4 Nature Parks in Central Florida

It’s a Florida I had never imagined. Like many people, I’ve enjoyed the Sunshine State’s beaches—both Atlantic and Gulf coasts—and experienced the go-go-go theme parks. But Central Florida’s natural springs and opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing were never on my radar until I learned about them from a friend. A trip to St. Petersburg with my adult daughter, Valerie, was already on my agenda, so we decided to extend our trip and explore some of these nature parks for ourselves.

 

We flew into Orlando International Airport, rented a car,  and, within three days, visited four parks within a two-hour drive of theme-park central.  

 

Wekiwa Springs State Park. Photo courtesy of Florida State Parks

 

WEKIWA SPRINGS STATE PARK | APOPKA

The big attraction at Wekiwa Springs State Park is, of course, the natural springs, and that’s where we headed. A big lawn surrounds a portion of the swimming area, where you can station your towel and supplies for the day. Bring a picnic, or buy foods like burgers and hot dogs at the snack bar. There are also two pavilions with picnic tables.

 

Multiple entry points lead to the aquamarine-colored waters, which remain about 72 degrees year-round. It took some self-convincing to take the plunge into that cool water, which feels bracing at first, but we did eventually get used to it. On that 90-degree day, it came to feel quite refreshing. The average depth of the half-acre swimming area is 4 feet. There is a swim lift for those who need help getting into and out of the water.

 

Canoe and kayak rental are available from the park’s concession: Wekiwa Springs State Park Nature Adventures. You can paddle on the Wekiva River or Rock Springs Run.

 

Note that Wekiwa Springs is a very popular park, particularly on weekends and daily in the summer. Get there early to avoid getting shut out.

 

A day paddle through King's Landing. Photo courtesy of Justin Buzzi

 

KING’S LANDING | APOPKA

Just 14 miles from Wekiwa Springs State Park, King’s Landing bills itself as “Nature’s Theme Park.” The site offers self-guided and guided paddling adventures. I usually prefer a guided paddling experience when on unfamiliar waters, for both safety and the opportunity to learn about the area.

 

You can paddle with the King’s Landing concessionaire, but we were unable to get a reservation with them, so we booked with Get Up and Go Kayaking, which came highly recommended by the local tourism office. The cool thing about Get Up and Go is that they have clear kayaks, so you can see the water below you as well as around you. The clear kayaks make it easier to spot fish, and they make you feel as if you’re just floating on the water.

 

Don’t worry about the murky water by the dock; it quickly turns to crystal-clear waters as you navigate out of the manmade channel.

 

Our small group tour (10 people in five kayaks) was led by Ashley, who had grown up coming to these waters before they became popular. She knew all the flora, and she pointed out wild blackberries and grapes as well as numerous types of blooming lilies: purple pickerel with its tiny flowers in cone-shaped clusters, yellow water lilies (spatterdock) and a white spider lily, which blooms for just 48 hours. We also got a close-up view of a tricolored heron, and one of the kayak pairs spied a deer in the woods.

 

As at Wekiwa, the waters here are also spring-fed and cool—about 68 to 72 degrees. Most of the river isn’t very deep, but it does have a few small sections about 5-feet deep where a few in our group took a quick dip. There was lots of photo-taking in these picturesque spots, where the depth made the water appear azure. At other times of the year, depending on the amount of rain, they might appear orange or yellow.

 

Ashley told us that the indigenous peoples believed the mineral waters had healing properties, and Valerie and I agreed that being in the water made us feel calmer in a way that pool water or the ocean doesn’t.

 

 

STAYS

Camping: Wekiwa Springs State Park offers primitive camping as well as sites with water and electrical hook-up, a fire ring with grill, and a picnic table. Campground restrooms include two accessible restrooms with showers. Note that black bears are native to the state park and caution should be exercised.

 

Hotels: There are numerous chain hotels in the Orlando/Apopka area, including a Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Since we were moving on to another state park next, we stayed at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, about 35 minutes from King’s Landing. Rates were as low as $99 for a weeknight in the summer of 2024, and the resort offers a host of activities and amenities, including golf, tennis, pickleball, shuffleboard, a spa and, of course, a pool. There are several on-site restaurants, too. When we were visiting, the inn was undergoing a refresh scheduled to be completed in fall 2024.

