Its no secret that Florida is known for sandy beaches, tall swaying palm trees and exciting theme parks. But in the middle of the state, just north of Orlando, FL is is a gorgeous natural nine mile run downriver you can explore by kayak, canoe or paddle board called Rock Springs Run. Its an incredibly scenic path of tall trees, clear water, lily pads and is bursting with native Florida wildlife. This page has affiliate links and if you purchase something from this page I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 5% of this blog’s revenue to the Environmental Defense Fund, so you help donate to a great cause if you click on any affiliate links or ads that may be on this page!
Rock Springs Run is a spring-fed stream originating from Rock Springs, which is situated inside Kelly Park, located in Apopka, Florida. The Rock Springs Run flows for 9.2 miles before ultimately joining with the Wekiwa River.
Starting the Journey at King’s Landing
We met up at Kings Landing, at 5722 Baptist Camp Road, Apopka, FL 32712 which will be your launch spot. You will need to enter the visitor center to pay and sign in. We brought our own kayak and paddle boards so we paid the launch fee of $10 each. Its very clean and well organized and the staff was super friendly.
However, if you are renting equipment, you will do so at this visitor center and you can check their website for prices and to make a reservation. Also note, if you intend on paddling the whole Rock Springs Run for the nine miles to Wekiwa Island, please know that you are responsible for transportation back to your vehicle at the launch site. At one time there was a shuttle from the end point of Rock Springs Run at Wekiva Island back to Kings Landing where you parked and started your journey, however they are currently suspended. So make sure that you either leave one vehicle at the ending spot, by 1014 Miami Springs Drive, Longwood, FL 32779 or arrange for transportation to take you back to your vehicle at Kings Landing.
I have an iRocker Stand Up Paddle Board. It only takes about 20 minutes to inflate and its extremely light and portable. I couldn’t be happier with this purchase it’s incredibly durable and is easy to deflate and pop in the trunk when you’re done. It comes with the pump, paddle, skags, leash and a carrying backpack and for the price, its a great quality inflatable SUP!
You can also take a guided tour, if you prefer, provided by several separate companies, not affiliated with Kings Landing. You can take a Kayak tour via “Get Up and Go” and can make your reservation and find additional information here. If you prefer to paddle board, Otter Paddle Orlando offers a guided tour, which can be reserved here. You can choose to rent a paddle board with them or bring your own for a discounted rate.
Exploring Emerald Cut
After launching, we first turned right, upstream to towards Emerald Cut, a part of the stream known for crystal clear waters of which you have perfect visibility to the sandy stream bed below. As you paddle the river upstream, you’ll navigate over fallen tree trunks and occasionally under looming branches as you continue to wind through the jungle like scenery. You’ll see how Emerald Cut earned its name as you take in the lush emerald water surrounded by tropical greenery and sandy stream below. As you continue to explore this tropical oasis, you’ll have a hard time believing you are still in the middle of Central Florida, its the perfect serene, natural escape from the Orlando theme parks and hectic traffic.
We explored Emerald Cut for about a half mile before deciding to turn around and head downstream for the nine mile journey towards Wekiwa Island. Rock Springs Run is one of two designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state of Florida, part of the complex ecological system of the Wekiva River Basin. This spring fed river is home to a multitude of wildlife, including river otters, deer, turtles, alligators, even black bears and monkeys. We encountered lots of birds, turtles and found one alligator sunbathing on the edge of the stream, so be sure to take caution and keep a safe distance from all wildlife you encounter. Also be sure to practice “leave no trace” principles and leave nature as you found it. We packed sandwiches and you’ll see I carried some accessories (Happy Birthday to me!) but we were careful to take all of our trash with us, we even picked up a few pieces we found to properly discard later. As this site gets more popular, its so important to keep it clean and for future generations.
Rock Springs Run: A Scenic Nine Mile Journey
The nine mile journey through Rock Springs Run is beautiful, however there are a lot of fallen trees in the river and it requires some navigation. If you’re fairly new to paddle boarding, you may want to get a little more experience first. There is a bit of a current, which is helpful but it does push you along at a brisk pace and the stream is windy and somewhat narrow. If you’re not comfortable navigating yet, this could be a challenge. The fins under the paddle board make navigating over the tree trunks challenging. Many times I scraped or hit the bottom of my board and fins, and once I needed to be pulled over where two fallen branches provided a narrow spot to cross through. If you look closely in some of the photos here, you will see several obstructions jutting out of the water. Our kayaker had an easier time, she didn’t have the fins below her, so she was able to move more easily over branches and logs, but she carried the cooler so was moving faster than any of us due to the current and extra weight. Overall, it was a really enjoyable trip, I would just consider this a bit more of an intermediate paddle and would save it for when you have some experience navigating.
Watch the full YouTube Video for the full experience down Rock Springs Run and through Emerald Cut!
Have you been to Rock Springs Run? Tell me what you think in a comment below!
