Although it is only about 30 minutes from Orlando, however, Kelly Park Rock Springs feels like you’re in a whole different world, a tropical oasis. Crystal clear water, cradled in between lush tropical plants, no wonder Kelly Park Rock Springs is one of the most beautiful springs in Florida. Besides the scenery, most people visit this place to go tubing down the refreshing spring run. This beautiful park is nature’s perfect lazy river.
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Where
Kelly Park Rock Springs State Park:
400 E Kelly Park RD, Apopka, FL 32712
Parking
Paved parking. Parking is limited to 280 vehicles per day.
Hours
- 8 am – 8 pm from March until early November
- 8 am – 6 pm from November until March
- All the waterfront and nature trails close daily 1 hour prior to the closing time.
Fee
- $3 per vehicle for 1-2 people
- $5 per vehicle for 3-8 people
- $1 for additional person/walk-ins/motorcycles/bikes.
Time:
You can easily spend a whole day here but we recommend spending at least 3-4 hours.
Pet-friendly
NO PETS. Only ADA service animals are welcomed.
Ideal Time
The park gets very busy during the summer, weekends, and holidays. So avoid those times if you can. The park also closes if there are chances of thunderstorms.
Weather
Video
What Is Rock Springs?
Even though you usually see Kelly Park and Rock Springs in the same sentence, they are two different things. Kelly Park is the name of the natural park while Rock Springs is the name of the spring which has headwaters inside Kelly Park. The popular tubing route in Kelly Park is called the Rock Springs Run, which starts at the headsprings of Rock Springs and goes for about 30 minutes until you reach the end area. However, Rock Springs continues on for about 8.5 miles after this endpoint. If you want to kayak or paddleboard, you can launch them from Kelly Park’s Camp Joy for a small fee.
Important Things to Know
Are There Gators in the Springs?
Like any body of water in Florida, there will always be a chance of alligators hanging out in the Kelly Park Rock Springs. That being said, they are not very common and usually do not cause problems. They tend to stay away from the springs and crowded areas. However, if you see alligators, make sure to notify the staff.
When is the Best Time to Visit Kelly Park Rock Springs?
Kelly Park Rock Springs opens year-round, although the hours change depending on the seasons. From March until early November, it opens from 8 am – 8 pm. From November until March, it opens from 8 am to 6 pm. All the waterfront and nature trails close daily 1 hour prior to the closing time. The park gets very busy during the summer, weekends, and holidays. Usually, during the summer, the park will be full within 1 hour of opening, with people waiting in line as early as 4:30 am. Therefore, if you can, try to go during weekdays or off-season.
Every morning, there are only 280 vehicles allowed entry. After 1 pm, an additional 50 vehicles are allowed in, only if they have an afternoon voucher. When we arrived at Kelly Park Rock Springs around 11 pm or so, the ranger in front of the gate told us that all the morning spots are taken. Luckily, he still had some vouchers left for the 1 pm re-open time. So we grab the voucher and went to grab food before turning back at 1 pm. This voucher is given per car, first come first served. If you want to find out if the park is full, you can call 407-254-1906. You CANNOT reserve entry in advance.
Know Before You Go
- If the park is full, you are NOT allowed re-entry. If it is not full, you can use your entry receipt to get back in.
- This means you need to make sure to bring everything with you such as food, drinks, and tubes.
- There is a small concession stand that opens daily from Spring Break until early October. It is cash only. Therefore, make sure to bring your own food and drinks.
- The water is usually around 68 to 72 degrees year round
- The park doesn’t rent tubes. You can either bring your own or rent them outside the park, at a local business. We saw rental tubes in front of the Rock Springs Bar & Grill, about 0.2 miles from the entrance of Kelly Park Rock Springs.
- If you bring your own tube, make sure it is less than 5ft in length or width. You need to inflate these tubes on your own since there isn’t any air pump in the park. You can also bring pool noodles as long as they fit the length requirement.
- Since the spring run is pretty short, there is no shuttle back.
- If there is lightning in the area, the water access will be closed for safety purposes. In fact, while we were there, there was a lightning warning. So the park closes down for the rest of the day.
- If you need a locker, there is a small number of lockers available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Rock Springs Tube Run Adventure
Since we were planning to visit a few more springs such as Blue Springs State Park, we opted to buy our tubes from Publix on our way to Kelly Park Rock Springs. You can also get yours at Walmart or Target. Now, the challenge is to blow these bad boys up. At first, we tried the air pump at the gas station but for some reason, the pump was locked down. So, Dustin ended up blowing them up manually. All power to him!
Finding The Head Of Rock Springs
Once we parked our car, Dustin and I made our way to find the head of the Rock Springs at Kelly Park. The headspring is where you launch your tube. The ranger actually has a map of Kelly Park Rock Springs so you can find the headsprings easier. Getting to the headsprings can be a bit confusing. Once you come to Kelly Park, the road will split around a roundabout. As soon as you pass this, you’ll find picnic tables and a volleyball net on the right. This is where you’ll want to park. Once parked, walk toward the trees and the picnic area until you see a wooden boardwalk. This boardwalk will take you to the headsprings. It can be a bit confusing, fortunately, if you visit on a busier day, you can ask for help from other visitors.
The Tube Launch Area
When you get to the top, there are wooden stairs that lead down toward the river. This makes it super easy for you to launch your tube. You can also launch your tubes a bit further upstream, above the bridge, near the spring vent. However, you’ll have to navigate through rocks. Therefore, we used the wooden stairs to launch instead.
Tubing Down the Rock Springs
I have to say, tubing down this beautiful natural lazy river was one of the highlights of our trip. The water was super clear and very refreshing. It was so much to float under the beautiful canopy of trees. The whole scenery was just surreal. As you float along, there are areas that are shallow or rocky, so make sure you pay attention. There are lifeguards along the way so it was quite safe. If you bring your snorkel gear, you can see the interesting wildlife in the water.
The End of the Tube Run
After about 15-20 minutes of floating, we came to a bridge. The spring at this point pours out to a big pool. This is the end of the tube run. Once you pass under the bridge, there is a long, easy ramp on the right-hand side, to help you get out of the river. After this, you can hang out at this pool or go on more float. All you have to do is go back up the path and float down again. To be honest, you could spend the whole day here. It was that much fun. Unfortunately for us, when we were attempting our second run, we had to get out of the water because of the lightning warning. After that, Kelly Park Rock Springs closed down for the remainder of the day. However, we can’t wait to go back on our next trip!!
Other cool place for a tube run is Rainbow River and Blue Springs State Park.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
- Lots of sunscreens, we use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30. and tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
- Swimsuits and towels
- Inflated float that is smaller than 5ft in diameter.
- Dry bag and/or waterproof phone case.
- Watershoes
- Sunglasses
- Food, snacks, and drinks but no alcohol. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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