Silver Springs Attractions and Things to Do

The glass-bottom boats are the signature Silver Springs attraction. The concessionaire's boat page says tours pass over Mammoth Spring and other feeder springs and show fish, Native American and Spanish artifacts and underwater movie props left from the park's Hollywood era. The 30-minute tour runs every 15 to 20 minutes, 365 days a year, at $17 for adults and $15 for seniors 55 and over and children 3 to 12. The 90-minute extended tour departs daily at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at $35 and $30. Children 2 and under ride free, reservations are recommended because tours often sell out, and one boat in the nine-boat fleet is wheelchair accessible. Pets are not allowed aboard.

Glass-bottom boats guide →

Paddling Adventures, part of the park concessionaire Cape Leisure, rents single and tandem kayaks, clear tandem kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards at the main entrance, first come, first served, starting at 8 a.m., according to Florida State Parks. The state fee page lists a single kayak at $30 for the first hour and $45 for two hours, a stand-up paddleboard at $35 and $50, and a tandem kayak at $50 and $65. Florida State Parks describes two routes: the 1.1-mile round-trip Fort King paddling trail around Ross Allen Island (one to two hours), and a 5-mile paddle downriver to Ray Wayside Park, which the concessionaire sells from $65 for a single kayak with a return shuttle. Visitors bringing their own boat pay a $4 launch fee plus admission.

Silver Springs kayaking guide →Kayaking near Ocala →

The Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center is a program of Marion County Public Schools inside the park at 1445 NE 58th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34470. Its own website lists Saturday and Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Florida State Parks lists admission at $2 per person. Visitors enter from Baseline Road, not the main entrance. Exhibits cover the geology, paleontology and archaeology of north-central Florida, plus Marion County and Florida history, including steamboats and Silver Springs. The museum's events calendar lists the Ocali Country Days Festival on November 7 and 8, 2026 ($10), and the Silver River Knap-In and Prehistoric Arts Festival on February 20, 2027 ($10).

Across from the museum, the Pioneer Village is a replica 19th-century settlement of cabins and outbuildings. Florida State Parks says it is open for exploration on weekends, and the concessionaire's Pioneer Village page lists free public tours (with regular park admission) on the second and fourth Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon, from October through April.

Silver River Museum guide →

Florida State Parks lists a Silver Trail and four marked loops. Park alerts on October 29, 2026 say the new trail system is ready and all trails are open, and that the Sea Hunt Deck has been closed since October 23, 2025.

• Silver Trail: Starts at the main entrance, connects every entrance of the park and crosses a boardwalk through the swamp
• Mesic Loop (purple): 2 miles through pine forest and oak hammock
• Sandhill Loop (yellow): 1.3 miles through longleaf pine uplands, with parking by the ranger station
• Flatwoods Loop (green): 2.3 miles, entered through the archway left of the Silver River Museum
• River Loop (dark blue): 1 mile from the museum to an overlook of the Silver River

The park has 4.5 miles of dedicated off-road bicycle trail, and mountain bikes may also use about 10 miles of hiking trail. The equestrian trailhead is on State Road 40 near State Road 326, 1.3 miles east of the main entrance, and opens at 8 a.m. Frequent upland sightings include deer, wild turkey, Sherman's fox squirrels and gopher tortoises.

The campground has 59 sites in two loops with water and electric hookups and a maximum RV length of 50 feet, plus 10 vacation cabins that sleep up to six, per Florida State Parks. Campsites list at $24 a night and cabins at $110 a night with a two-night minimum, before tax, a $6.70 reservation fee and a $7 nightly utility fee for cabins and RV sites. Reservations are made through the state reservation system or at 800-326-3521. Well-behaved pets are allowed in the campground but not in the cabins.

Silver Springs camping guide →

Florida State Parks lists paved sidewalks along the river and five garden areas at the main entrance: the rock, camellia, Osceola, reflection and wildflower gardens. The Twin Oaks Mansion Amphitheater and Ross Allen Amphitheater host shows announced on the park's events page. The Spring Side Cafe, a counter-service restaurant and bar, is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. per the state (the concessionaire lists 6:30 p.m.), and Paradise Treats sells ice cream, coffee, baked goods and pizza. Picnics are welcome, and alcoholic beverages may not be brought into the park.

The concessionaire's wildlife page says the river is home to alligators, turtles, manatees and many fish, and that the park has a significant population of limpkins. Wild rhesus macaques have lived along the Silver River since 1938, according to the Silver River Museum's collection notes. Visitors are asked not to feed any wildlife.

Silver River monkeys →Manatees at Silver Springs →

Ray Wayside Park is a Marion County park at 9564 NE 28th Lane, Silver Springs, FL 34488. The county's park directory says the state-owned land has been leased to and managed by the county since 1976, and lists boat ramps, bank fishing, volleyball, a playground, a picnic pavilion and restrooms, open sunrise to sunset at $7 per vehicle. Florida State Parks notes that the state park has no motorboat launch and that a launch is available at Ray Wayside, about 5 miles downstream from the head spring. Phone: 352-671-8560.

Ray Wayside Park guide →

The Appleton Museum of Art, part of the College of Central Florida, is at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL 34470, and holds more than 24,000 objects. Its visit page lists hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (closed Monday), with admission of $10 for adults and $5 for ages 6 to 17; children 5 and under are free.

Appleton Museum guide →