Silver Glen Springs

The clear blue water and bubbling sand boils of Silver Glen Springs is a stark contrast to the surrounding Big Scrub in the Ocala National Forest. The day-use area that encompasses this spring and the adjacent uplands is both a highly popular recreation area and an important archeological site. The 65 million gallons of waters that flow from the two spring vents daily run nearly 1 mile to Lake George. Boats can travel up the spring run, but are prohibited from entering the spring bowl. As a result, the protected spring bowl is popular with swimmers and snorkelers. Manatees visit the spring in the winter as a thermal refuge from the cooler waters of the St. Johns River; a wide variety of fish can be seen throughout the year. Boat traffic in the spring run can be heavy in the summertime and on holiday weekends, and that concentration of people can impact this ecologically and historically sensitive area. Canoe rentals are available any time of year. The natural setting of the recreation area is predominantly upland forests of oak, cedar, and pines, which provide opportunities for photography, birding, and nature studies. The Spring Boils Trail leads to Jody’s Spring, named for the spring described by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in her book “The Yearling”. The Lake George Trail travels through the uplands to the cypress shoreline of Lake George.