The last uninhabited crystal-clear river in Florida.
The Setting
In the 1820s, Indian Agent Gad Humphries arrived at nearby Fort King and named Silver Springs. The springs soon became a tourist attraction for adventurous visitors who poled their way along the narrow stream through overhanging cypress and Spanish moss.
With the invention of the paddlewheel, Silver River and Springs became a major distribution center for Central Florida. Plantations growing vegetables, tobacco and oranges sprang up along the banks as nearby Ocala grew.
In the late 1870s, an inventive young man named Phillip Morrell fixed a piece of glass in the bottom of a rowboat and a new enterprise began. Silver River’s glass-bottom boat tours have been world famous for more than 100 years.
The Facility
Silver River’s campground has 59 large sites, all with water and electricity. Many pull-through sites accommodate the most luxurious rigs. Ten modern cabins, each with two bedrooms, fully equipped kitchen, living room with gas fireplace, central heat and air and large screened porches nestle in wooded sites.
Each site includes a picnic table and grill. The campsites share restroom and hot water shower facilities. A centralized dump station is available. Two sites are wheelchair accessible.
Camping Tips
• Pets are allowed in the campground, but not in the cabins. Inquire about restrictions when you make your reservations.
• Firewood can be purchased at the park.
Park Features
Silver River State Park is a 5,000-acre wooded park that encompasses all but the headsprings of the world-famous Silver River. Canoes and kayaks glide along the transparent river with nothing but wild Florida along its banks. Hiking, biking, camping and staying in cabins are favorite pastimes in this diverse and beautiful park.
The Marion County School District’s Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center, an outstanding natural & cultural history museum located in the park, is open on weekends and holidays. There is a fee for the museum. Near the museum is a reconstructed “cracker village,” including houses, a church/ school, a smithy and a cane syrup boiler. The park hosts an annual event, Ocali Country Days, the second weekend of November. The cracker village is open and staffed by historical interpreters and vendors, demonstrating life in pioneer Florida. Other programs include stargazing parties, cracker village tours and monthly birdwalks.
Three picnic pavilions, open-air picnic tables, grills and a playground are available. The park has more than 14 miles of walking, bicycling trails and a canoe/kayak launch.
Location
Silver River State Park
1425 N.E. 58th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34470
(352) 236-7150
Learn
more about this park and book your reservation
online 
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