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Ocala & Silver Springs Day Trip Guide: Glass-Bottom Boats, Springs & Horse Country Near Orlando
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items Just over an hour from Orlando, Ocala packs in crystal-clear springs, glass-bottom boats, horse country, and the best freshwater swimming in Florida. Here's how I'd spend a perfect day trip through Silver Springs and the Ocala National Forest - plus ...
Map
The main event - glass-bottom boat rides over springs so clear you can watch fish and turtles 30 feet down. Go early before the tour buses roll in.
Silver Springs State Park Glass Bottom Boat Tours
Old-Florida swimming hole in the national forest with a historic mill house. The 7-mile Juniper Run is one of the best paddles in the state - book ahead.
Juniper Springs Recreation Area
The most beginner-friendly spring in the forest - wide, shallow entry and 72 degrees year-round. Great for first-time snorkelers and little kids.
Alexander Springs Recreation Area
Waterfalls, azalea gardens, and a headspring the color of a swimming pool. Tubing down the Rainbow River is the ultimate lazy Florida afternoon.
Rainbow Springs State Park
Even non-horse-people are floored by this place - world-class shows most weekends, free to walk around, and shockingly good restaurants on site.
World Equestrian Center - Ocala
Big Daddy's legendary Swamp Rat dragsters plus a barn full of classic cars. An easy add-on since it's right off I-75 on the way in.
Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing
Zip lines over actual cliffs and canyon lakes - in Florida, somehow. The rappelling and kayak combos make a full adventure day of it.
The Canyons Zip Line and Adventure Park
One of Florida's last true drive-ins - double features for the price of one regular ticket. End the day trip here if you can stay past sunset.
Ocala Drive-In
New Orleans flavors on Ocala's downtown square - the shrimp and grits and a cold drink hit perfectly after a morning in the springs.
Harry's Seafood,Bar & Grille
A surprisingly serious art collection for a town this size, and the building alone is worth a look. Perfect rainy-hour escape with cheap admission.
Appleton Museum of Art
Phones, keys, and towels stay dry whether you're tubing the Rainbow River or paddling Juniper Run. The roll-top ones double as a float.
Waterproof Bag
Spring bottoms are rocky and boat ramps are slick - cheap quick-dry water shoes save the day. Toss them in the trunk and forget about them.
Quick Dry Water Shoes
This is my favorite swimming hole in the whole Ocala National Forest. The main spring is huge, shallow and crystal clear, and there is a sandy beach area that makes it easy with kids. Get there early on weekends, it fills up fast.
Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area
A free 44-acre botanical garden on the southwest side of Ocala that almost nobody outside town knows about. I like stopping here to walk the shaded paths and unwind before the drive back to Central Florida.
Sholom Park
A rebuilt Seminole War era fort right in Ocala with a small visitor center and walking trails, and it is free. Worth 45 minutes if you want a little history to go with all the springs and horse farms on this trip.
Fort King National Historic Landmark