Wekiva Springs!
Over the years, we have come to Central Florida for vacation, but have only gone to the beaches and the attractions in the Orlando area. When we moved here, we discovered Wekiva Springs, as a place to really experience and learn what natural beauty Central Florida has. We feel like Wekiva Springs is the true representation of Florida.
When we first moved to Central Florida, on the first day that we spent with our Realtor, Nicole Van Treese of Century 21, she highly recommended that we take our boys to Wekiva Springs, a Florida State Park located at the headwaters of the Wekiva River, about 4 miles west of I-4 and about 6 miles northeast of Apopka.
This beautiful state park has natural spring waters coming up from underground that feed into the Wekiva River, and make a perfect relaxation spot for swimmers, practically year round, with it's constant 70 degree temperature.
My best way to describe Wekiva Springs is, as I have discovered the three times I have taken my family there, is first, you drive to the State Park location which is forested with groves of tall straight pine trees. Follow the signs to the the state park, and then you will come to the ranger's booth where you pay a $6.00 entrance fee. This is the fee no matter the day, or the time, even if the park closes shortly after you arrive. The park closes at 6:00, by the way.
Just by way of information, I think almost all state parks close by 6:30, which is great, for keeping them safe, in my opinion.
The rangers are very friendly, and you can pay your fee with your debit card.
When you get into the park you can go two ways: To the left you take a several mile winding road, albeit flat and level, that takes you to the campgrounds. Take this road at dusk and you can see all different types of wildlife. My feeling is the road is about five miles long, so if you go left, and you don't want to, you will be driving a bit before getting yourself turned back the other way.
Go to the right and you will shortly find the parking lot to the springs.
We have been there various days of the week and times of the day, and parking has never been a problem, but we have not been there on a weekend or an extremely hot summer day, and I hear that it gets very crowded at those times.
Walking toward the springs from the parking lot, you will find a boardwalk. About halfway down you find restrooms and changing rooms, and you will also find a small nature center. Every time we have been there, we have seen the ranger there with her daughter, and they are very eager and willing to share the displays at the nature center. They are eager to share what they know, not only about the springs, themselves, but the Central Florida area. The ranger is very knowledgeable about the area and has helped me as a newcomer to learn how to navigate around the area.
The boardwalk branches off one way going straight down to the springs, which is a about a 300 yard walk down stairs, for those of you with knee issues, and then there's a branch off to the right where you can find lockers, a snack shop, and more stairs that lead down to the right side of the springs.
I haven't actually checked to see if there is a handicap path to the springs, and there is no listing on the accessibility amenities on their web site, so plan for extra help to get down to the springs if you have accessibility concerns. You might want to call ahead in advance to check it out.
The springs are bordered by a concrete wall and a boardwalk bridge which separate the swimmers from the Wekiva River, and the snakes and alligators. We have felt very safe swimming in the springs, with no worries of being pestered by anything more than a few mosquitoes, a lot of noseeums, or chiggers, ants, and bluegill fish.
Walking along the right side of the springs, to toward the river, and then making a right turn you will find the kayak and canoe rental. It closes at 4:30 p.m., so you need to get there at least by 2:00 p.m. if you are planning to do anything in the river.
The cost on the day we were there was $15 per person for 2 hours of kayak or canoe rental.
We have never kayaked or canoed on the river, but I will tell you we saw several women over the age of 55 kayaking there for their first time and they were having the time of their lives. I heard one woman comment that it was far easier than she had imagined.
To the left of the springs, is a very nice hiking trail which we took for 1/2 mile out that goes a long the river.
If you plan on going to the springs, I suggest that you take the following:
snacks (you will get hungry)
sunglasses
your own lock to lock the lockers
beach towel
swimming shoes in case you get creeped out by the dirt bottom of the springs
bugspray (this is a must - more important than anything else you can bring)
2 quarters and a penny for the penny smasher at the nature center
Swimming at the springs with kids is easy. If you're kids are good swimmers, like mine who have earned their swimming merit badges through scouts, they can easily swim all around the springs without you having to worry about them.
Just a word of caution: DO NOT, yes I am yelling for emphasis, and I'll do it again, DO NOT swim north of the bridge in the Wekiva River. It looks inviting, and it's got alligators, and those alligators have eaten arms of swimmers who did not heed the warnings!
I haven't felt worried about the people swimming at the springs, meaning that the springs tends to attract people who have taken the initiative to plan out their day, who are there to swim, and enjoy friends and family, also meaning they don't seem to be the party type of crowd that would harass or threaten you. It seems to be a very family friendly place.
Not that I would drop my kids off and let them take care of themselves there, but I feel comfortable going there as the only adult and watching my kids swim. Everyone I have come in contact with have been responsible and congenial people.
Alcohol consumption in the picnic area is permitted, so that lends to the family atmosphere. We were there during early spring break, and about six college kids were there, and they were all very well behaved.
For the young swimmers, it's not difficult for a parent to go into the right entrance into the water with the child, just make sure your non-swimmers have a personal flotation device (PFD) on. I have been able to sit on the concrete edge and have my non-swimmer swim just below me while I watch him.
There are no lifeguards on duty, so plan accordingly.
There is also a handicap lift chair that will lift those with physical disabilities into the water.
The water itself is very clear, and like I said earlier, a constant 70 degrees which is too cold for a winter day swim, but you will still see swimmers in the springs on a February day, and it is very refreshing on a hot day.
Toward the south end of the swimming hole, there is a gaping crevasse leading to the center of the earth, who knows how far down, and this is the source of the springs where the water shoots out from underground. My kids love to swim over there, and the water pushes them away from the crevasse in the ground, there are no worries about them being swallowed up into the underground, although I must say it still makes me nervous to have them swim over there, and I encourage them not to.
There is also a huge rock in the middle of the swimming hole that swimmers can swim to and sunbathe on. One day, there was actually a college student swimming the springs in a merman suit, and he climbed up on the rock just like you would imagine seeing a merman, or mermaid do for sunbathing. We figured it was a college dare of some sort. He looked ridiculous, but it made for some interesting conversation.
I highly recommend the Wekiva Springs State Park, which is an hour north of Disney, as a place to visit away from the attractions. The value for the money spent, is well worth it. It's a great way to see the real Florida. We are so glad that Nicole recommended it. We have had such a good time, we've been there three times in the three months we have been in Central Florida, and we plan on going back over and over again.
To learn more about the Wekiva Springs, follow this link to the State Park web site:
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Wekiwa-Springs
