Silver River State Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Silver River State Park | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location: | Marion County, Florida, USA |
| Nearest city: | Silver Springs |
| Area: | 5,000 acres (20 km²) |
| Governing body: | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Silver River State Park is a nearly 5,000 acre (20 km²) Florida State Park east of Ocala. Adjacent to Silver Springs and the Ocklawaha River, the park is a mile south of State Road 40 on State Road 35 (also known as Baseline Road).
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[edit] Ecology
Among the wildlife of the park are armadilloes, deer, turkey, foxes, alligators, Sherman fox squirrels and gopher tortoises, as well as coyote, bobcat and Florida black bear.
There is also a colony of non-native spider monkeys which were introduced during the filming of Tarzan movies in the 1930's.
[edit] Recreational activities and amenities
Activities include bicycling, canoeing, kayaking, camping, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include a "cracker village" and a museum and an environmental center that are open on weekends. The park has 15 miles of trails, ten cabins, access to the Silver River, and a 59 site campground.
Silver Springs Nature Theme Park with its glass-bottomed boats is located on the property of the park.
[edit] History
The area that compromises the state park was purchased by the state in the early 1990's to maintain the natural environment of the area in the face of booming real estate development. This made Silver Springs one of several private tourist attractions that were converted to state parks, including Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and Rainbow Springs State Park.
[edit] Hours
The park is open from 8:00 am till sundown year round. The gate remains open until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays for campers.
[edit] References and external links
- Silver River State Park at Florida State Parks
- Silver River State Park at Absolutely Florida
- Silver River State Park at Wildernet
