The natural lazy river

Kelly Park is a 355-acre Orange County park in Apopka — donated by Dr. Howard Kelly in 1927 — built around the head of Rock Springs Run. The main event needs no machinery: you float a crystal-clear spring run on a tube, drifting with the current through tunnels of overhanging trees, then walk a short trail back to the top and do it again.

Kelly Park Rock Springs: Experience the Natural Lazy River in Apopka, Florida

Chrissa Travels

Chrissa's complete guide to Kelly Park and Rock Springs in Apopka, Central Florida's natural lazy river. The 355-acre park — donated by Dr. Howard Kelly in 1927 — sits at the head of Rock Springs Run, a nine-mile spring run flowing toward the Wekiva River. She covers the tube float from the spring head to the take-out, the short trail walk back, and the park's swimming and picnic areas.

Key takeaways
  • Kelly Park is a 355-acre Orange County park in Apopka, about an hour from Orlando
  • The main event: tubing the clear, gentle Rock Springs Run
  • A short trail loops you back to the top after the float

What to Know Before Visiting Kelly Park Rock Springs in Apopka

Chrissa Travels

Chrissa's what-to-know-before-you-go guide to Kelly Park / Rock Springs. The essentials: spring water stays a refreshing 68–75 degrees year-round, the tree canopy keeps the paths cool, and the float down the run ends at a pier where you walk back. If you do not own a tube, vendors just outside the park rent them — and the park is popular enough in summer that arriving early matters.

Key takeaways
  • Spring water runs 68–75 degrees all year — cold and refreshing
  • Rent tubes from vendors outside the park entrance
  • Go early in summer: the park fills and can close at capacity

Rock Springs Run: One of The Most Stunning Kayaking Runs in Florida!

Chrissa Travels

A paddle down the Emerald Cut of Rock Springs Run, ranked here as Florida's number-one kayaking run. The video untangles the local names — Rock Springs in Kelly Park is where you swim and tube, while King's Landing is the launch for kayaking — then floats the jungle-like, crystal-clear run that flows from the spring toward the Wekiva River. Clear kayaks make it feel like paddling on glass above the emerald water.

Key takeaways
  • Kayak launches are at King's Landing, not inside Kelly Park
  • The Emerald Cut is the run's most scenic, jungle-like stretch
  • Clear kayaks give you a view straight down to the spring-fed bottom

The essentials

  • Entry is $5 for the day; the spring pumps about 26,000 gallons a minute
  • Water stays 68–75 degrees year-round — cold, clear, and refreshing
  • Tubes: bring your own, or rent from vendors outside the entrance (rentals may hold your ID)
  • Go early in summer — the park fills and can close at capacity

Float or paddle

Swimming and tubing happen inside Kelly Park; the kayaking launches at King's Landing, just outside it. Chrissa's paddle on this page ranks the Emerald Cut of Rock Springs Run as Florida's number-one kayaking run — jungle-like, crystal-clear, nine miles of spring run flowing toward the Wekiva River, with clear kayaks giving you a view straight to the bottom.

How To Enjoy The Beautiful Rock Spring Run

The Spanglish Family

A family day floating Rock Springs Run, shot as they go: the dads and kids swim, tube and goof around in the clear spring water for a five-dollar entry. Practical bits surface along the way — bring your own tube if you can, because the rental shop down the road holds your ID until you return it. Loose and unscripted, it is an honest look at what a real family float here feels like.

Key takeaways
  • Entry is just $5 for a full day at the spring
  • Bring your own tube — rentals require leaving your ID
  • Easy, shallow float that works for young kids

A Family Adventure In Beautiful Florida Springs {Kelly Park // Wekiwa Springs}

The Spanglish Family

The Spanglish Family takes the kids to Kelly Park inside the Wekiwa Springs area for a day of tubing and trails. They note the five-dollar entry and the sheer force of the spring — 26,000 gallons a minute pushing out water that stays the same temperature all year — and finish with the nature trail where deer regularly wander up close to hikers.

Key takeaways
  • The spring pumps about 26,000 gallons per minute
  • $5 entry, and the water temperature barely changes all year
  • Deer sightings on the trail are common

Hidden Florida Spring Near Orlando 💦 Rock Springs Tubing + Wildlife Tour

Gray Line Orlando Sightseeing Tours

Gray Line Orlando's promo for its Rock Springs experience: tubing the natural spring run at Kelly Park in Apopka, paired with the Apopka wildlife drive — the packaged day-trip version of the springs visit.

The family read

The family floats on this page confirm the gentle grade: shallow, easy water that works for young kids, picnic space, and deer that wander up to hikers on the nature trail. It's the locals' Orlando day off, an hour from the attractions.

Sources: the seven videos on this page — two full guides, a kayak run, two family days, and two official features — summarized from their entries in our catalog.

Watch: Kelly Park and Rock Springs, guided

1 videos · summaries from the actual guides

Florida Travel: Take a Ride on Rock Springs Run

VISIT FLORIDA

VISIT FLORIDA floats Rock Springs Run in Apopka: a gentle tube drift down the crystal-clear spring run from Kelly Park, through tunnels of overhanging trees.

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