Another beautiful morning at Juniper Springs. It's great camping here because you can explore before the park opens up to the public. I like to head to Fern Hammock Springs early to see what critters are enjoying the spring while it's nice and quiet. Yesterday I saw an alligator, today I found an otter!
Today's adventure is Silver Springs, just outside of the Ocala National Forest. It used to be a theme park (one of Florida's first) and now it is a Florida State Park. You might remember their famous glass bottomed boats - we'll be paddling along those same routes on our stand up paddleboards. If you don't have a canoe or kayak, you can rent them at the park, or explore the Silver River aboard a glass bottomed boat ($11 for adults).
We decided to launch from Silver Springs State Park ($8 per vehicle admission) and do a one way paddle down the Silver River. We dropped off our truck at Ray Wayside Park ($5 entry fee) so we would have a ride back to our vehicles.
The Silver River paddle was by far one of the most beautiful we've ever experienced. The crystal clear water and abundant wildlife makes this stretch of water extra special.
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