Silver Springs State Park

Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation

• Like other Florida state parks, campsites at Silver Springs State Park can be booked online or by phone 11 months in advance.
• Same-day reservations are accepted online or by phone until 1pm ET, after which any remaining sites become available on a first-come, first-served basis.

When to Go

Silver Springs State Park is accessible year-round. A rush of families tend to visit during spring break and summer vacation, while winters can be an excellent time to visit, when temperatures are moderate for tent camping and more manatees can be spotted. Summer visitors should prepare for heat, humidity, and rain showers along the nature trails and hammocks.

Know Before You Go

• Silver Springs is about a 90-minute drive from Orlando. For an extended Central Florida trip, the Ocala National Forest is adjacent to the park.
• Canoe and kayak rentals are available at Silver Springs. It’s popular to paddle five miles from the main entrance’s boat launch near the confluence of the Silver and Ocklawaha rivers to Ray Wayside County Park, then return via the park's livery service.
• The park’s Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center is a great family activity for rainy days, as is the 19th-century pioneer town called Cracker Village.
• Nonnative rhesus macaque monkeys were first introduced in the park in the 1930s as a tourist attraction. Today, an estimated 300 monkeys live here, where lucky paddlers might catch a splash party—the primates are known to climb the trees and do belly flops into the river.