As volunteers with the Wekiva Wilderness Trust, we get asked lots of questions about the state park, and many people want to know more about the history of the springs. Over the last few months, we have done a lot of research and we now have a much better idea about the history of Wekiwa, and what a fascinating history it is. Until 1906, Wekiwa Springs was called Clay Springs and for several years it was a bustling township with its own school, railways station, steamboat jetty, and even a newspaper. A fifty-room, three-story hotel accommodated guests who came in by steamer to swim in the restorative waters of the springs. Wekiwa was also home to the first tourist attraction in Central Florida almost 100 years before Walt Disney World.

To download a free copy of our Wekiwa History Book, please click here.

Also, learn about the rich history of Rock Springs. Read about the long-forgotten town of Ethel, William S. Delk who owned the largest plantation in the area at the time of the Civil War, and the remarkable life of Anthony Frazier, one of Delk’s slaves who fought with the Union Army, became a free man and landowner and was later appointed an Orange County Commissioner for Roads.

To download a free copy of the Ethel story, click here.

We are delighted to announce that Discovery Hour is back. Come and join us every Saturday at the Nature Center at 2 pm.
Seating will be limited because of social distancing guidelines and masks will be required.

The December schedule is:

December 5 - Florida's Edible Plants
December 12 - Insects of Florida
December 19 - Florida Critters
December 26 - Meet our reptiles

Stay safe and see you at the Nature Center.

 

Real Florida 5K 10K is capped at 350 runners. We may not be able to accept race day entries. Reserve your spot today or risk being shut out. Sorry….park rules.

Register now for the 34th annual Real Florida 5K/10K cross country run and fun walk through beautiful Wekiwa Springs State Park. The race takes place on Saturday, February 27th, 2021.
This is the only race in the area that is run entirely off-road. Every finisher gets a medal and commemorative t-shirt and there are prizes for the overall 5K and 10 K races (male and female) as well as prizes for every age group winner (winner). All registrants will also be entered into a draw to win one of two $100 gift cards to Travel Country,
To register online go to www.itsyourrace.com. Click to download a registration form that can be mailed in or dropped off at the ranger station.

As we re-open our parks to the public, we want to establish a new way for youth and their families to learn about, tend to, and explore their local natural spaces. My name is ranger Jane Cummings, the Interpretive Chairperson at Wekiwa Springs State Park. Before becoming a Florida State Park Ranger, I taught fifth grade environmental science for fifteen years. My classroom is now in nature. Ranger Scott Mowry has been at Wekiwa Springs for twenty-nine of his thirty years as a Florida Park Ranger. As volunteer coordinator for our parks, he is a knowledgeable resource and has connected all ages of volunteer to meaningful experiences with our park system.

We are very excited to offer a unique and socially distanced opportunity for your youth groups here at the Wekiva River Basin state parks. Your group consisting of ten members or fewer can choose from one of five different volunteer service projects and an educational program where you will learn about a different park and aspects of our unique Florida Environment. You may choose from the following parks and projects:

Wekiwa Springs State Park: habitat restoration, trail maintenance, exotic plant removal
Katie’s Landing: park beatification, trail maintenance
Rock Springs Run State Reserve: historic cemetery beatification, exotic plant removal
Fechtel (Lower Wekiwa): entrance and trail beautification

If you are interested in this unique opportunity, please contact either one of us or fill out the group volunteer form and we will contact you to schedule your program and provide more specifics.
Group Volunteer Form: https://volunteers.floridastateparks.org/pages/app/GROUP

Thank you, and we look forward to sharing our parks with you! 

Jane Cummings
Park Ranger/Interpretive Chairperson
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Wekiva River Basin State Parks
1800 Wekiwa Circle
Apopka, FL 32712
Jane.Cummings@Floridadep.gov
407-553-4373

Scott Mowry
Park Services Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Wekiva River Basin State Parks
1800 Wekiwa Circle
Apopka, FL 32712
Scott.Mowry@Floridadep.gov
407-553-4373