We spent about half a day at Silver Springs State Park and it was such a beautiful park! I…read moreoriginally planned on paddleboarding but after doing some research, I saw that the alligators can be more protective during mating season so we decided to skip the water activities this time. Instead, we did the glass-bottom boat ride which was really cool! We saw a few gators, paddlers, birds, and lots of other wildlife. They offer a 30 minute ride or a longer 1.5 hour ride. If you're prone to motion sickness like me, I'd definitely stick with the 30 minute option. That was plenty for me lol We also did about an hour of hiking. There are different trails throughout the park but we weren't really prepared to hike for much longer especially in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the monkeys this time! There's also a café/bar, discovery center and gift shop near the entrance, so there's plenty to check out. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit and I'd definitely come back. Hopefully next time I can actually paddleboard when it's not quite as hot and the gators aren't as protective!

Walking the trails was peaceful and scenic, with lots of shade and chances to spot wildlife (we saw…read morea few monkeys in the distance, which was wild!). The whole park is well-maintained, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Whether you're kayaking, hiking, or just relaxing by the springs, it's a great day trip that feels like a little escape into old Florida.

Another spot of beautiful nature in Wild Florida…read more I love going on nature hikes, and this trail has plenty of wildlife and plants to see. Even with the paths seeming wild and free, they're easy to follow and I wasn't afraid of getting lost.

I drove through here on the way home from the Panhandle. It reminded me of what I thought Florida…read morewas like when I was a child growing up in Massachusetts. Forrests and springs, fishing, canoeing, swimming, and yes, gators. There are over 400,000 acres in the Ocala National Forest. It needs more than one visit to fully explore this wonder. There are many opportunities for camping and backpacking. I want to come back soon to go on a nature hike. Like Dave O. says, this is the wilderness so don't be naive. You must go in prepared with water, protein snacks, and emergency supplies. This is not Disney, this is the real Florida adventure.

Silver Springs State Park was an amazing experience. I came out with a group to kayak, and it ended…read moreup being one of the highlights of the trip. The water is absolutely beautiful and crystal clear, and we saw wildlife pretty much the entire time. We spotted tons of birds, turtles, fish, and even the famous monkeys! Kayaking was a great way to explore the park because you can get surprisingly close to the wildlife while still just enjoying the scenery. Seeing the monkeys out there in the wild was definitely something I won't forget. Beautiful park, plenty to see, and a great place to spend a few hours on the water. I'd absolutely come back.

My parents were reminiscing about when they were middle school aged and came here for field trips…read more I was surprised to find out that Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boat tours have been around for that long! It was about a 1.5 hour ride from Orlando. Woke up real early on a Saturday (on honestly one of the coldest days of the year) to arrive at the park around 8am. I highly suggest purchasing glass bottom boat tour tickets online about a week in advance atleast since time slots fill up! We purchased the 1.5 hour tour on the boats. Our tour guide was incredible and shared so much knowledge and facts about the wildlife and park. I got to see tons of manatees! Plus getting to see gators, turtles, birds, and even monkeys! The glass bottom gives such a cool perspective on viewing the wildlife and plants underwater. Aside from the tour, we walked several trails to enjoy the great outdoors. Also, we had coffee in the morning when we first got here and lunch after the tour. The food was pretty good and filling. At the gift shop I made sure to leave with a magnet and Christmas ornament to remember such a great day here.

Discovery Kayak is my go-to shuttle service whenever I paddle the Silver Springs Long Run. Over the…read moreyears, I've tried several different shuttle companies, but once I found Discovery Kayak, there was no reason to look elsewhere. Their service is consistently reliable, professional, and friendly. The shuttle is always clean, comfortable, and makes the quick ride back to Silver Springs State Park enjoyable after an amazing day on the water. As a fellow small business owner, I especially appreciate supporting another family-owned business that genuinely cares about providing a great experience for their customers. I highly recommend Discovery Kayak to anyone planning the Silver Springs Long Run. They are an important part of what makes the adventure so seamless and enjoyable.

Went for a friend's birthday to try to see monkeys. Loved how helpful and prepared the staff was…read moremaking sure we were ready and comfortable. The equipment was so well taken care of and we couldn't have asked for a better experience - okay fine we were really hoping to see the monkeys but no such luck! Guess we will have to come back and try again! Oh shucks! The river is gorgeous we saw alligators galore, manatees in 2 different areas, such gorgeous plants and birds. I actually wished we were a week later so we could have seen all the water lilies blooming. It was a perfect day even with the rain storm (actually the rain made it cooler and even a nice trip!)

Great place for family recreation. There is a big playground at the beginning of the trail for…read morechildren. Over five miles of bike paths and walking trails. Nice peaceful scenic views throughout the greenway. We live close by and have enjoyed this place for years.

A fabulous place to play & workout! Playground review toward the end…read more I've used the beautifully paved trails for skating, biking & running & walking for many years, it's a great place to be active. I did have to be careful skating as the trail is paved through natural FL brush & fields and twigs, stones & leaves can put you on your face quickly. There are clean bathrooms & water fountains before the trailheads. There are pet rules that I've not noted because I don't have pets. I assume the pet info is on the website. It's Florida, therefore it's hot & without preparation you're subject to dehydration, bring water bottles or stay near the fountains. There are also insects, so some type of repellant is always a good idea for outdoor activities in FL. & there's very little shade, so a sunscreen is suggested. The playground is clean with both natural ground (mulch covered) or a cushioned cover. It was designed for all ages & those with disabilities. My 8 year old nephew & 6 year old niece enjoyed it all immensely.

