Quick Facts

Location: Ocala National Forest near Fort McCoy, Florida

Water Temp: 72°F year-round

Entrance Fee: $14.50 per person

Hours: 8am-Sundown

Activities: Swimming, Snorkeling, Hiking, Picnicking, Boating

Wildlife: Striped Bass, Turtles, Mullet, Bream, Manatees seasonally

Best For: Swimming, kids, boat-access from Lake George

Overview

Silver Glen Springs features crystal clear water and an approachable, sandbar vibe suitable for all ages.

While busy with people, this park is often packed with aquatic life, my favorite being the huge schools of striped bass that hang out right next to the spring head.

Snorkeling here is awesome, and hiking is available from the same parking lot.

Things to Do at Silver Glen Springs

This spring is great for swimming, snorkeling, boating, and hiking.

There are numerous picnic tables and pedestal grills but show up early as this spring fills up.

Swimming at Silver Glen Springs

Swimming here is approachable as you can start by wading. I enjoyed swimming laps around the spring head on a less crowded day.

The water is refreshing, but cold. We find that the best way to approach the 72-degree water is to hike first to get hot, then just jump in. It is comfortable once you fully dunk your head and body.

The spring head that is open for swimming is around 18 feet deep. There are signs posted prohibiting free diving and scuba diving at these springs.

Snorkeling is welcome and is a memorable way to see the wildlife present here.

Kayaking and Paddling

Kayaking and paddleboarding is possible here outside the swimming area. Silver Glen Run extends from the swimming area to Lake George but is short at around 0.5 mile.

Honestly, there is extreme boat traffic, especially on weekends and holidays, and I would skip this kayaking trip in favor of other nearby paddle trips like Emerald Cut to Wekiva Island, Ichetucknee, or Silver Springs.

Conversely, this would be a great place to bring your boat to drive up to the springs. It’s a sandbar party. On major holidays you will see police boats present.

Best Time to Visit

Summer is super busy, as are afternoons. If you are here for the party vibes and are willing to wait in line, come in the afternoon. If you want a more natural, less crowded feel, visit in the mornings.

The best time to visit is in the Spring from late march through April, when the weather starts to warm up but summer has not quite hit yet. The second-best time to visit is in September through Mid-October, when summer is over, but the heat remains. Both shoulder seasons will help you to dodge the crowds.

Entrance Fees, Hours, and Reservations

Day use fees here are steep, at $14.50 per person. I would show up early, as the park fills up. Silver Glen Spring is open from 8am until around dusk. The park staff will inform you when it is going to close. Parking is limited and quickly fills up.

Reservations are required on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Make sure that you purchase these well in advance if you choose to visit during the summer.

How to Get There

Silver Glen Springs is located at 5271 FL-19, Salt Springs, FL 32134 on the west side of Lake George in the Ocala National Forest.

While I enjoy the drive through Ocala National Forest, there are not many stores or gas stations around Silver Glen Springs, so make sure you get groceries and fuel ahead of time. Ensure that your GPS is set to paved roads only if you do not want to take dirt roads here.

What to Bring

Silver Glen Springs is very beginner friendly, and you do not need to bring much. For the best experience, pack the following:

• Cash or credit card
• Towels
• Mask and Snorkel
• Food and Drinks
• Crocs or sandals
• Hiking shoes
• Your phone
• Sunscreen
• Fins if you want a boost swimming down to see the striped bass
• Wetsuit if you are sensitive to the cold
• Floaties for the kids

Tips to Avoid Crowds

To avoid crowds, visit Silver Glen Springs during the shoulder season from Mid-March through April and from Mid-September through October.  Arrive at 8am and preferably on weekdays, but for the best experience avoid holidays.

Where to Stay Nearby

Camping is available in the Ocala National Forest but keep an eye out for ticks. There are cabins and rentals available near Salt Springs.

Silver Glen Springs makes for a great day trip from Orlando. Deland is a great place to stay too, and you can visit De Leon Springs while you are in the area.

Nearby Things to Do

There is plenty of recreation available in the Ocala National Forest. The best ways to experience this huge National Forest are swimming in springs, hiking trails, camping, kayaking, offroading, mountain biking, and scenic drives.

Other Springs Near Silver Glen Springs

There are three other major springs in the Ocala National Forest:

• Alexander Springs – Beginner friendly, great for the whole family
• Juniper Springs – In the heart of the forest, with eels and an iconic kayak run
• Salt Springs – Mediterranean feel with blue crabs and saltwater

Silver Glen is also a relatively easy drive from:

• Silver Springs – known for its monkeys
• De Leon Springs – known for the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House
• Blue Springs – one of the biggest winter homes of manatees

Hiking Trails Near Silver Glen Springs

Parking at Silver Glen Springs, there are two trails that you can easily access: the Silver Glen Springs to Lake George Trail and the Spring Boils Trail.

Silver Glen Springs to Lake George Trail

This trail takes you from the parking lot to Lake George. There is one major turn-off, which takes you to a beach area at Lake George. The main trail arrives at Lake George, then continues north along the water.

