Guided tours and clear kayak rentals

Come Explore Silver Springs

Explore the Silver River from a premium crystal clear kayak, with an uninterrupted view of the spring vents, ribbon grass, fish, and changing depths beneath you. Along the river, you may encounter a variety of wildlife that call Silver Springs home. The animals that live throughout this wild landscape include manatees, rhesus macaques, alligators, turtles, river otters, fish, an incredible variety of native birds, and much more.

Explore with an Expert Guide who knows where to look and how to bring the river's wildlife, springs, and history to life, or explore at your own pace with one of our crystal clear rental kayaks.

Explore tours and rentals

Silver River · Silver Springs, Florida

Choose your experience

See the river your way.

Some people want the stories, the wildlife knowledge, and a guide watching the river with them. Others would rather take a map and set their own pace. Both are good ways to be out here.

Guided kayak tours

Guided Nature and Wildlife Tours

The real value of a guide is not simply having someone paddle in front. It is having someone who has spent serious time on this river, someone who knows which dark shape is a log, which ripple deserves a second look, and why the water, wildlife, and history here all connect.

Along the way, your guide will help you spot wildlife without crowding it, point out spring vents and pieces of local history, and explain the small details most people paddle past. You still get room to slow down and take it in. We also photograph the trip, so you do not have to spend the whole adventure looking through your phone.

Approximately 2 hours on the river
Daily guided tours by reservation depart at 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Clear kayak and safety gear included
One or two guests per kayak
Wildlife interpretation and professional photography
Up to 10 guests per tour

Guided Nature and Wildlife Tour

$70per personAges 12 and older

$45per personGuests under age 12

Bring Your Own VesselBring your own kayak or paddleboard and required equipment.

$45per person

Book Now

Clear kayak rentals

Paddle On Your Own Terms

Reserve a crystal clear kayak and explore the Silver River at your own pace. Each kayak can be set up for a solo paddler or two riders. We provide the gear and launch guidance you need before you set out.

3 Hour Rental$75 per kayakBook Now

Full Day Rental$120 per kayakBook Now

All rentals must be back by 5:00 p.m.

What to expect

Everything you need to know before heading out on the river.

Whether you book a guided tour or explore with a rental, we make sure you know what to expect, what to bring, and exactly where to meet us before your adventure begins.

Guided tour

From booking to the photos afterward.

Your guided tour begins before you reach the water. We stay in touch, make arrival easy, provide everything needed for the paddle, and send your photographs after the tour so the entire experience feels taken care of from beginning to end.

Receive your booking confirmation and reservation details by email
Get a text and email before your tour with the meeting location, map, arrival instructions, and a photo of your guide
Meet your guide, get fitted with your gear, and review a few simple paddling and safety instructions
Spend approximately 2 hours exploring 1.5 miles of the Silver River in a small group of no more than 10 guests
Learn about the springs, wildlife, history, and details your guide notices along the way
After the tour, receive a message with the professional photographs taken during your adventure

Explore the guided tour

Clear kayak rental

Your time. Your pace.

Choose a 3 hour rental or a full day rental
One or two riders per clear tandem kayak
Crystal clear kayak, paddles, seats, and cushions included
One approved wearable life vest per rider and dry bags provided
Detailed river map and paddling instructions before you launch
All rentals return by 5:00 p.m.

Explore clear kayak rentals

Before you arrive

Come prepared to enjoy it.

A little preparation makes a big difference on the river. We will send the information you need for an easy arrival, and you should come ready for the Florida sun and time on the water.

Booking details are sent to your email as soon as you reserve
A text and email arrive the day before your adventure
A final reminder is sent the morning of your adventure
Your messages include the address, phone number, and a detailed meeting map
You will receive a photo of your guide or rental contact for the day
Wear sunscreen that is safe for reefs and bring plenty of water or other nonalcoholic beverages
Pack snacks if you would like, but never feed or offer food to wildlife
Follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out everything you bring with you

Plan your arrival

Meet the wildlife

Meet the wildlife that calls Silver Springs home.

Manatees, alligators, rhesus macaques, turtles, and native birds live along the river. What you see changes with the day, the season, and the choices those animals make.

Manatees visit the Silver River for its spring water, which remains at a constant 72 degrees, especially when surrounding waterways turn colder. Some remain throughout the year, while others arrive seasonally.

Manatees

Resident manatees and seasonal visitors

Despite the popular story connecting them to the Tarzan films, Colonel Tooey released a small group on an island about three miles downriver. Rhesus macaques are excellent swimmers, so they left the island and established the population seen in the area today.

Rhesus macaques

Wild animals best observed from a safe distance

American alligators are native to Florida and play an important role in the river ecosystem. Give them plenty of room and never feed or approach them.

American alligators

Native predators in a working ecosystem

Approximately 250 bird species have been documented in the area, from herons and anhingas to kingfishers, ospreys, and bald eagles.

