot for about 4 hours later, then make sure your reservation for the 90 minute boat ride is a couple of hours later. Like I said, the attraction here is the water. You can wander about, but really you want to be on the river.

Kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding really gives you time to see the river at your own pace.  Just keep your distance from the wildlife.  Kind of like people in Wyoming make fun of Yellowstone tourists who try to pet a bison, don’t try and corner a gator when on your watercraft.  Let it be!