Silver River Wildlife Tour: Monkeys, Manatees, and More

Explore Florida’s wildlife on a clear kayak tour. Spot gators, monkeys, and manatees with expert guides. Discover the vibrant Silver River ecosystem.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Silver Springs State Park - Discover the beauty of Silver Springs State Park with the Clear Kayak Gator Viewing Tour, offering a unique and safe opportunity to observe Florida’s iconic alligators in one of the state’s most stunning spring systems. Glide through the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Silver River, where exceptional visibility…
What's Included
  • Photos
  • Stand Up Paddleboard or Kayak, Paddle, Life Vest and Leash
What's Not Included
  • $6 per person State Park/launch fee
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

This tour presents a unique chance to witness Florida’s most iconic wildlife from the distinct perspective of a clear kayak or paddleboard on the Silver River. With outstanding water clarity, participants can often observe fish and turtles swimming beneath while alligators relax along the shore — all from a safe and respectful distance.
Silver Springs is…

Location
Silver Springs State Park
East Silver Springs Boulevard
When you arrive at Silver Springs State Park follow the large arrow head on the sign into the parking area (turn to the left). Once you turn, drive straight and park all the way at the far end of the lot. You will meet your guide in the wood chip staging area near the Paddling Adventure Launch.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(18 Ratings)
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1 star
Courtney_h
Oct 30, 2025
Roger was a brilliant... - Roger was a brilliant guide. Really funny with a good knowledge of the wildlife in the area and the area itself. We had a great day seeing gators, manatees, loads of turtles and incredible bird life. Dover springs itself is gorgeous.
Review provided by Viator
Arjang1983
Feb 12, 2025
Gators, turtles and more! - Great experience with a very enthusiastic tour guide (Roger). He showed us the way along the river and pointed out the wildlife. He also gave us a lot of information regarding the history of the side. Although we are experienced kayakers, he was very calm and patient with people who had little to no experience. We loved it and enjoyed this experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richardgk7746rs
Oct 22, 2024
Worth Every Penny! - This was such a fun tour! The guide was very knowledgeable about the location and alligators behavior. It was very safe as the guide explained they are very docile as they are used to seeing tons of people on a daily basis. The tour guide is always closer to the gators than we are so it is great to know the Epic guides are all about knowledge, fun, and safety. Thank you for the amazing experience, highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
435bryceh
Oct 19, 2024
Down on the bayou - When we first went to go on the tour my girlfriend and I were alil weary of the gator, thinking some monster croc is gonna come up out of nowhere. Put the guides put out minds at easy, assured us we wouldn't be in any harms way, as we went the guides put themselves in between us and any gator of any size but even still these gigantic prehistoric lizards didn't even move, 1 bellowed saying "hello" but that was all, it was a little startling but incredibly cool
Review provided by Tripadvisor
257savannahw
Oct 19, 2024
Gator seeing tour silver springs - This experience was wonderful! Kind and knowledgeable staff! I'm in awe because of all the amazing wildlife to see. Beautiful spring waters. I recommend this instead of busy theme parks :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V4932jdrobertb
Oct 18, 2024
If you WANT to see gators... - This is a great experience. As a paddleboarder, I am partial to that, but the tour itself is fantastic! The guides are all knowledgeable, but they make it fun, not just "info-tour". Yes, if you WANT to see gators, this is a tour that delivers!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
473lindsayg
Oct 15, 2024
Best part of our trip! - My family and I had such a wonderful time! I HIGHLY recommend this tour! The guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. Very beautiful scenery.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauralj7431cp
Sep 24, 2024
Amazing Guide - It’s beautiful here lots of manatee. Guy was amazing guide. His knowledge of the outdoors was incredible.Thank you Guy
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T2710zsrebeccad
Dec 21, 2022
Unexpected cold front? No problem. - Our family of four had a great time on our kayak tour. Our guides were awesome and very respectful of the natural environment. We were fortunate enough to observe a lot of natural wildlife - manatee, alligator, fish and birds. For us, the weather turned a little chilly, but our guides helped us stay dry all the way from our hats to our sneakers. If you don’t want to get wet, just ask the guides for their pro tips. :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bethrx5077ao
Feb 20, 2026
Be prepared - I enjoyed it for the most part, saw 3 gators a manatee and lots of birds. It's a beautiful place. The only thing I would suggest is that Epic is more upfront about the difficulty in paddling a wide kayak like they use for older and/or out of shape folks. It's pretty strenuous, especially coming back going against the current. I would definitely go again with other friends. This time of year it was perfect, warm, sunny day, not too hot. I wouldn't want to do it in the summer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $80
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).