Silver River Overview

The Silver River is a 5.5 mile spring-fed river located about 6 miles East of Ocala in Marion County, Fl. Silver Springs, a state park, is the main 1st magnitude spring and source of flow to the Silver River, discharging over 500 million gallons of water a day! The main spring is roughly 130 feet across and about 35′ deep at the entrance. In addition to the main spring there are several other springs in this basin, located along the river, that all add to the flow. The water is clear for a good portion of the river and numerous fish and turtles can be seen while paddling. The springs receive groundwater from a spring shed of roughly 1,360 square miles. Over the years the flow rate has been decreasing and the spring is now considered one of the most endangered large springs in Florida. Land on both sides of the river is managed by Silver Springs State Park. The park consists of over 5000 acres. The Silver River is designated as an outstanding Florida Waterway

The Silver river is rich with wildlife, to include numerous varieties of Turtles, Ospreys, Anhingas, Cormorants and Alligators among others. The Rhesus monkeys are predominant along the shoreline. You can see photos of all these below.

Silver River | Rhesus Monkeys | Flora & Fauna | Below the Surface – Springs & Shipwrecks

Silver River Details

Location: 6 miles East of Ocala, Fl…see map below.

Launch points: There is a launch inside the state park with a park entrance fee as well as a launch fee totaling $6.00. There is also a launch near the end of the river at Ray’s Wayside Park with a $5.00 entrance fee, though you do have to paddle upstream to reach the main spring source.

Paddle Distance: The river is 5.5 miles from the main spring to Rays Wayside Park and about 6 miles to continue further to the Ocklawaha River.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate. The river is open with a nice flow. I say moderate only if you are paddling upstream against the current.

Average Paddle Time: On this particular trip we paddled from the head spring to Ray’s Wayside Park and it took us about 2.5 hours, which included a stop for a snack and break in between.

Width and Depth: Once past the main Spring the river has a varied width from 75′ to 200′ with little overhead canopy the first mile except along the shorelines. As the river continues and becomes less wide the canopy is more prevalent. The river is anywhere from 6′ – 30′ deep with deeper pools where springs vent into the river.

Current – Tidal: The flow is approximately 3.5 mph going downstream. Not tidal.

Side Paddles: There are no side paddles along the river unless you decide to continue on into the Ocklawaha River.

Rest Areas: There is a main rest area with bathrooms located approximately 2.3 miles downstream in the bend of the river and very visible. If you miss this it is still possible to get on shore in several other locations in an emergency however landing in the park is prohibited outside of the above mentioned rest area.

Silver River Paddle Map

Fort King Waterway

From the moment of launch inside the park I’m already in for a treat! The water is clear, fish are visible underneath the kayak, the air is cool and the journey begins. At the start there is a decision to be made. About 500′ ahead, just before a beautiful wooden bridge, there is the option to continue straight ahead to reach the main head spring area. This is the park’s main attraction and the ‘marina’ where the glass-bottomed boats begin their tours. Having paddled on the river often I usually alternate between going ahead to the main spring or taking a right and paddling the Fort King Waterway.

The Fort King Waterway flows parallel to the Silver River and enters the river 3/4 mile downstream. The waterway provides a nice canopy overhead with numerous trees arching the waterway and is a pleasant paddle. Numerous fish and turtles can be seen in the clear waters. This waterway was once part of the Jungle Cruise attraction at Silver Springs, with remnants of a replica of Fort King and a village. One half mile into this waterway tucked in a bend is a sunken boat and fallen palm tree. It is almost always inhabited by turtles and gators. Also, on any given day, the Rhesus monkeys can be seen on a stretch of this waterway as it nears the main river. As the waterway enters the main Silver River the flow increases somewhat and a nice leisurely paddle is in store for the next several miles.

I shot a pilot video on Fort King Waterway to test my new GoPro underwater extension bar. It came out a bit jerky in spots but shows a lot of potential.

[video_lightbox_youtube video_id=”s8gZBZmefzE” width=”640″ height=”480″ anchor=”You can view that video here.”]

The Silver River

Paddling the Silver river is always a treat. For me it’s a classic example of a ‘jungle-like’ Florida river. The river width, anywhere from 75′ to 200′ is small enough to keep me interacted with both shorelines, which are lined with an assortment of tall trees, medium height shrubs and water vegetation.

