Premium clear kayak setup
Your premium crystal clear kayak, supportive clip in seats, seat cushions, and paddles are prepared before you arrive. Tandem kayaks can accommodate one or two riders within the weight limits.
Explore the Silver River
Guided Nature and Wildlife Tours
A guided kayak tour gives you more than a beautiful paddle. Explore the Silver River with someone who knows where to look, what you are seeing, and how its wildlife, natural springs, and history have shaped the river you see today.
DurationApproximately 2 hours
Tour times8:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Group sizeNo more than 10 guests
DistanceApproximately 1.5 miles
The experience
Everything you need for a guided Silver River experience.
Your Expert Guided Nature and Wildlife Tour at Silver Springs includes a premium crystal clear kayak, paddles, United States Coast Guard approved life vests with safety whistles, an extra large dry bag, and professional photography taken by your guide along the way. We set up everything before you arrive, help you get comfortable, review paddling and safety information, and stay with you throughout your experience on the Silver River.
An Expert River Guide does much more than lead the way. Along the route, you can ask questions, learn about the natural springs, wildlife, ecosystem, and history of Silver Springs, and notice details that are easy to paddle past on your own. The small group pace leaves time to watch, listen, take photographs, and enjoy the river without feeling rushed.
Feel free to bring non alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated and any snacks you may need during the tour. Explore Silver Springs is committed to Leave No Trace principles, so please secure everything inside your dry bag and carry all containers, wrappers, and other belongings off the river with you.
Safety equipment and preparation
United States Coast Guard approved life vests, safety whistles, and a dry bag are included. Every vessel must carry one approved wearable life vest for each rider. As an Explore Silver Springs safety policy, riders under age 16 must wear their life vest for the entire tour. Your guide helps fit your equipment and reviews paddling, river, and wildlife safety before launch.
Expert guidance and interpretation
Years of guiding, thousands of hours on the Silver River, manatee observation, and wildlife photography shape every tour. Learn about the springs, history, and animals that make the Silver River extraordinary.
Small groups and photography
Tours are limited to 10 guests, leaving room for questions, wildlife stops, and quiet moments. Photography is included and shared afterward so you can stay present during the experience.
About Your Expert Guide
Meet Brad Mullins
Brad Mullins is an Expert River Guide who spends his days exploring the Silver River and sharing its wildlife, springs, history, and changing seasons with guests. He is a well known expert guide in the area, a former Florida State Parks volunteer, and has trained multiple guides throughout Central Florida, with an emphasis on guest safety, wildlife awareness, and responsible river use. Thousands of hours on the water have taught him where to look, what changes from season to season, and which details most visitors would otherwise paddle past.
Brad is also a professional wildlife photographer who documents the animals and natural beauty of Silver Springs. His images appear in news stories, press releases, and magazines. He is a proud member of Friends of Silver Springs, a Citizen Support Organization, and Save the Manatee Club. Brad brings that experience and commitment to every tour, giving guests the opportunity to explore with a working river guide who knows this ecosystem, cares deeply about its wildlife, and continues learning from the river every day.
Photography From the Silver River
A closer look at the wildlife that calls Silver Springs home.
Every photograph in this collection was taken on or along the Silver River at Silver Springs by wildlife photographer Brad Mullins. The river changes from one visit to the next, and wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but there is always something worth slowing down to notice.
Why this experience is different
We care about every detail because we know this river.
We care deeply about what we do. That means providing the highest level of personal customer service, maintaining the highest-quality equipment, and giving every guest the thoughtful preparation and attention we would want for our own family.
Every crystal clear kayak and each piece of tour equipment goes through a thorough daily cleaning, inspection, and maintenance process. Before every departure, we prepare the kayaks, paddles, life vests, safety whistles, and dry bags so everything is ready when you arrive.
Your experience is led by a knowledgeable Silver Springs expert in a group limited to 10 guests. We do not follow a rushed script. We make room for questions, wildlife observation, photography, and the unexpected moments that make this river memorable.
Silver Springs is a wild ecosystem, so wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. We observe respectfully and never touch, feed, chase, crowd, block, or paddle over wildlife. This careful approach protects the animals while giving guests the opportunity to witness natural behavior.
Our goal is to help you fall in love with the Silver River. Once you experience its clear water, wildlife, history, and quiet beauty, we believe you will understand why this place is so special and naturally want to help protect it. That is why we live by one simple motto: Protect what you love.
Before you book
Good to know.
- The guided tour is $70 per person for ages 12 and older and $45 per person for guests under age 12. A premium crystal clear tandem kayak and required paddling equipment are included.
- Bring Your Own Vessel is $45 per person and requires guests to provide all of their own equipment.
- Park admission is $2 per person and the vessel launch fee is $4 per kayak or paddleboard. These fees are paid separately onsite.
- Please arrive 20 to 30 minutes early to check in, receive your equipment, and review safety guidance.
- Each clear tandem kayak holds 425 pounds combined. No single rider may weigh more than 250 pounds.
- Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but your guide will help you understand where to look and what you are seeing.
Reservations required
Ready to explore the Silver River?
Review the available options or call us if you would like help choosing the right experience.