Wekiwa springs paddle boarding is fun for any level paddle boarder, kayaker or canoe enthusiast. Wekiwa Springs is a great place to learn and easy place to go if you are looking for a day trip around Orlando. Relatively easy for beginners, lots of wildlife to observe, plenty of spots to relax and chill. Most people are very friendly along the way in case you run into trouble. Paddle boarding enthusiasts can head up toward Rock Springs or continue downriver past Wekiva Island if you are looking for a longer day or more adventurous paddle.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
One of our most favorite places to launch our kayak or paddleboard. Small entrance fee or get a state park place if you plan to go often. Opens at 8am and closes at dusk. Kayak, canoe and paddle board rental available. BBQ facilities, swimming area for Wekiwa Springs, concession stand. Camping available but very limited. Plan on booking one year in advance or try getting lucky last minute.
Entrance to Park: GPS: N 28.7095, W -81.5028
Wekiwa Springs State Park Boat Launch
GPS: N 28.712660, W -81.459601
If you have your own paddle board or kayak you can launch here for free. Rentals are available for a nominal fee.
Wekiwa Springs State Park Shady Break Spot (before Rock Springs Cut-Off)
GPS: N 28.714772, W -81.455274
If you’ve watched any of our FB Live events or video updates, this is usually where we video broadcast.
Wekiwa Springs State Park Rock Springs Cut Off
GPS: N 28.715111, W -81.449274
This is an upriver paddle, so a bit more strenuous of a workout if you are a newbie or using an inflatable board. Not that hard in a kayak and we can get much further now that we both have Surftech hard paddleboards. It was a struggle on my Bote inflatable paddle board.
Wekiwa Springs State Park Rock Springs Break Spot
GPS: N 28.717184, W -81.450364
This is the perfect spot to take a dip in the water, depending on the river status and shifting sand, it will range from 1-3 foot in depth. This is usually the place that we cool off, have a snack and play cards. Nice and shady. It can get crowded, just keep going if the spot is taken, there’s another “sand bar” area around the corner.
Wekiva Island
Wekiva Island is a family owned recreation facility. It is open to the public for a small entrance fee. It is a popular hangout for friends and families to relax along the river edge. You can grab a meal from the Without A Paddle food truck or a craft beer/wine at the Tooting Otter Bar. Cabanas of various sizes are available to rent. Kayak and paddleboard rentals also available. Get there early, they close early on the weekends once they reach capacity.
The entrance fee is more expensive than the state park but the benefit to renting or launching your own kayak/paddleboard is that you can paddle upriver to Wekiwa Springs State Park and then leisurely float back. It’s a shorter distance from the parking lot to the launch site, so if you are bringing the family and/or multiple kayak/boards it might be easier. Also, Wekiva Island is a great choice if you are going with a group and want to have a beer and snack afterwards.
Since we have a state park pass and our paddle boards are relatively easy to carry it makes more sense for us to launch at the state park. We usually go to one of the breweries on our way home so eating at Wekiva Island isn’t something that we would do unless we were meeting friends.
Wekiwa Springs Wekiva Island Rest Stop (slightly past Wekiva Island)
This is a great place to stop away from the crowds. We usually break here before either returning back to the state park or before heading further down the river.
GPS: N 28.714413, W -81.443252
Wekiwa Springs Rest Stop (rest stop 45min past Wekiva Island)
GPS: N 28.718869, W -81.437715
This is the furthest down the river that we have paddled. It’s an easy paddle down but be mindful to watch the intensity of sun. If you end up coming back toward the end of the day going back can be dreadful. The sun is in your eyes and beats down on the water, creating a blinding glare. Be sure to have really good sunglasses. There is also not a lot of shade in this area.
We’ve made this trip twice. Once went well, the other not so much. What started out as an awesome, slightly cool December day turned blistering hot and uncomfortable. I couldn’t imagine making this trip in the Spring/Summer. We did the trip one other time in the Fall on an overcast day and it was fine. But on an overcast day you have to be aware of the weather outlook. Otherwise you might end up pretty far down and without cover if it starts to rain. Keep in mind, you are paddling upstream on your return trip, so plan accordingly.
Wekiwa Springs Paddle Boarding in November
Weather is lovely. Crowds are light. Mosquitos are minimal. Alligators are frisky- yield the right of way.