Above and below the surface, the Silver River offers a variety of paddling pleasures. As the gentle 3 mph current guides me downstream the abundant wildlife becomes quickly apparent. Cormorants and Anhingas are constant paddle companions, flying over the surface or diving deep below. Along the shoreline there are numerous Egrets, Herons, Ibis and wood Ducks to be observed. Turtles and alligators are in no short supply on the Silver River and this paddle is no different. While usually quite visible, a keen eye will locate many gators with only the eyes and a small portion of there backs visible through the duck weed.

Rhesus Monkeys

Of course what’s a paddle on the Silver River without seeing the Rhesus monkeys! There have only been a few paddles where the monkeys were not viewed, however on this trip they were numerous. Playing in trees and roaming the shoreline, the monkeys can show up just about anywhere along the river. They are quite curious as am I and I make sure to stay just out of reach but within good photography range.

Silver River Flora

Trees: Trees along the river create a jungle-like atmoshphere – Bald Cypress – Taxodium distichum, Cabbage Palm – Sabal Palmetto, Swamp Bay – Persea palustris, Loblolly Bay – Gordonia lasianthus, Dahoon Holly – Ilex cassine, American Sweetgum – Liquidambar styraciflua, Red Maple – Acer rubrum, Carolina Ash – Fraxinus caroliniana.

Shrubs, Grasses, Aquatic and Flowering Plants: The under growth was rich with Sawgrass – Cladium jamaicense, Needlerush – Juncus roemarianus, Lizard’s Tail – Saururus cernuus, False Indigo Bush – Amorpha fruticosa, Broadleaf Arrowroot – Sagittaria latifolia, Bartram’s Airplant – Tillandsia bartramii , Pickerelweed – Pontedaria cordata , Spotted Water Hemlock – Cicuta maculata, Elderberry – Sambucus canadensis, Wild taro – Colocasia esculenta, Elliott’s Aster – Symphyotrichum elliottii, Blue Flag Iris– Iris viginica, Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis , Swamp Rose – Rosa Palustris, Duckweed – Lemna valdiviana, American Eelgrass – Vallisneria americana, Hydrilla – Hydrilla verticillata, Maiden Cane – Panicum hemitomon, Spadderdock – Nuphar advena, Water Hyacinth – Eichhornia crassipes, Marsh Pennywort – Hydrocotyle umbellata and Water Lettuce – Pistia stratiotes.

Trees, Shrubs, Grasses, Aquatic and Flowering Plants – Gallery

Carolina Ash - Fraxinus caroliniana — Carolina Ash – Fraxinus caroliniana

Dahoon-Holly-Ilex-cassine — Dahoon Holly – Ilex cassine

Swamp Bay - Persea palustris — Swamp Bay Blossom – Persea palustris

Sweet Gum - Liquidambar styraciflua — Sweet Gum

Broadleaf Arrowhead - Sagittaria latifolia — Broadleaf Arrowhead – Sagittaria latifolia

Blue Flag Iris - Iris viginica — Blue Flag Iris

Elliott's Aster - Symphyotrichum elliottii — Elliott’s Aster – Symphyotrichum elliottii

Floating Primrose Willow - Ludwigia peploides — Floating Primrose

Sawgrass - Cladium jamaicense — Sawgrass – Cladium jamaicense

Swamp Rose - Rosa palustris — Swamp Rose – Rosa palustris

Water Hemlock - Cicuta maculata — Water Hemlock

Water Hyacinth - Eichhornia crassipes — Water Hyacinth – Eichhornia crassipes

Cardinal Flower - Lobelia cardinalis — Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis

Pickerel Weed - Pontederia cordata — Pickerel Weed – Pontederia cordata

Water Lettuce - Pistia stratiotes — Water Lettuce – Pistia stratiotes

Spadderdock - Nuphar advena — Spadderdock – Nuphar advena

Willow Primrose - rufino-osorio — Willow Primrose – Rufino osorio

Lizards-Tail-Saururus-cernuus — Lizards Tail – Saururus cernuus

Virginia Willow - Itea virginica — Virginia Willow – Itea virginica

False-Indigo-Bush-Amorpha-fruticosa — False Indigo Bush – Amorpha fruticosa

Bartram's Airplant - Tillandsia bartramii — Bartram’s Airplant – Tillandsia bartramii

