Wekiwa Springs State Park

A virtual jungle on the fringe of the Orlando metro area, Wekiwa Springs State Park is one of the finest and busiest parks in Florida, thanks to the many ways you can enjoy its natural wonders. The heart of the park is Wekiwa Spring, pouring out more than 42 million gallons of fresh water per day to form the Wekiva (yes, different spelling) River. Always a swimming hole, the springs are surrounded by lush forests where visitors can camp, enjoy an extensive mountain biking and hiking trail system, or go fishing on the river. Sand Pond is the launch point for biking, bicycling, and equestrian expeditions into the extensive acreage that the ...

A virtual jungle on the fringe of the Orlando metro area, Wekiwa Springs State Park is one of the finest and busiest parks in Florida, thanks to the many ways you can enjoy its natural wonders. The heart of the park is Wekiwa Spring, pouring out more than 42 million gallons of fresh water per day to form the Wekiva (yes, different spelling) River. Always a swimming hole, the springs are surrounded by lush forests where visitors can camp, enjoy an extensive mountain biking and hiking trail system, or go fishing on the river. Sand Pond is the launch point for biking, bicycling, and equestrian expeditions into the extensive acreage that the park protects, with more than 13 miles of trails extending through the sandhills, scrub, and swamp forests along Rock Springs Run. The run, a tributary of the Wekiva River, gushes out of a cave at Kelly Park and forms one of the park boundaries. It’s extremely popular for canoe trips starting outside the park from King’s Landing. A sandy beach serves as a campsite for overnight expeditions along the run, with another primitive campsite reserved for backpackers.

About the Expert

Sandra Friend has written 12 books about Florida, including the Explorer's Guide (Countryman Press) series to Florida.