Amazing birds

Approximately 250 species of birds

Several turtle species use the river for feeding, resting, and basking. Look along sunny logs and quiet shorelines without crowding them.

Turtles

A thriving ecosystem

North American river otters are fast, curious swimmers that feed on fish, crayfish, and other aquatic animals. Sightings are special but never guaranteed.

River otters

Playful native residents of the Silver River

Why Explore With Us?

The river is more than a backdrop to us.

We spend our days paying attention to this river. The wildlife changes, the water changes, and no two trips unfold exactly the same way.

Years of guiding, thousands of hours on the Silver River, manatee observation, and wildlife photography have taught us to slow down and look closely. That experience shapes how we prepare our equipment, guide our guests, photograph each tour, and care for the river that makes this work possible.

Time spent on this river

Our knowledge comes from years of guiding, observing wildlife, and returning to the same stretches of water in every season.

Small groups with room to breathe

With no more than 10 guests, there is time for questions, wildlife stops, and the quieter moments that make a river trip worth remembering.

Photographs are part of the experience

We photograph your guided tour as it happens, then send the images afterward so you can stay present while you are on the water.

The wildlife comes first

We watch without chasing, crowding, touching, or feeding. The best encounters happen when wild animals are allowed to remain wild.

Your booking gives something back

A portion of every booking is donated to conservation efforts through organizations such as Save the Manatee Club and Friends of Silver Springs State Park.

A manatee swimming over a deep blue spring — *Look a little closer.*Silver Springs, Florida

Plan your visit

Know where to go before you arrive.

Several outfitters operate at the park. The day before your reservation and again that morning, we send a detailed map and a photo of the guide or rental contact you are meeting.

Launch location

Silver Springs Kayak Launch

5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd
Silver Springs, FL 34488

Open directions

Entry and launch fees are separate

Paid separately when you arrive

Silver Springs charges a $2 admission fee per person and a $4 launch fee for each kayak or paddleboard. The State does not allow us to collect these fees in advance, so they are not included in your booking and must be paid in person by guests on the day of the reservation.

These fees can be paid with cash, a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay when you arrive.

Before you leave home

Read the arrival message we send you
Allow time for park entry and unloading
Look for the person shown in your message
Call us if anything does not match

Two manatees swimming through clear spring water

A cormorant spreading its wings on the water

An anhinga with young birds gathered at their nest

A Florida gar swimming above river grass

Two pileated woodpeckers at a nest cavity

Good to know

Straight answers before you book.

Need help choosing between a tour and a rental? Call (352) 973 1711.

Should I book a guided tour or a clear kayak rental?

Choose a guided tour if you want an experienced river guide to help you explore the springs, wildlife, and history along the way. Choose a rental if you prefer to paddle independently and set your own pace.

Are wildlife sightings guaranteed?

No. Silver Springs is a natural river, and every animal chooses where it goes. Your guide will help you look without chasing or crowding wildlife.

Can one person use a clear kayak alone?

Yes. Clear kayaks can be paddled solo or with two riders. Guided tours are priced per person; rentals are priced per kayak.

What is included?

Clear kayaks, clip in seats, paddles, one United States Coast Guard approved wearable life vest per rider, whistles, dry bags, and safety guidance are included. Riders under age 16 must wear their life vest for the entire tour or rental. Guided tours also include wildlife interpretation and professional trip photography.

Is park admission included?

No. The State does not allow us to collect these fees in advance. Guests pay $2 per person for admission and $4 per kayak or paddleboard at the kayak launch on the day of the reservation. Cash, credit or debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are accepted.

When should I arrive, and how will I find you?

Please arrive 20 to 30 minutes early. We will send a text and email the day before your reservation and again that morning with a detailed map, arrival instructions, and a photo of your guide or rental contact.

What happens if the weather is unsafe?

We follow park weather holds and will never send guests onto the river in unsafe conditions. If a hold lasts longer than two hours, you may reschedule or receive a full refund.

What is your cancellation policy?

Reservations cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time receive a full refund. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are nonrefundable, but the reservation may be rescheduled once when availability allows. Reservations made for the same day are nonrefundable but may also be rescheduled once. After a late cancellation or same day reservation has been rescheduled, it remains nonrefundable. Exceptional circumstances may be reviewed individually. If Explore Silver Springs cancels because of unsafe weather or another unforeseen condition, guests may reschedule or receive a full refund. Guests who do not arrive are not eligible for a refund or rescheduling.

Are there weight limits for the clear kayaks?

Each clear tandem kayak has a combined capacity of 425 pounds. For safety and balance, no single rider may weigh more than 250 pounds.

What should I bring?

Bring plenty of water or other nonalcoholic drinks, reef-safe sunscreen, and snacks if you would like them. Wear clothing and shoes that can get wet, and never feed or offer food to wildlife.

A different view every time

Your time on the river starts here.

Book a guided tour or reserve a clear kayak for your own day on Silver Springs.

View guided tours View clear kayak rentals