Water Hemlock, Pickerel Weed and Cardinal Flowers

Scarlet Rose Mallow - Hibiscus coccineus — Scarlet Rose Mallow – Hibiscus coccineus

Resurection Fern - Pleopeltis polypodioides — Resurrection Fern – Pleopeltis polypodioides

American Alligator - Alligator mississippiensis — American Alligator – Alligator mississippiensis

Anhinga in Nest - Silver River — Anhinga in Nest – Silver River

Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea — Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea

Silver River Fauna

The Silver River is abundant with wildlife. On a good day you’ll get to see an assortment of river birds, plenty of turtles and alligators, manatees, wild hogs, a wide assortment of fish as well as the Rhesus monkeys…

Silver River Wildlife Gallery

American White Ibis - Eudocimus albus — American White Ibis – Eudocimus albus

Blue Gill - Lepomis macrochirus — Blue Gill – Lepomis macrochirus

Blue Heron - Ardea herodias — Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias

Cormerant - Phalacrocorax — Cormerant – Phalacrocorax

Florida Cooter - Pseudemys floridana — Florida Cooter – Pseudemys floridana

Green Heron - Butorides virescens — Green Heron – Butorides virescens

Limpkin - Aramus guarauna — Limpkin – Aramus guarauna

North American River Otter - Lontra canadensis — North American River Otter – Lontra canadensis

Striped Mullet - Mugil cephalus — Striped Mullet – Mugil cephalus

Tricolored Heron - Egretta tricolor — Young Blue Heron

Wild Pig - Sus scrofa — Wild Pig – Sus scrofa

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa — Wood Duck – Aix sponsa

Silver River Gallery

Florida Paddle Notes on the Silver River

Alligator Liliy - Silver River — Alligator Lily – Hymenocallis palmeri

Three Cormorants - Silver River — Three Cormorants – Silver River

The Three Cormorants on the Silver River

Blue Heron - Silver River — Blue Heron – Silver River

Florida Gar and Mullet in the Silver River

Below the Surface

Below the surface, the eel grass waves with the current as my kayak drifts over patches of vegetation and open sandy areas with lime rock. The fish are abundant underneath and the water is rich blue reflecting off the bottom.

The Silver River is famous for many things, among which are the numerous springs that feed the river, the abundant wildlife, diverse flora, artifacts, and shipwrecks. Unless you have had the opportunity to enjoy a tour on one of the several glass bottom tour boats, these underwater sights often go unnoticed and unseen as we paddle the surface of this beautiful, scenic river.

Florida Paddle Notes made several trips on the Silver River in late April and early May, for the purpose of discovering what lies below the surface. One of those trips was a tour on a glass-bottomed boat in order to visually see where these underwater artifacts actually were. The other two trips were kayak paddles to visit these locations and photograph them. So many times over the years I have paddled the Silver River and paddled completely over these locations never knowing what was below the surface.

Map of the Springs, ‘Shipwrecks’ & Artifacts on the Silver River

Silver River Springs, Shipwrecks and Artifacts

The Springs

The Silver River is fed by springs from 6 Tributary Spring Basins. The main head spring is a 1st Magnitude Spring discharging over 500 million gallons of water a day! Over 30 springs are located in these 6 basins just in the first mile from the head spring. Exact locations and information for each individual spring can be found on the above map and link to the interactive map. Other springs locator maps can be found at Florida Spring Life, Florida Springs, and Florida Springs Map.

The Abyss - Reception Hall Spring — The Abyss – Reception Hall Spring

The Devil's Kitchen — The Devil’s Kitchen

First Fisherman's Paradise — First Fisherman’s Paradise

Florida Snowstorm - Ladies Parlor Spring — Florida Snowstorm – Ladies Parlor Spring

Spring of Life - Geyser Spring — Spring of Life – Geyser Spring

The Abyss - Florida Snowstorm — The Abyss – Florida Snowstorm

The Greek Statues

Often when launching inside Silver Springs State Park, many paddlers take a scenic tour on Fort King Waterway, a waterway that runs parallel to the Silver River, entering the river 3/4 mile downstream. 500′ north from the launch, on RR is the entrance to Fort King Waterway. When paddlers take this scenic route, once part of the Jungle Cruise attraction at Silver Springs, they continue on down river. The majority of the springs, ‘shipwrecks and ‘artifacts’ are in the section of the Silver River that the Fort King Highway bypasses.

