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Silver Glen Springs: A Scenic Jewel of Ocala National Forest

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SILVER GLEN SPRINGS STATE PARK, FL — If you can manage to visit on a quiet day — and it is possible, but not on busy weekends or holidays — there are few better places to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Ocala National Forest than Silver Glen Springs.

Silver Glen Springs
From the comfortable lawn surrounding the spring, under a gentle shade of Spanish moss, you can watch the spring boil up silently from the Florida Aquifer. Seventy-two million gallons a day erupt from the spring and spread out into a transparent underwater meadow teeming with both fresh and saltwater fish. The limestone pool, about 200 feet across, is the color of pale emeralds, accented by abstract swaths of water grass. (Photos by Michael Warren.)
Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area
Silver Glen, along with nearby Alexander Springs,  is one of Florida’s 33 first-magnitude springs. It is larger than both Juniper Springs and Salt Springs. A little blue heron may patrol the hyacinth looking for a quick meal, while great blues stand sentry farther off in the shadows. Cormorants and anhingas stretch their wings on the buoys, soaking up the afternoon sun.

“People tend to think there isn’t much to see in the winter time,” said Jerry Clutts, back when he was Lake George District Ranger. “But there are quite a few fish seeking warm water, stripped bass even some saltwater species that come up from the St John’s–some rays and some groupers.” Bald eagles, as well as many other birds, are also seen at the park.

The site is surrounded by an Indian shell mound and has been a popular swimming hole for 10,000 years. “The whole area around the spring apparently at one time was a shell mound,” Clutts said. “But a lot of it was been excavated years ago. [The shells were] taken and used for road surfacing. A lot of the area has been disturbed.” The area is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Ocala National Forest.

Silver Glen Springs was acquired by the Forest Service in 1990. The site had been heavily used and eroded, its shell mounds stripped for road-building materials. Since then, the Forest Service has worked to restore and protect the site. Photo: (State Archives of Florida/Gunter).
Silver Glen Springs
In recent years a hiking trail has been added that takes you along a three-mile round trip to a bluff along Lake George.  The trail begins near where a historic Timucuan village once existed and follows the spring run to one of Florida’s largest lakes. Watch for alligators and wildlife along the way. (Photo: Michael Warren / 352DRONE.COM)
Jody's Spring at Silver Glen Springs
Another easy walk is along the Spring Boils Trail, an easy loop of less than a mile that leads to Jody’s Spring and other small boils. Named for the famous spring in the novel The Yearling, the small spring at the edge of a ancient 70-foot sand hills is sheltered by the shade of palm trees in a lush tropical setting.

If quiet solitude isn’t your aim, you’ll have plenty of company on weekends and holidays. Boating traffic along the three-quarter-mile spring run might be the Ocala National Forest’s equivalent of Daytona Break during spring break. If you like a crowd, you’ll be in luck. If not, you’ll want to wait for the mid-week or off season to enjoy the tranquility of this scenic gem.

Silver Glen Springs Info

Silver Glen Springs is located near Lake George on Highway 19, six miles north of SR 40 in Ocala National Forest. Activities include boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming and snorkeling. Camping is not permitted. (But read here for a list of Ocala National Forest Campgrounds.) The park is open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with canoe rentals available on site from $16 to $38 (full day). Free kayak launching. Day use fee is $5.50 per person. Snorkeling, but not SCUBA, is permitted.

A single annual pass ($60 per person) gets you into several Ocala National Forest recreation areas, including Juniper Springs, Salt Springs, Clearwater Lake, Wildcat Lake, Alexander Springs and Silver Glen Springs. For information, call 352-236-0288

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  1. Am interested in Camper camping. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I live in St. Augustine, FL area and am looking for camping in any of the springs we have in FL., near the St. Augustine area.

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  2. Thought the senior pass for the National Forest parks that we bought would get us in but after traveling an hour to the Spring found out they want to charge us because it is operated by the consession.
    Beware you have to pay to get into all these parks. We thought the consession means buying something in the little store but it means you pay a fee to get in and your pass is no good.

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  3. Is it legal for a business to park 6or more houseboats in Silver Glenn Springs over night. Or private boats to tie up for 3 days or more

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  4. Is it legal for a business to park 6or more houseboats in Silver Glenn Springs over night. Or private boats to tie up for 3 days or more

    Reply

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