When you think of Florida, you might picture beaches and palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. (I know I did!) But did you know that inland Florida holds some treasures that can rival the beauty of the beaches? One of our favorite of these inland gems is Silver Springs State Park. The freshwater bubbles up from the ground and forms an amazingly clear waterway.
Kayaking at Silver Springs State Park
One of the favorite ways we have found to get out onto the water since moving to Florida has been to explore on our kayaks. Getting out onto the water on kayaks is such a peaceful experience and lets you really get immersed in nature. You’re able to meander among the waterways, it’s quiet, and you can each have a little bit of independence as you explore. We have a kayak for each of us. We have visited Silver Springs State Park a couple of times, and both times we brought our kayaks down with us, and then rented kayaks for the guests with us.
If you bring your own kayaks to launch at the state park, you can put your kayaks in at the same place that you’ll rent kayaks. This makes it really easy if some of you are renting, and some are bringing their own. Note though, that you’ll be carrying your kayaks a little ways from where you drop off. You don’t pull up directly to the boat launch. We have a cart for our kayaks that makes this process a lot easier! We have chosen to park at the State Park, and get the shuttle back from Ray Wayside Park. Doing it this way makes it a really easy paddle, as you’ll be floating along with the current the whole way. Just note though what time the last shuttle runs, or you’ll be figuring out a different way to get back! We take the shuttle back from Ray Wayside Park to the State Park and then drive back to pick up our kayaks at the end of the day.
The distance between the launch at Silver Springs State Park and Ray Wayside Park is 5 miles. There is one place to stop in the middle at the 2 mile mark. There is a port-o-potty there if someone needs to make a bathroom stop! This is where we usually stop and have the sandwiches we packed for the trip.
Our Kayak Gear
Here is a quick list of the gear we like to pack for our trips:
- Kayaks- we have two Vibe Shearwater kayaks, and two Lifetime kayaks (both types are sit on top type)
- Paddles- we have Bending Branches brand oars for the Vibe kayaks. The Lifetime kayaks came with their own oars
- Life jackets– we have upgraded our first set of life jackets to ones that are made for kayaking. They’re definitely more comfortable than a standard life jacket when you’re trying to paddle for a long time
- Go Pro– having a camera that can get wet makes it so much easier to capture our adventures!!
- Cell phone protectors on a lanyard– because I really don’t want to dive in after my phone if I can help it!
- Water bottles
- Sunscreen
- Hats
- Cooler with a packed lunch and snacks (we love to pack a container with cut up apples with cinnamon on them). Make sure you leave no trace!
- Dry bags to keep your things (like keys) from getting wet (we use some ziplock bags to put things in too!
- A splash proof bag to easily access things you might need while you’re out on the water! (But that the drips from your oars won’t bother!) We love the whole line from Marloru Bags! I have the Sunday Bag!
The Wildlife along the Silver River
If you enjoy getting up close and personal with wildlife, kayaking down the river is a great way to do it. As you float along on top of the crystal clear waters, you can see straight to the bottom to sandy or rocky river bottoms. There are more than one places that the fresh spring water comes up from the ground and you can see those as you travel along as well. The grasses growing along the bottom of the river sometimes have fish swimming among them…. And sometimes…. You’ll see manatees floating along! It is so exciting every time we see one! The first time we visited, we saw 11 manatees and then next time we visited, we saw 6! During the second visit, there was a mother and baby manatee in a little bay area. Some other people were already in the area and said the baby was really curious. When we went into the area, the baby came right up to my son’s kayak to check him out! Their little noses sticking up out of the water are the cutest thing to see!
Other wildlife that are plentiful along the waterways are fish, turtles, and alligators! Many different types of birds are living along the water, including herons, egrets, ducks, and anhingas! For a bird nerd like me, these are also really exciting to spot! Floating along quietly on kayaks is such a great opportunity to get fairly close to wildlife in their natural habitat.
We’ve been told… but haven’t seen ourselves…. That there are monkeys along the banks of the Silver River! The stories we have heard were that monkeys got loose from a movie set a long time ago, and now they live along the river, or maybe they got loose from some kind of zoo. They are able to survive here in Florida, and so you just might get a glimpse of the Macaques that live along the river! So far though, we haven’t been lucky enough to see them!
The Real Florida
As you plan your next Florida trip, I know the beaches and the theme parks are a major draw (as they should be!), but if you have time for a little bit different type of adventure, take a look at some of Florida’s State Parks and natural springs. There are so many around the state, and I’ve been impressed with every single one that we have visited! I promise you won’t regret it!
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