One of the cool areas in Silver Springs you will need to check out is the sundeck it has a picnic table couple rocking chairs seven style and an unparalleled view of Silver Springs.
From the sundeck you are literally on top of the Silver Springs and you can say all the wildlife the birds sunning themselves and swimming.
Lots of fish to see including catfish, Seabass and tadpoles.
You also get a pretty cool view of the main attractions of Silver Springs which is the glass bottom boats.
We notice that the park is incredibly popular and I think one of the reasons is that people of all ages can enjoy this activity.
However our personal highlight was seeing the busker of an older generation heckling people in a nice way while singing "how much is that doggy in the window".
In the park you can also find a massive colonial era style house which can be rented for functions. It's used as an event stage and people hired out for weddings.
Nearby there is an old boat formally used as for glass bottom boat tour which has now been turned into a canteen.
On the menu you can find barbecue pork sandwiches for eight dollars, hotdogs five dollars, sausage and peppers eight dollars, soda and water two dollars each.
The flora at Silver Springs is surprisingly diverse. You can see palm trees, banana trees, ferns, and all other types of plants we don't know the names of but they are very diverse.
Even though the centerpiece of the park is the blue Lagoon which is really really epic there are also a lot of nice walks that you really should not miss out on.
Make sure you don't miss out on some of the walks in the park. When you enter the park instead of turning left to head to the main lagoon and turn right instead.
Here there is a long trial which is well paved including a boardwalk over spring at the river and wetlands.
The bridge over the Springs is an awesome vantage point for a sunset or to look at the big big fish swimming for the river.
The name of the walk is the cross Allen Island boardwalk and we highly recommend taking it.
Alan use to perform a wildlife shows here including holding snakes and wrestling alligators. Think of him as a 20th century Steve Irwin.
Recently or should I say a few years ago you could even come here and say a real-life Florida panther however that is no longer the case.
Some interesting history about Florida we learned from our visit to Silver Springs:
*Tourism in Florida started after the Civil War ended in 1865 when thousands of Army veterans returned for the warm climate and healing spring waters. Business people saw the opportunity to make a profit from Florida's natural environment – springs, rivers, forests, and wildlife.
*In 1878, Hume Jones invented the glass bottom boat at Silver Springs, which gave visitors a unique and spectacular view of the springs.
*Former Pres. Ulysses S Grant visited the area in 1880 and "ecotourism" had begun!
For more information to plan a visit, check out our Silver Springs Visitor Guide