 

Rainbow Springs State Park. Photo courtesy of Justin Buzzi

RAINBOW SPRINGS STATE PARK | DUNNELLON

One of the big attractions at this state park less than two hours from Orlando is tubing on the Rainbow River. It’s offered every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day and on weekends in April, May and September. Unfortunately, we were there on a weekday in early May, so we missed out on what promised to be a fun experience.

 

Instead, we went swimming in the headsprings, where the water is 10 to 18 feet deep. You can enter the water via a set of stairs or a ladder.

 

We wished we had brought pool noodles, as we tired of treading water. (Rafts and tubes are not allowed in the park; the tubing area has a separate entrance.) The activity, however, did help to keep us warm in the 72-degree waters.

 

A concession stand sells sandwiches, snacks and drinks. There’s a grassy area where you can bask in the sun and relax, and there are some uncovered picnic tables. We found this park to be less crowded than Wekiwa Springs State Park, but that may have been because we arrived late in the day.

 

The park is closed to entry after a certain number of guests have arrived, so this is another place where you need to get there early (or, apparently, late afternoon, after others have already left the park).

 

Kayaks and canoes are available for rent from the in-park concessionaire for paddling on the Rainbow River. Near the swimming area, paved walkways shaded by live oak, magnolia and pine trees wend through a naturalistic garden punctuated by three human-made waterfalls. It’s a nice place for a stroll before or after swimming.

 

STAYS

Camping: Rainbow Springs State Park’s campground is a few miles from the headspring and day-use area, but you can access the river for fishing, swimming or paddling. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent from the campground store. All camp sites have water and electric and are equipped with sewer hook-ups.

 

Hotels: There’s a Comfort Suites in Dunnellon, but we chose to stay about half an hour away in Ocala at the Riding Academy Hotel. Rates vary, but they start at about $209 on weekdays. There’s also the even more upscale Equestrian Hotel as well as home rentals and a 300-slip RV park. Aside from the nice rooms, pools and splash pads for kids, the appeal of these unique hotel properties is that they’re on-site at the World Equestrian Center. Some  40 weeks a year, you can take in an equine dressage, jumping or western competition, and there are occasional dog shows. There are seven restaurants, too.

 

Circle B Bar Reserve. Photo courtesy of Jeff Spence
 

CIRCLE B BAR RESERVE | LAKELAND

Next up on our nature parks excursion in Central Florida was Circle B Bar Reserve, located about 90 minutes from Orlando and on our way to St. Petersburg. The 1,267-acre reserve on the site of a former cattle ranch protects valuable water and wildlife resources and marsh systems.

 

It's a place for hiking and wildlife viewing, and high on our list was seeing birds and alligators. The free reserve has a series of connecting mild to moderate trails that range from 0.4 to 1.3 miles, some in shade and some in sun. Hike them all to log some 7 miles.

 

Tram tours are offered several times a week during cooler months, depending on the availability of volunteer guides. At the Nature Discovery Center, interactive exhibits introduce the different habitats represented in this area of Florida, from oak hammocks and wetlands to flatwoods and lakes.

 

Our first wildlife spotting, aside from the numerous butterflies, was quite unexpected: an armadillo, which we had never seen in the wild. It was one of three that we saw during our two hours of hiking. On the Heron Hideout Trail, we saw great blue herons, red-winged hawks (including a squabbling pair), cattle egrets and other birds. During our brief foray onto the Alligator Alley trail, we spotted a baby alligator in the water that abuts the trail and, farther along, a larger alligator—perhaps the mama—also in the water. We decided to turn around and head back, as we were more than a little frightened that the larger alligator might decide to come onto land.

 

Tired and overheated, we took the direct route back to our car and its air conditioning. Even in the shade, it can get quite hot here, so bring enough water and try to time your visit for early morning or evening. That’s when wildlife is most likely to be active, too.

 

STAYS

Camping: Polk County lists five campgrounds on its website, four of which also accommodate RVs.

 

Hotels: Lakeland has a large number of hotel options, including all the usual suspects. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Lakeland, which is just 15 minutes from Circle B Bar Ranch and just off I-4. It’s in a complex of stores, restaurants and hotels and had a host of dining spots that we could walk to.