Description
Rock Springs is a second-magnitude spring and an Outstanding Florida Spring situated in a beautiful wooded ravine. The principal discharge is from a partly submerged cavern at the base of a 20-foot-high limestone and sand bluff. In contrast to most large springs in peninsular Florida, Rock Springs has no well-defined large pool at the spring head. The cavern opening is about 5 feet in diameter at its mouth and tapers horizontally inward to a throat about 3 feet in diameter. Clear, blue water discharges with considerable turbulence that cuts into the limestone, eroding sand and fossil shells into the bottom of the 15- to 20-foot-wide spring run. Rock ledges jut out from the banks of the run for about 100 feet below the cavern opening. About 10 feet downstream from the cavern opening, additional water is discharged through a submerged opening in the channel bottom.
A boardwalk crosses over the run about 120 feet downstream. Several hundred feet below the spring, some of the flow is diverted left from the spring run to a large swimming area mostly bounded by concrete retaining walls. Overflow from the swimming area rejoins the run after passing through a concrete weir in the downstream part of the retaining wall.
The run meanders northward, then east, and finally southeast for about 8.6 miles to the Wekiva River, a tributary to the St. Johns River.
Recreational activities and public access
Rock Springs is within the Dr. Howard A. Kelly County Park in Orange County. A part of the spring run is used for swimming and tubing. The adjacent park area contains a bathhouse, full-service concessions, picnic tables, grills and group shelters. Kelly Park features nearly 7 miles of hiking trails and offers camping.
See the Orange County Parks website for information about fees for day-use, camping and rentals.
Directions
Rock Springs is located about 6.3 miles north of Apopka in the Dr. Howard A. Kelley County Park. From the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and SR 435 in Apopka, drive north on SR 435 for 5.9 miles. Turn east (right) on Rock Springs Road and drive 0.3 mile to the park entrance; the springs are to the southeast of the parking lot.