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Wekiwa Springs & Rock Springs Day Trip Guide: Orlando's Best Natural Springs, Tubing & Kayaking
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items You don't have to drive two hours for that crystal-clear springs magic — Wekiwa Springs and Rock Springs at Kelly Park are 30 minutes from downtown Orlando. 72-degree water year-round, lazy-river tubing, clear-kayak tours, and real Florida wilderness...
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The classic Orlando spring — 72 degrees even in August, with kayak rentals right at the springhead. Get there before 10am on weekends or the park hits capacity and closes the gates.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
The best natural lazy river in Central Florida — rent a tube outside the gate and float Rock Springs' crystal run over and over. It fills up FAST in summer, so arrive at opening.
Kelly Park - Rock Springs
Launch point for the famous Emerald Cut — the most beautiful stretch of paddling in Central Florida, hands down. Book the 8:30am launch and you'll have the run nearly to yourself.
King's Landing
Rent a cabana, grab a drink at the Tooting Otter, and paddle the Wekiva River right from the dock. It's the grown-up way to do a springs day — part river outpost, part hangout.
Wekiva Island
Clear-bottom kayaks over gin-clear water — you can watch fish and turtles glide right underneath you. The guided sunset and glow tours are worth the extra few bucks.
Get Up And Go Kayaking - Rock Springs
14,000 acres of real Florida across the river from Wekiwa — hiking, horseback trails, and primitive camping if you want to make it an overnight. Look for the resident black bears (from a distance).
Rock Springs Run State Reserve
The reward after a day in the water - old-school steakhouse in Apopka with hand-cut steaks that outclass most Orlando spots at half the fuss. Worth the short drive from the springs.
The Back Room Steakhouse
The quiet way to do the Wekiva - launch a kayak here and paddle a stretch of river most tubers never see. Shaded, slow, and full of herons and turtles.
Katie's Landing at Wekiva River
Biker-bar energy right outside Kelly Park - cold beer, big burgers, and live music on weekends. The move when you come out of the tube line hungry.
Rock Springs Bar & Grill
The spring runs are rocky and shell-strewn, so water shoes are non-negotiable. These dry fast, grip slick limestone, and survive being dragged up the Kelly Park run all day.
SEEKWAY Quick-Dry Water Shoes Men Women
Ties to your tube and floats your drinks and snacks down the run with you. On a summer Saturday at Kelly Park this thing earns its keep by noon.
Floating Cooler
Phones, keys, and towels stay bone dry even when the kayak flips - ask me how I know. Clip one to your tube and stop worrying about the splash fights.
Dry Bags Waterproof
Kelly Park rents tubes, but bringing your own beats the line and these heavy-duty ones shrug off the rocky spots that pop cheap pool floats. Two summers in and ours are still going.
Heavy Duty River Tubes For Floating
The budget-friendly springs day - a flowing artesian swimming hole with a day-use pass that costs less than most parking lots. Gets busy, but the water is that same clear 72 degrees.
Wekiva Falls RV Resort
For the float itself - photos of the kids on the run without the heart attack when someone drops a phone. Touchscreen works through the pouch and it floats if it slips.
Waterproof Phone Pouch