One of the largest artesian natural springs in the entire world is in the Silver Springs River Park totaling over 2,300 acres of forest connecting the Ocala National Forest and Ocklawaha River. The area is divided into 14 different natural communities, dozens of springs, and miles of dirt trails. There are so many attractions within Silver Springs such as a pioneer village, bird watching, camping,  glass bottom boats, amusement park rides. Its the site of the glass bottom boat invention.  There are snakes, panthers, boars, bears, reptiles, even a petting zoo. In the glass bottom boats there are fish, shell fish, turtles and some of the largest alligators in the state. 

Some areas of the spring have depths of 80 feet and are crystal clear. There is at least 530 millions gallons of water produced each day especially near the bridal chamber area.  The park is roughly 4 miles in length and well in reality at night its a very dark and eerie place. There are some famous trails like the Sink Hole Nature trail, Silver River Trail and even the museum which has artifacts found in the area. Our first investigation here we focused on an area behind the theme park, the woods, and the pioneer village. We would have to do a second or third investigation to cover other areas such as the springs which probably are closer to the theme park rather then state forest area.  The water is 99.8 percent pure good enough for even drinking.

Their are signs to show that the area has been inhabited for almost 10,000 years however one of the more well known settlements in the area that prospered was when the Timucuan Indians settled near the springs and called it Ocali a sub province of Timucua. In the mid 1500s the Spaniards invaded the area led by Hernando De Soto in search of wealth. People died here brutally and were massacred however the Timucuan Indians held there ground.

Those tribes eventually were wiped out and of course the Seminole Indians took over the area right about when the US Government wanted to remove them from Florida to the mid west. This would eventually force chief Osceola and his tribesmen to retreat to southern Florida where it was swampy.  This was also around the time he slashed the treaty towards the US government and gained many  troops for future battles. The glass bottom boats are named after Indian leaders who fought in those Seminole Wars. Speaking of the glass bottom boat it was invented in 1879 by a Hullam Jones when he installed a glass viewing box at the bottom of a dugout canoe. 

The area in the mid 1850s and around the civil war was a place where barges traveled on the river carrying cotton, lumber, and food up the Silver River. A man by the name of Hubbard Hart founded the Hart Line which was a stage coach line between Silver Springs, Palatka, Ocala and Tampa Bay. Hart eventually hired James Burt who brought in the steam boat to the area and that is when tourist came here to visit the springs for over a century and a half. 

The current cruise you take within the park takes you through its ancient history and deep along the river is the old Seminole Indian Village, 1800s Fort King Army Stockade and a old pioneer cracker village which we brought you a story on the village itself during our first trip here. There is also a botanical garden with many exotic plants where weddings take place an area said to be haunted with an old ghost story passed around for generations.

The area has been surveyed and there are finds of crustaceans and fossils dating back to more then 10,000 years old so the area definitely is ancient. But places of ancient history are also places of energy, power, sacrifice, and history to them.  We worked very hard our first investigation here perhaps hiking for miles on foot just to listen for ghost activity.  There are a few ghost stories told about the area whether they are true or not its hard to say but there are ghost back here..

The most well known ghost story takes place at the Bridal Chamber. Its about this couple who fall in love and its very romantic cause the Bridal Chamber was there favorite area perhaps to make out and for the man to propose to the woman he loved. Well this was the area the young couple would wed and they promised to meet each other back here after the man went off to war. The father disproving the relationship lied to his daughter telling her that her prince charming died off in war. She quickly ran to the Bridal Chamber and drowned in the cool springs. After the war her lover returned to the bridal chamber only to see her wet ghost floating up from the depths of the water and that led to him committing suicide to be with his bride to be for eternity.  So this area is known to have an occasional sighting of two fallen lovers which once were.

Lastly just to name a few movies and TV shows filmed here which the area is most well known for I will name a few...Tarzan, Legend, Smokey The Bandit, Coca Cola Commercial in 2005, Wrigley's Chewing Gum Commercial 2005, Sea Quest and many more. 

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Rick-LordOfThyNight