Great tour! The clear kayaks were fun and it was a beautiful paddle along the river and into a cute…read morelittle side lagoon. Our guide was Sam, who was such a nice young man, with a lot of knowledge and love for the area. Someone on the tour dropped their phone in the water and he even jumped in on a cold day to try and find it for them. The only downside is that they launch from KP Hole, which costs an extra five dollars per person and also is just a launch. There's nothing else at the site other than a parking lot and restrooms. We were hoping we'd get to see the state park and walk around a bit, but I guess if you're prepared for that, it's fine.

We had a wonderful time with Bria. She was a great guide and ambassador for Rainbow River wildlife…read moreand natural springs information. She was supportive when I needed her help. We had a great paddle today. I will be back and recommend you to others.

Just WOW, I mean where do I even fathom to begin. Tucked away in the heart of Crystal River lays a…read moreabsolute hidden gem manatee paddle me and my lovely darling Susie, where looking for a way to cool off from the scorching August Florida heat and what better place to cool off from the heat none other than three sisters, so we moseyed on down to our favorite paddleboard shop and Boy where we in for a treat sitting there at the front desk was a striping handsome tall athletic 6'5 washboard abs young man he was so helpful, (I thought to myself gee they must only hire supermodels here) he gave us a ton of tips and tricks and was great at explaining the process and the pricing was extremely fair and honest not to mention they have a great selection of merchandise and great cold beverages for a hot summers day next it was finally time to hit the water, mike was so helpful he made sure we had everything we needed to have such a great experience, once we received our paddle boards Mike helped us get in the water and it was finally time to set sale we just had such a hoot out on the water we visited three sisters and saw plenty of manatees on the way, such a beautiful freshwater spring and the water is always at a great temperature to cool you off from the hot summer months overall me and my darling Susie just had such a wonderful experience if you're ever looking to paddleboard in crystal River do not hesitate, Manatee paddle is the best choice when it comes to pricing experience and customer service Just WOW, I mean where do I even fathom to begin. Tucked away in the heart of Crystal River lays a absolute hidden gem manatee paddle me and my lovely darling Susie, where looking for a way to cool off from the scorching August Florida heat and what better place to cool off from the heat none other than three sisters, so we moseyed on down to our favorite paddleboard shop and Boy where we in for a treat sitting there at the front desk was a striping handsome tall athletic 6'5 washboard abs young man he was so helpful, (I thought to myself gee they must only hire supermodels here) he gave us a ton of tips and tricks and was great at explaining the process and the pricing was extremely fair and honest not to mention they have a great selection of merchandise and great cold beverages for a hot summers day next it was finally time to hit the water, mike was so helpful he made sure we had everything we needed to have such a great experience, once we received our paddle boards Mike helped us get in the water and it was finally time to set sale we just had such a hoot out on the water we visited three sisters and saw plenty of manatees on the way, such a beautiful freshwater spring and the water is always at a great temperature to cool you off from the hot summer months overall me and my darling Susie just had such a wonderful experience if you're ever looking to paddleboard in crystal River do not hesitate, Manatee paddle is the best choice when it comes to pricing experience and customer service

Highly recommend Manatee Paddle if you are looking for an affordable rental to Three Sisters…read moreSpring! The staff was so helpful - from providing a map and walking through the best path to get to the spring to helping us launch, it was a great experience. You check in downtown and then the walk to the launch area is less than five minutes. Everything you need is at the launch area. This was probably one of the nicest kayaks I've ever rented. The springs was lovely and surprisingly not too packed for 4th of July Weekend.

What an AWESOME day! Crystal River Kayak Company & Dive Center made for such a great experience!…read moreThe staff were friendly and informative, equipment was clean & well maintained, and check-in/out was simple and quick! We rented paddle-boards for 3 hours to go visit Three Sister Springs at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, and it did NOT disappoint! You cannot swim at Three Sister Springs unless you arrive by watercraft as the refuge is protected, so going on an adventure via paddle-board was a nice relaxing way to explore the area. We saw multiple manatees and even got to swim with them when they came in the refuge (SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE)! The coolest thing about the manatees was how much trust they put in the people visiting their home. There was a mom and calf swimming right up to people, and I thought how cool it was that she put that much trust into her surroundings as to show off her baby. I highly recommend checking out this company next time you're visiting the area!

MANATEES ARE MAGICAL! We saw well over 30+ manatees on our late January kayaking outing. We rented…read morea 2-seater top kayak (comes w paddles and life vests). And from the staff to the dock hands, to the quality of the vessel and cleanliness of the shop: 10/10. A guide handed us a laminated map (nice touch) and told us where to head for manatee sightings. And even pointed us to a cove that homes a lot of turtles and alligators. We saw it all! They have volunteers overseeing the 3 sisters springs, to help monitor the safety of the manatees (and scold ignorant people lol). Great time! If you're unsure, let me assure you.. just book.