Rock Springs At Kelly Park: Beautiful Spring And Park – The Florida Guidebook (2024)

Rock Springs is one of the most beautiful springs in Florida, and one of my favorite springs to visit.

Kelly Park is less than 30 miles away from Orlando, but to me, it feels like I’m in a different world.

The spring and park is surrounded by beautiful, peaceful nature and lots of Florida Wildlife. I think the county does a great job at balancing the natural spring experience with an appropriate level of infrastrucutre and park amenities.

The main attraction at Kelly Park is a gorgeous natural spring and spring run, which is great for tubing. I usually tell people to imagine a “natural lazy river” to set expectations.

Rock Springs starts flowing from its spring vent, located inside Dr. Howard A. Kelly Park. After rising from the spring vent, it forms a small, clear river known as Rock Springs Run.

Rock Springs Run flows downstream for 8 miles. There, it merges with another spring run to form the Wekiva River.

Tubing

Most people who visit Rock Springs do so for the amazing tubing. This is our favorite activity.

The process for tubing Rock Springs is that you float from the top of the spring run, to the bottom, then repeat as much or as little as you want.

Tubes are available for rent outside the park, but they aren’t available from inside Kelly Park. The concessionaire does have other stuff for sale, but they don’t rent tubes.

You’re allowed to bring your own tubes and pool noodles. I suggest bringing your own tube to avoid the hassle of dealing with an outside rental.

Tubes are surprisingly inexpensive. They’re almost the same price as a rental, plus you get to have your own forever, and avoid the cost of renting in the future. We like these tubes and always see a lot of other people with them.

Note: If you bring your own tubes, remember that tubes can’t be more than 5 feet long or wide!

This video shows the entire process for tubing Rock Springs, from entering the park to exiting the spring run.

To tube Rock Springs, you launch your tube at the top of the spring run, near the spring’s vent.

This is where all of the water flows out of, into Rock Springs Run. There are wooden stairs which go down toward the river, and it’s very easy.

Some people launch their tubes a bit further upstream, above the bridge, and closer to the spring vent. This requires navigating through rocks, though. It’s best to launch from the tube launching point downstream from the bridge.

You’ll float through a beautiful natural lazy river, and under a beautiful canopy of trees. It almost feels like a jungle.

Some areas will have shallow spots, and there are rocks in some areas that you need to dodge. You’ll often see wildlife on the sides of the spring run.

About 15-20 minutes after launching you’ll get to a bridge, which is the end of the tubing run. There is a long, easy ramp out of the river.

After you float the river you can walk back up along a paved path to float down again, or take a break. Many people float the spring run over and over, spending all day on the river.

Note: Kayaking is allowed in the spring run below the bridge, but swimming and tubing are prohibited past the wooden bridge and exit.

Alligators: What to Know

Note: Alligators do live in the wilderness around Rock Springs, and sometimes enter Kelly Park. There are warning signs all around the park.

If an alligator is seen near swimming areas the park staff may close the area, and may remove the alligator.

Alligator activity can sometimes require temporary closures, although they do not usually cause problems.

I have never personally seen a gator while visiting Kelly Park, although it does happen, and I’ve seen gators in other springs before.

In my experience, alligators do not like to be around people, and rarely cause problems at springs.

The following video shows a 5 ft. alligator being removed from Rock Springs.

Many signs in Kelly Park/Rock Springs warn alligators, snakes and dangerous wildlife. Alligators can live in nearly every large body of water in Florida.

There’s at least one recorded incident of a serious alligator attack in the region. In the past the spring and river have been closed to swimming, tubing and water entry due to alligator danger. It is always a good idea to check the park status before visiting, and be sure to notify park personnel if you see a gator.

Wildlife

Rock Springs is located inside the city of Apopka, but it doesn’t feel like the city at all.

It’s surrounded by environmentally protected land, and feels like a true natural adventure. For being inside a city, there’s a surprising amount of Florida wildlife.

One reason wildlife is so abundant around Rock Springs is because of the huge amount of protected land; they have a much larger habitat to roam through.

If you look at a google map you’ll see a huge area of green protected areas.

Almost all of these natural areas are continuously connected to each other. This lets wildlife roam freely, and expands their natural habitat.

• Kelly park/Rock Springs
• Wekiwa Springs State Park
• Rock Springs Run
• Lower Wekiva River
• Rock Springs Run State Preserve
• Wekiva River Buffer Conservation Area
• Seminole State Forest
• Black Bear Wilderness Area
• Blue Springs State Park

Visitors to Rock Springs Kelly Park, and the surrounding areas, often see local Florida wildlife:

• Birds
• Squirrels
• Raccoons
• Turkeys
• Deer
• Snakes
• Fish
• Turtle

If you’re lucky you might even see rare Florida animals:

• Bald eagle
• Otters
• Black bear
• Alligators
• Snakes

Water Temperature

The water in Kelly Park Rock Springs is 68 degrees all the time. That makes it a year-round destination.

In the summer the water is refreshingly cold on a hot, sweaty summer day. On a warm winter day it’s still fine for swimming or floating.

Swimming

There are shallow, sandy areas perfect for children, and also larger, deeper areas for older kids.

The largest swimming area is in the main pool section.

There is also a very small swimming area near the Rock Springs head spring, although most of the spring run in the upper section is blocked by rocks in the water.

There is a very small area near the head spring vent with water which is a bit deeper. Jumping or diving into the water in this area is extremely dangerous due to shallow depths and rocks, which can cause serious injury.

Canoeing and Kayaking

Excellent Canoeing and kayaking is available further downstream at King’s Landing, but is not allowed within Kelly Park.

Canoe and kayak launching is usually available at Camp Joy. It was closed for quite a long time, but it now appears to be open, at least partially. More information can be found at the Camp Joy webpage.

Important Visiting Tip: Get there early!

Kelly Park/Rock Springs has strict visitor limits to preserve the environment and prevent overcrowding.

It’s best to try to go on weekdays. If you must go on a weekend try to arrive as early as possible to have a better chance of getting in!

Park Amenities

• Full-service on-site food and concession: Snacks and some river gear
• Picnic pavilions and BBQ grills
• Children’s playground
• Volleyball courts
• Beautiful, crystal clear water
• Swimming
• Tubing (Tube rentals are available outside the park or bring your own)
• Pristine nature and hiking trails
• Cool limestone caves, boulders and rock formations
• Great chances to see wildlife
• Very family-friendly
• 30 miles from Orlando!

Campground

There is a nice campground in Kelly Park for on-site camping, including sites for tents and RVs.

There are also other options for camping nearby. One of my favorite places to camp is Wekiwa Springs State Park, which also has its own springs and paddling.

A nearby campground, Camp Joy, is available for group camping by reservation only.