Instead of entering the Fort King Waterway, paddle straight, under the bridge, toward the head spring and it is here where the Greek Statues are located. The statues are actually props from the old TV series ‘I Spy‘ starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. The props were left and over the years were covered with algae, until a newly formed dive team, hired to clean the bottom of the glass-bottomed boats, also cleaned the statues, now visible. The statues are just West of the main head spring, below a ledge in the limerock. I saw these for the very first time after years of paddling the Silver River.

The Shipwrecks

There are 6 ‘shipwrecks’ along the Silver River, though the term shipwreck is used loosely here. One, an old Indian dugout canoe, a couple of burned steamboats, an early glass-bottomed rowboat and a movie prop from the film Don’t Give up the Ship, starring Jerry Lewis. Most lie in the first mile of the river, while what is known as Shipwreck #1, an old steamboat, is near the 4.5 mile marker further down river. This post covers the first five in order from the head spring…

#1 – Steamboat or Glass Bottom Boat Ruins

Steamboat Wreckage # 1 — Steamboat or Glass Bottom Boat Wreckage on the Silver River

The first of the several ‘wrecks’ along the Silver River is visible in the shallow water 0.12 miles from the head spring. In a cove, on river right, where several springs are located, this wreckage can be seen between the Spring of the Stars and Devil’s Kitchen B at the approximate coordinates of 29.21502°, -82.05167°

#2 – The Dugout Canoe

Dugout Canoe in the Silver River — Dugout Canoe ( middle right ) in the Silver River

Just short of 1/4 mile down from the head spring, also in a cove on river right is an old dugout canoe. This canoe is near Silver Spring #3 – Geyser Spring located at coordinates 29.21541°, -82.05014°

This dugout can be seen very clearly on the white sandy bottom.

#3 – Steamboat Ruins

Near Side of an 1890's Paddlewheel Steamboat — Near Side of an 1890’s Paddlewheel Steamboat

At mile 0.28, there is a cove on river left and the location of Silver Spring #4 also known as Cypress Spring/Christmas Tree Spring. Here is the location of two wrecks…one, an old 1890’s Paddlewheel Steamboat. This vessel caught fire while docked at the head spring and was guided away where it burned and settled in this cove. What is visible is the near side of it’s hull, located at coordinates 29°12’58.59″N, 82° 2’57.42″W.

This one is tricky to see and to know what you are looking at. The tour guide on my first trip provided helpful information for my paddle to it.

#4 – Glass bottomed Rowboat

Spanish Row Boat in the Silver River — Glass Bottomed Row Boat in the Silver River

Also at mile 0.28, in the same cove as the steamboat ruins, is the ruins of an old glass bottom rowboat. Previously this was thought to be a 1700’s Spanish rowboat but speaking to park officials they now know this is one of the original glass bottom rowboats introduced in 1877 by Hullam Jones and Phillip Morrell. The row boat was fitted with a glass box to allow clear viewing of the springs and fish along the Silver River.

The rowboat is easily found as it lies below a large cypress tree below the surface. The cove is shady and it helps to have a sunny day for best viewing. 29.21622°, -82.04927°

****There is question about this vessel actually having a glass box in the bottom*****

#5 – Metal Hull Movie Prop

Prop from the movie Don't Give up the Ship — Film prop from the movie Don’t Give up the Ship

The last of the ‘wrecks’ covered here is found at mile 0.62, coordinates 29.21542°, -82.04393°

This is a metal hulled movie prop used in the filming of Don’t Give up the Ship, starring Jerry Lewis.. The lighting needs to be good to see this, but it is on the sandy bottom and should be easy to spot if looking. The ship rests between Rocky Vent Spring and Silver Spring 11-Catfish Convention Hall.

As long as I am discussing items below the surface, I will add that there are a few more items of non-interest but never the less are on the bottom. I did not locate the 55 gallon drum, but I did locate the fencing and pipe at coordinates 29.21601°, -82.04591°.

Guides, Maps & Info

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