The trail was nice but not well maintained as of writing this in April 2026. In fact, until they clean up the trail, I would just hike to Lake George and back and totally skip the stretch that continues north along the lakeshore. That stretch is severely overgrown, on sketchy, eroded tree roots, and very thick with ticks and spiders.

I would plan for one hour to go roughly 2.7 miles, including time you spend taking pictures. Make sure to check yourself well for ticks, we averaged one per person per half mile of trail. Most of them arrived at the overgrown stretch running parallel to Lake George.

This trail is good for viewing Lake George, the second largest lake in Florida, and is especially useful for working up a sweat prior to jumping in the springs.

Spring Boils Trail

The Spring Boils Trail starts right at the swimming area and takes you through the woods to an area of spring boils, known as Jody’s spring.  A spring boil is a small, bubbling spring coming up through the sand.

The trail ends on a boardwalk that takes you to the Spring Boils, and signs tell us this is what Silver Glen Springs might have started as thousands of years ago. The signs also tell us that swimming is not allowed in the spring boils.

This trail is very short, less than a half mile each way. Expect to complete this approachable hike in a half hour.

The Yearling Trail

The Yearling Trail is right across the street from Silver Glen Springs. It is around 4 miles long through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. While not shaded, this trail takes you through scrub jay habitat, and you are likely to see Florida’s only endemic bird.

We have not hiked this trail yet, but plan to on our next trip to Silver Glen Springs.

Restaurants Near Silver Glen Springs

There are not a lot of restaurants near Silver Glen Springs. I would recommend eating an early breakfast at home and packing a lunch if you plan to stay through the afternoon.

If you are an early springs-goer like me, and you are passing through Altoona on your way to Orlando, I would very strongly recommend a local diner known as Greg’s Haystax.

The food at Greg’s Haystax was very reasonably priced, tasty, and hit the spot after swimming in circles for an hour at Silver Glen. I plan to return when we are in the area again.

Pros and Cons

The pros of this spring are clear water, great snorkeling with lots of fish, and a social atmosphere involving boating and a sandbar party feel.

The cons of this spring are the crowds, limited parking, and expensive entry fee.

Sample Itinerary

I would recommend a half day at this spring, as follows:

8 AM: Arrive and park

8:15-9:45 AM: Hike the Silver Glen Springs to Lake George, then the Spring Boils Trail

9:45-11 AM: Swim, Snorkel, and have a blast in the water

11:15AM: Drive home and stop for brunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Silver Glen Springs worth visiting? Absolutely, especially if you want a relaxed, party atmosphere in your springs day.

Can you swim year-round? Yes, and the water is a constant temperature year-round.

Are there alligators? Possibly, they are rare in the main swimming area. They are 1000% present and large in Lake George, I would avoid swimming there.

Do you need reservations? Yes, but only on weekends and holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Plan to show up early on other visits due to limited parking opportunities.

Are there bathrooms available? Yes, there is a bathroom and a whole line of porta-potties.

Our Experience at Silver Glen Springs

While I have visited a few times via boat access on runs up the St. John’s River, my wife and I came to Silver Glen Springs for the first time together in March of 2026. The weather was just beginning to be consistently warm, which is the perfect time to visit this springs.

Hiking

We arrived around 8:30 and the parking lot luckily only half full. We started by hiking the trail to Lake George. Around the start of this trail was a creepy tree blocking the trail with moss, but we were able to duck under it.

We reached Lake George after not too long, but as mentioned we found the stretch north along the lake to be severely neglected and hard to travel through.

Headed back, we saw some cool wildflowers blooming. There were a lot of ticks around and we picked many off on this shoer hike.

We took the turn and walked maybe 100 yards to the beach area. I would avoid swimming in Lake George, but it was still nice to see.

When we arrived back at the car, we grabbed our springs bag and headed off to the Spring Boils Trail. The Spring Boils Trail is not super long, but in the future I would drop off the bag or leave it in the car rather than carrying it on the hike.

The Spring Boils Trail was short and sweet, and the worst part was not being allowed to swim in the Spring Boils.

Swimming

We set down our bag and walked into the water. Luckily, the sun was shining and we were sweating, which made it easier to adjust to the cool spring water. We jumped in and snorkeled around to get the lay of the land.

There was a school of hundreds of large striped bass at the bottom of the spring head, and these were fun to swim with.

At Silver Glen Springs, the swimming area is large, but it only encompasses the primary spring head. The secondary spring head was calling my name, but unfortunately swimming was not allowed there.

When you swim down towards the spring, the water is really flowing out of it strong. The current pushed me downstream when I swam back up.

I swam several laps to get a workout in, then we left as it started to get really crowded around noon.

We ate a great big lunch on the way home. When we returned, we had to remove a few remaining ticks from the hike, they were seriously no joke.

Final Thoughts

Silver Glen Springs has some of the clearest water close to Orlando but make sure you visit early in the morning to dodge the crowds. Work up a sweat on a hike first for the easiest experience acclimating to the cool water.

If you plan it right, this can be one of the best springs for swimming and snorkeling.