SUP: Silver Springs State Park
Well, due to some odd circumstances, this Colorado dweller has found herself in the southern Low Country for a few weeks. Although I am sorely missing ski season in Colorado, being next to the warmth of the neighboring Sunshine State isn’t such a bad place to be for a paddler! I was already heading to Miami/South Dade to check out the three national parks in the area, so I decided to make a stop off at Silver Springs State Park on the way in hopes of seeing a manatee, the beloved sea cow. I was not disappointed!
I chose Silver Springs for several reasons, but the main being it featured a pre-marked “paddling trail” on the map that looked pretty accessible for a quick stop off. There are two paddling trails available at Silver Springs, the shorter 1 mile Fort King Paddling Trail and a longer 5 mile trail. Both trails launch from a single dock, located at the far right end of the parking lot from the entrance. I didn’t get there in time, but there is a shuttle back to the parking area if you would like to do the longer 5 mile trail.
The put in ramp is a well maintained standard width concrete ramp down to the warm spring waters. There is a marked boat staging area, as well as a huge picnic park just next to the parking lot available. I pumped the SUP up in the shade by the picnic tables. Once you put in, proceed under the beautiful bridge and select a direction of travel, there is virtually no current in either direction, so it doesn’t really matter which direction you go on the loop. Keep a lookout for several “Restricted Waterway” areas, the first being immediately to your right upon put it.
Despite being almost 100 miles from the ocean, Silver Springs is home to the amazing, majestic, adorable sea cows, or manatees. I learned that manatees are migratory animals, spending the colder months in the warm waters of Florida, swimming up the rivers and canals in search of freshwater vegetation. Besides manatee, I really enjoyed watching the Anhinga fishing in the clear waters, watching the cooters sunning themselves, and the alligators napping on the warm banks. The park used to be owned by Paramount Pictures and was more of an attraction before Disneyland days in Orlando. Apparently, in order to draw more visitors to the park, an “eccentric boat captain” brought a troupe of macaques to the area. They still roam the park today, but I didn’t see them!
