Copyright: Florida Division of Recreation & Parks
Rock Springs Run State Reserve
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Description - If you're seeking a quiet destination for hiking, biking, or horseback riding, Rock Springs Run State Reserve makes a good choice. The park is located in central Florida and has experienced little of man's intrusive effects. The park has nearly 15,000 miles of pine woodland or live scrub oak habitat tucked between Rock Springs Run and Wekiva River. Once inhabited by Seminoles, the rich waterways provided an abundance of fish and shellfish. Today, the fish and native plant life still provide sustenance, not for American Indians, but for the Florida black bears. Rock Springs Run State Reserve boasts one of the state's largest populations of the black bear, evidenced by the huge fencing used by the Florida Park System to enclose the park.
Attractions
- Mountain bikes, hikers and equestrians find this central Florida site one of the best. Over 30 miles of pathway accommodate a combination of users. Rock Springs does not have a ranger station at the entrance, instead a kiosk with an "honor" box and plenty of trail maps. The park is flanked by Rock Springs Run and Wekiva River, favorite canoe routes. A canoe launch is offered upstream at Wekiva Springs State Park. However, the park does offer primitive camping along both waterways. In addition to the plentiful Florida black bear, resident wildlife includes some of Florida's federally threatened and endangered species including the sandhill crane, scrub jay, gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snake and wood storks. Additional wildlife life includes the red-shouldered hawk, American alligator, river otters, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, coyote, and fox. This reserve does permit hunting.
Recreation - The most popular recreations at Rock Springs Run State Reserve include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. Canoeing is enjoyed; however, the canoe launch is not on site. Horse camping, stalls, and trailer parking is available. Climate - Florida experiences mild, comfortable winters and warm to hot, humid summers. Summer Fahrenheit temperatures average in the mid to high 80's (28 - 29 Celsius). Winters are mild and dry with temperatures averaging 58 - 64 degrees Fahrenheit (14 - 18 Celsius). