Nestled near the Ocala National Forest among magnificent Magnolias, stately Oaks and rare varieties of Pines; along pristine springs and lakes; are the Salt Springs and Silver Glen areas.

Salt Springs, Florida, is a small community situated in North Central Florida, off the beaten path of busy city life; yet being an hour (more or less) to Ocala, Gainesville, Daytona Beach and Orlando.  Salt Springs is located about 24 miles south of Palatka, Florida, on Highway 19.  Silver Glen is another 10 miles down the road.  This area provides camping, boating, swimming, snorkeling and a variety of other outdoor activities.  

Salt Springs is one of several freshwater springs in the Ocala National Forest.   Freshwater springs are some of the great natural wonders of Florida.  The water is clear and bubbles up at 72 degrees in most springs.  Due to hydrostatic pressure in the Floridian aquifer, vast quantities of fresh water gush to the surface, forming springs.  Salt Springs is one of these springs, with an average of 53 million gallons of water per day pouring forth.  The salty taste of the spring water comes from the variety of minerals in the water.  The abundance of minerals in these springs cannot be found anywhere else in America. 

The Native Americans treasured the springs at Salt Springs, calling it a medicine lodge.  They would travel for miles, some from as far as the Carolinas, to bathe in these waters.  For years a canopy of stately Oaks hid these springs from the stranger.  However, in the late 1950’s, Highway 19 opened this area up to the world.

Salt Springs sits near the banks of Lake Kerr and Little Lake Kerr.  Lake Kerr is an outstanding crystal clear, sand bottom lake.  You can see the bottom of Lake Kerr in 8 feet of water.  Lake Kerr is one of the few clean, large lakes left in the state of Florida, and will remain so due to the fact that there are over 2 miles of shoreline on Lake Kerr that cannot be developed.

 Nearby, Salt Springs Run flows 5 miles before it discharges into Lake George, with easy access to the St. Johns River, Ocklawaha River, and other bodies of water.  These rivers are world renowned for their championship bass fishing. This area has some of the best guided bass fishing in the state.

The spring at Silver Glen is a beautiful but rustic spring.  Because of its white sand bottom, it appears as blue as the sky.  Much of this spring is about four feet deep.  The area surrounding this spring is equally rustic and a haven for wildlife. 

Wildlife is abundant in the Salt Springs and Silver Glen area, making it a haven for hunting enthusiasts.  It is the home of Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, otters, turtles and alligators.  Birdwatchers can observe Herons, Egrets, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles, to mention a few.  Fishermen can catch Largemouth Bass, Blue Gill, Shell Crackers, Blue Crab and more. 

Areas like Salt Springs and Silver Glen are becoming extinct.  If you are looking for that special sunset across the lake, or a glimpse of nature in your backyard, consider the Salt Springs area.

Nearly three-quarters of the Ocala National Forest is in Marion County. The Forest offers 383,573 acres of unique ecological sites, trails, natural springs. There are hundreds of camping sites throughout the forest offering everything from full-service campgrounds to more rustic sites. The National Forest also has designated trails for horseback riding. Hunting is permitted in designated areas where the enforcement of state regulations is strict. Recreation areas include Alexander Springs, Fore Lake Recreational Area, Juniper Springs, Lake Eaton Loop Trail, Lake Eaton Sink Hole, Mill Dam Recreation Area, Salt Springs and Salt Springs Trail.

Specially marked walking/hiking trails are located throughout this wonderful resource. Lake Eaton Sinkhole and the Lake Eaton Loop are only two of the trails that allow the visitor to explore the area on easily traveled interpretive trails.

Fore Lake Recreation Area is a day use and camping area that is open year-round. A 250-foot sandy beach provides swimming and sunbathing opportunities. Fishing and boating in small, non-gasoline powered craft are allowed, and a fishing pier is at the southeast corner of the lake.

For further information, call (352) 236-0288.

Other attractions and recreation:

Silver Springs The Horse Capital of the World Ocala National Forest Water Sports Festivals Motorsports FLORIDA FRESHWATER FISHING SERIES - LAKE GEORGE Lake George is the second-largest freshwater lake (only Lake Okeechobee is bigger) in the Sunshine State and the largest along the trace of the St. Johns River. Covering some 46,000 acres (14 miles by 6 miles), George lies approximately halfway between the headwaters of the St. Johns River (the Melbourne/Palm Bay area) and the river's closure with the mighty Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville. As with most Florida lakes and rivers, Lake George has a number of very specific 'personal' traits and characteristics which give it a distinctiveness all its own. First, it has possibly the most consistent bottom structure possible. Once you have moved across the shallow areas bordering the shorelines and out past the sloping drop-off, from six into 10 feet of water, the bottom topography of 'Big George' has hardly any variation in its entire length and width. We cruised a large portion of the lake with an Eagle graph recorder and found virtually no variations, save the normal drop-line that follows the shoreline. Second, George has a significant salt content. In fact, the saline level is high enough that numerous salt-water fish and plant species thrive in its waters. There is a large blue crab fishery that forms a significant part of the local economy. The St. Johns River waters, entering the lake at the South end, contain a good amount of salt from the run-off waters and springs, which enter between Lake Harney and George. In addition, three feeder creeks (Juniper, Silver Glen Spring Run, and Salt Springs) on the West side of George add a salty water influx. Salt Springs Creek, as the name would imply, is particularly salty. The waters gradually dilute as the river flows to the North, particularly when the clean, fresh waters of the Oklawaha River enter. The sources of the salt are the massive, underground marine deposits left from eons ago when the St. Johns basin, and the lands to the East, were still a part of the Atlantic Ocean floor. The third trait of Lake George is the lack of vegetation, except along the shallow shorelines. Within the areas of open water, there is virtually no natural cover or growth. And, finally, the fourth item is the active Armed Forces bombing range, which lies along the East-central portion of the lake. This is an approximate nine-mile by two mile rectangle used for the training and certification of pilots and bombardiers. There are some features of the range area, which are of fishing and boating significance, and we will cover these in our usual tour of the lake. For our tour, let's start mid-way along the eastern shore, at Pine Island camp grounds and fish camp. John and Mary Solmonson, who manage the facility, gave us a general orientation and 'map-talk', plus some pointers on seasonally fishing the lake. Exiting from the small, short canal that leads from the ramp to the lake, we turn North, up along the eastern shoreline. As we start this turn, we note the large, wooden pilings far out into the foggy mist that shrouds the main lake. These we file away for later reference. The area in near the shoreline is very shallow and generally bordered by reeds and some standing grasses. To the outside of the reeds, we find significant amounts of eelgrass, mixed with some peppergrass. The eelgrass usually thins out and disappears when the depth gets to 4-5 feet. From that point, out to the gentle, rolling main drop-off, there appears to be no vegetation to speak of. It is generally 100-400 yards from the natural shoreline, out across this flat, to the main drop-off into the main lake. Once past the drop (into 10-12 feet) and in the deep water, we found no vegetation, either. This shoreline and vegetation pattern seems to hold constant all around the main lake body. You will note old pilings scattered along the shoreline flats, with some extending out to the edge of the deep water. Those, which reach close to the deeper area, have potential for bass. We found a plastic worm to work well. Obviously, a Springtime lure would also be a spinner bait. These pilings also indicate that for each one we can see, there are possibly 10 underwater hidden from view. A 'word to the wise' says to confine your high-speed motoring to the deep-water areas and only idle in the flats. On the Northeast shoreline, marked on the map accompanying this article, is an area of special interest to bass anglers. The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (FG&FWFC) has designated this stretch of water as off-limits to fishing during the prime bass spawning season. It is well marked with large poles and brightly-colored signs. Approximately mid-way of the restricted area are the remains of an old target ship. Lying on its side in the shallow waters, this relic of a war era gone by spends the remainder of its days rusting away and serving as a curiosity to the visitors. The intent of this restricted area effort is prohibit the taking of bedding bass and insure a maximum spawn. The hatched fry are then sampled to determine a density count in the area. The FG&FWFC biologists compare this count to counts taken in other parts of Lake George to determine if the taking of bedding bass has any significant effect on the results of the spawn. So far, the answer is no, it appears to have no appreciable effect. Apparently, two factors strongly influence this finding. First, few large, bedding female bass are actually taken. Most are very reluctant to strike any live bait or artificial. Second, these trophy-size bass constitute only a small portion of the overall spawning population. At the North end of Lake George, we find Drayton Island. The main river channel and lake exit passes to the East of the island, with numerous marinas and camp areas along the East shoreline. To the West of the island, another passage exists. This one is not a main passage, but most boaters can navigate it easily if they follow the deeper water. The area around Drayton Island is Coquina stone, a form of compressed small stones, sand and shells. This provides some very hard and clean bottom structure and has some nice drop-offs and deep bank areas. The West side of Drayton Island, in-between Kinsley and Rocky Points, was found to have a very sharp drop from 6 into approximately 12 feet of water. A medium-depth crank plug (we used a Bagley DB II and a Rebel Deep Wee-R, as examples) produced good, chunky largemouths all along the West drop-line. The drop on the East side was not as steep and a plastic worm seemed to work better there. As a suggestion, this area would appear to be best on windy days, when strong southerly or northerly winds would push induced water currents through the channel. We suspect that the bass gather to feed on this artificial current flow. As we start down the West shore, we first come to Salt Cove. This is fed by the influx of the already-mentioned Salt Springs Creek. This section of Lake George is usually the first to experience a spawn of both bass and speckled perch (crappie). This is primarily because the entering spring waters run a constant 72 degrees (F) year-round. Also, the northern portion of a lake always gets more of the warming late-Winter/early-Spring sun and the northerly winds of Spring have less effect in this area. At the lower corner of Salt Cove is a small feature known as Lisk Point. There is a good amount of eelgrass in this area and it produces some fine bass angling. Just below Lisk Point, there is a shallow flat that extends far out into the main body of the lake. There are some pilings out on the edge of the deep water, which nearly always seem to hold bass. If the bass are not in against the pilings, move out on the drop and try a very deep crank plug (such as a DB III or Magnum Hellbender) and a plastic worm. There are some remains of an old pier or some structure that collapsed and slid off into the deep water, right at the base of the drop-off. These remains have rotted away significantly, but can still hang up a lure. Hunt for them and you should also find a bass or two. In the Summer, crappie will also hang out on this deep cover. Approximately two-thirds of the way down the West shoreline, we come to Silver Glen Spring Run. About two miles further South, we find Juniper Point, just above the entrance of Juniper Creek. From Silver Glen Spring Run to Juniper Point is another of those FG&FWFC off-limits areas to fishing during the bass spawning season. Again, it will be well marked and easily detectable. All three creeks on this side of the lake are very good bass fishing, especially when heavy rains have made the creeks run strongly. Try the areas around the mouth first and then move into the creeks for a distance. Since all three run at the constant 72 degrees (F), the cover and flats near their mouths are good for spawning bass. Striped bass also make good spawning runs into the creeks (although they do not actually reproduce in these waters), particularly the more-saline Salt Creek. We were told that this Striper migration usually occurs in the Spring. From the mouth area of Juniper Creek to Volusia Bar, there is a line of submerged pilings. Some are visible, especially when the water levels are low. Bass and crappie are regular inhabitants. We suggest you motor carefully in this area and place a few marker buoys to reference the piling line. Juniper Cove is rated as very good for drift fishing for crappie. A the extreme South end of Lake George is the entrance of the St. Johns River. Through years of river flow, a very large and shallow slit area, called Volusia Bar, built up across this entrance. In order to retain navigational freedom, a channel is maintained. A portion of this man-made entrance point is lined with rock and some timbers and is locally referred to as the 'Cow Pen'. Many different species of fish gather at this moving-water location to feed. Largemouth and striped bass are the two most commonly found. Watch for surface feeding action in and around the Cow Pen and use spoons, top-water lures and Shad-A-Lac (vibrating, free-running crank plug) style lures. Also, be sure to toss crank plugs and plastic worms near the obstructions present. In the Southeast corner of the lake is Jones Cove. Surface schooling bass use this location well during the May/June and September/October periods. Some of the lake's larger crappie are taken drifting live minnows and small jigs a few hundred yards out from the shoreline. Nine-mile Point is the next feature and lies just up the lower East shoreline. On the bank, you will note a bombing range control tower and a microwave communications tower. Directly in front of this complex, a line of old pilings runs from the shore out to the drop into deep water. At the end of these pilings, some 250 yards into the lake, there are the remains of a deteriorated dock. While the squared-off set of dock pilings are mostly still visible, the platform materials have long since rotted and sunk. Some of the old boards and timbers are in amongst the remaining pilings, while other slid off into the deeper zones. On our visit to George, we took a good string of 2-3 pond bass off the dock remains and the outer 100 yards of pilings. A Texas-rig plastic worm was used in the more snag-prone dock area, while a Carolina-rig worked extremely well around the individual pilings. Nine-mile Point is bordered by an outer growth ring of eelgrass and an inner ring of reeds and small pads. Some peppergrass is mixed in. This entire point is rated excellent bass fishing by all the local anglers we talked to. We were told to work the eel grass using spinner baits (in the Spring and Fall) and plastic worms (year-round.) A slowly fished, weedless Johnson Spoon, with a plastic trailer, was recommended for hot weather. Willow Cove was indicated as a good spawning location for bass and crappie. Willow Point has a large stand of isolated reeds out in the open water. This was the only place in Lake George that we noted this condition, although there may be others. The water in the reeds is 4-6 feet deep and there is no grass or other hindering growth. A spinner bait or worm can be cast far into the reeds and retrieved back with no far of hanging up. My partner and I found a huge school of small bass (1-2 pounds) dispersed throughout this reed stand. John Solmonson, at the Pine Island Marina indicated that the East shoreline was his overall choice for the better fishing and that it helped the angler avoid the common easterly winds from the coast. For certain, he indicated, this shore was the best for shellcrackers and big, bull bluegills in the June-August timeframe. The West shore, particularly near the creek entrances seem best during the late-Winter/early-Spring. When we started the tour of Lake George, we noted a cluster of pilings out in the lake. There are actually three of them and they are laid out in a circular pattern and serve as 'targets' for the bombing range. The center cluster is the largest and is significant because it has a ship sunk in the middle of the piling circle. Local anglers, who know the ship is there, find it a fine place to take crappie year-round. In the months of May through July, the lake's striped bass population often provided great surface action in the bombing range area, particularly near the pilings. Watch for them and you can get the kinks out of your line in a hurry. There are numerous fish camps and facilities around Lake George, particularly along the upper, Northeast section. Another is located at the South end, at Volusia Bar, and, of course, the Pine Island facility is on the East side. Additionally, the town of Crescent City is only 15 minutes East of Lake George and has ample facilities for overnight stays.

Camps Golf Parks Shopping Centers Culture