Silver Springs State Park is at the top of our list for favorite state parks. We camped here in 2023 and 2024. Each time was good and I figured to end our 7 week trip here would be the cherry on top. The afternoon we arrived it was raining and cold so we decided to go to a fort that I saw a brown sign on the side of the road for. Fort King was the fort where Chief Osceola was taken captive and shamed infront of his people by an Indian Removal Agent, Wiley Thompson. Osceola then raided the fort on December 23, 1835 and killed Wiley Thompson and started the Second Seminole War. This fort stood at the crossroads of US territory and Indian territory and was on a major trading road in the state.
The next 3 days we kayaked Silver Springs. You cannot swim nor fish on the river so the animals are not bothered by you. The Fort King trail where we saw the monkeys and otter last trip was closed. The park is expanding the boardwalk over the river. This will be a nice addition to the trails. The park and kayak area was really busy for mid week.
Wildlife sightings: Mating Manatee, Wood Ducks, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cooter Turtles, Alligators, Cormorants, Anhingas, Cardinal, Green Heron, Snapping Turtle, Tri-colored Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Wild Hog, Turkey, Limpkin, Pileated Woodpecker, River Otter, Swallow-tailed Kite, Rhesus Macaque Monkeys, Black-crowned Night Heron, warbers, Pied-billed Grebe, heard 2 Barred Owls calling back and forth
Nature Moments
Manatees frolicking in Silver Springs
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