This story is part of our weekly Hidden Gems feature series as the USA TODAY Network – Florida takes readers around the state to highlight some of our most interesting attractions.
SILVER SPRINGS — Xiaoqian Huang’s recent trip from Beijing to Florida included a visit to Silver Springs State Park outside Ocala.
“Beautiful,” is how he will describe the roughly 5,000-acre Florida state park to his friends following the long flight home.
Xiaoqian Huang and his wife, Ying, were in Florida to visit their daughter Kelly Arnold and her husband, Jacob, of Orlando. All four visited the state park together.
“You can’t beat nature,” said Jacob Arnold, 29, a software engineer.
Jacob and Kelly enjoyed a 90-minute kayak ride before the family, including their dog, Moose, gathered for lunch at the Springside Cafe.
With a $2 basic admission cost and glass-bottom boat rides ranging from $14 to $30 per person, a family of four can enjoy a day’s outing for about the cost of parking and a single one-day admission ticket to an Orlando theme park.
Gisli Bjornson from Iceland paddle boards around the head springs at Silver Springs State Park Tuesday because he wanted the see the clear spring water and possibly a manatee as hundreds of people visited Silver Springs State Park Tuesday December 31, 2024. Silver Springs State Park has become a destination place and people from all over the world are traveling to see Manatee, kayak, hike and ride the historic glass bottom boats. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2024
A big hit in pre-Disney Florida
The rides over crystal clear water began with a rowboat in 1870. In 1924, when Carl Ray & Col. W.M. Davidson acquired rights, gas-powered boats were added as tourist accommodations continued to be enhanced, according to silversprings.com.
According to the website, zoological exhibits including displays by famed snake expert Ross Allen were added to the offerings. By the 1950s, under the ownership of Ray & Davidson, the Silver Springs Tourist Center was established. The shops and boat dock are still in use today, the website states.
ABC purchased the attraction in 1962 and the location prospered in pre-Disney Florida. But in the 1970s the state’s new mega attractions “led to a steady decline in Silver Springs’ attendance,” according to silversprings.com
The website indicates the condition of the springs itself started suffering from the growth of brown algae due to nitrates from septic systems and fertilizers. In 2013 the Florida Park Service took over the property and combined the attraction area with the adjoining Silver River State Park, which has offerings including a museum. Now it’s all known as Silver Springs State Park.
Kayakers paddle past a glass-bottom boat at Silver Springs State Park on Jan. 2.
What makes Silver Springs State Park special?
The iconic glass-bottom boats still travel on the Silver River and allow visitors “to experience breathtaking views of the underwater life, ancient Native American and Spanish artifacts, and underwater props from when the park was used for Hollywood productions,” according to FloridaStateParks.org. A wheelchair-accessible boat was added to the glass-bottom boat fleet in 2021.
There is an extra fee for the boat rides, and reservations are recommended. See information at the bottom of this story.
If you prefer to be more active, the leashed-pet friendly park offers kayaking on the crystal clear Silver River. Walkers can enjoy nature trails, ranging from the 8/10ths-of-a-mile Old Field Loop to the 4.5-mile Historic Trail. Rental kayaks and paddleboards are available. An equestrian trail and bicycle trails also are among the state park’s offerings.
If you like show business history, this park is for you. The Silver Springs attraction has hosted filmmakers since the 1930s. Six Tarzan movies, the James Bond movie “Moonraker,” “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and the “Sea Hunt” TV show with Lloyd Bridges were filmed there.
The Welcome Center, adjacent to the springhead and glass-bottom boat dock, offers food at the Springside Cafe, ice cream treats at the Paradise Ice Cream shop, and historic and educational displays about the springs.
When to go and how to plan
Silver Springs State Park is all outdoors, so be mindful of the weather forecast. The park is located at 1425 NE 58th Ave., known as Baseline Road locally. The park also can be accessed from nearby State Road 40 East. The park is open 8 a.m. to sundown 365 days per year.
The entrance fee is $2 per person. There is a $4 per vessel launch fee for personal canoe or kayak. Glass-bottom boat rides are 30 or 90 minutes. Reservations are recommended. The fee for the 30-minute ride is $15 for adults, and it’s $30 for the 90-minute version. The fee schedule, reservation information and more at https://silversprings.com/plan-your-day/glass-bottom-boats/
Learn more at SilverSprings.com and https://www.floridastateparks.org/silversprings
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Silver Springs State Park offers ‘breathtaking’ underwater views
