Silver Springs · Silver River · Florida state park
Silver Springs State Park
Ride a glass-bottom boat over one of America’s largest springs, paddle the clear Silver River past turtles and wild monkeys, and walk the grounds of one of Florida’s oldest tourist attractions, just east of Ocala.
Opens the park concession’s glass-bottom boat page. Tours often sell out, so book ahead and arrive 30 minutes early.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Florida state park
Glass-bottom boats, paddling, trails and a museum
Admission
$2–$8 entry
Boat tours from $17 extra; annual pass accepted
Hours
8 am to sundown
Open 365 days a year
Time needed
30 or 90 min boat
Allow 1–2 hours more to paddle or walk
Parking
Day-use lots
No RV limits posted; call ahead
River length
5 miles
The whole Silver River is inside the park
What you’ll see
Glass-bottom boats over a giant spring
Most visitors come for the boats, then stay to paddle the river, walk the gardens and look for alligators, turtles and the park’s famous monkeys.
Photo: Michael Hamments on Unsplash
Start here
The glass-bottom boat tours
Boats leave from the main entrance on State Road 40. The 30-minute tour glides over the springs at the head of the river, and the 90-minute extended tour runs farther downriver. Adults pay $17 for the short tour and $35 for the long one; seniors 55+ and children 3–12 pay $15 and $30, and children 2 and under ride free.
RV tip: book online, then be at the dock at least 30 minutes before your departure. Pets can’t ride the boats, and one boat in the fleet of nine, the Chief Potackee, is wheelchair accessible.
More to see
- Paddle the Silver RiverRent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard at the main entrance from $30 an hour, or paddle 5 miles downstream to Ray Wayside Park with the return shuttle included ($65 for a single kayak). Pets aren’t allowed on rentals.
- Wild monkeys and manateesRhesus macaques have lived along the river since a tour-boat operator released them in the late 1930s. Manatees visit in the cooler months; the Ocala/Marion County visitors bureau says November to March is best.
- Silver River Museum and Cracker VillageAt the camping entrance on SR 35: a natural- and cultural-history museum ($2, weekends 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and a pioneer village of 1800s Florida buildings, open on weekends.
- Trails and gardensLoops of 1 to 2.3 miles through sandhill and flatwoods and along the river, plus 4.5 miles of dedicated mountain-bike trail. Leashed pets are welcome on the trails.
Why go
Old Florida’s famous springs, now a state park
People have been drawn to this river for at least 10,000 years. Glass-bottom boats began here in the late 1870s, when Hullam Jones fixed a piece of glass to the bottom of a rowboat, and for most of the 20th century Silver Springs was a private attraction where Hollywood filmed Tarzan movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon and episodes of Sea Hunt.
The state took over the attraction in 2013 and joined it with the neighboring Silver River State Park. Today the park covers almost 5,000 acres and protects the whole 5-mile Silver River. For RVers it is an easy day trip just east of downtown Ocala on SR 40, and there is a state park campground at the park’s second entrance.
Come in the cooler months for the best chance at manatees, and on a weekend if you want the museum and Cracker Village open. The park opens at 8 a.m. every day of the year.
Photo: P. Hughes on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Why it made our list
- Glass-bottom boats over one of America’s largest springs
- The whole 5-mile Silver River inside the park
- Wild rhesus monkeys, turtles and alligators
- A state park campground at the second entrance
- Open 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year
For RVers
Visiting Silver Springs with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Pick the right entrance
The glass-bottom boats, rentals and restaurant are at the main entrance, 5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd. (SR 40). The campground, museum and Cracker Village are at the camping entrance, 1425 NE 58th Ave. on SR 35. The concession says one entrance fee covers all entrances, so keep your receipt.
Parking a bigger rig
The park doesn’t publish size limits for its day-use lots. If you’re driving a motorhome or towing, call the park at (352) 236-7149 before you go, or come over in the tow vehicle. The park’s own campground takes RVs up to 50 feet if you’d rather stay inside the park.
Pets on the trails, not the boats
Leashed pets are welcome in the campground, the picnic area and on the hiking trails. They are not allowed on the glass-bottom boats, on rental boats or in buildings. Service animals are welcome throughout the park.
No swimming, drones or fishing
Swimming isn’t allowed at Silver Springs, and neither are drones or fishing; alcohol isn’t allowed on the river. If you bring your own kayak, the launch fee is $4 and motorized boats can’t use the ramp.
What visitors say about Silver Springs State Park
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 25–28, 2026.
Experience glass bottom boats over America’s largest spring
Florida State Parks, describing the park · floridastateparks.org
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Google’s review topics
KayakingMonkeysManatees
Google’s review topics put kayaking first (1,459 reviews), then the monkeys (823), manatees (790) and wildlife viewing (717). On Yelp, the glass-bottom boat tours come up in 41 reviews. Checked October 25 and 28, 2026.
What the main activities cost
Adult prices from Florida State Parks’ fee page, checked October 25, 2026. Seniors 55+ and kids 3–12 pay less on the boats, and park entry is separate.
Good to know
Park entry$8 per vehicle, 2–8 people
Main gate walk-in$2 per person
Glass-bottom boats$17–$35 adults
Your entry coversAll entrancesTrails and gardensAnnual pass accepted
Fees from Florida State Parks and the park concession (silversprings.com), checked October 25, 2026. The state lists $8 per vehicle; the concession says the SR 40 main gate charges $2 per person, with children 5 and under free. Boat tours, rentals and the Silver River Museum ($2) cost extra.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Silver Springs State Park
- Address5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Silver Springs, FL 34488
- Hours8 am to sundown
Open 365 days a year - Phone(352) 236-7149
- Boat toursBook online or at the ticket booth
- Getting thereFrom I-75 Exit 352, take SR 40 (Silver Springs Blvd.) east through Ocala to the main entrance. For the campground and museum, use the camping entrance on SR 35 (Baseline Road), south of SR 40.
- ParkingDay-use parking at each entrance; the park posts no RV size limits. The equestrian entrance is on SR 40, east of the main gate.
Boat schedules can change with the weather, and tours sell out. Check the park’s alerts and the concession’s booking page before you go; the Sea Hunt Deck has been closed since October 2025.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Silver Springs State Park
These are the Ocala-area parks we have visited and written up, closest first. The state park campground is inside Silver Springs itself, at the camping entrance on SR 35.
Wilderness RV Resort
An owner-lot resort off SR 40 near the Ocklawaha River, with a pool, a fishing pond and a nature trail.
Silver Springs State Park Campground
A wooded campground inside the state park with 59 water-and-electric sites, at the camping entrance on SR 35.
Wild Frontier RV Resort
An oak-shaded park on Ocala’s north side with a heated pool, a lodge-style clubhouse and a big dog park.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
8 am to sundown · 365 days a year
Ready to look through the glass?
Book a boat online, get to the dock 30 minutes early, and save time for a paddle on the Silver River.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Michael Hamments on Unsplash (kayaks), Michael Rivera (glass-bottom boat; CC0), Ebyabe (monkeys; CC BY-SA 2.5), P. Hughes (the Silver River; CC BY-SA 4.0) and Jackdude101 (glass-bottom boats; CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons, Mjrmtg (boardwalk; CC0) and Florida State Parks (Cracker Village); the images were resized. Video: To Go Is To Know on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Silver Springs State Park unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Florida State Parks’ published materials, the park concession’s pages and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the park and its concession and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Silver Springs State Park at floridastateparks.org or (352) 236-7149. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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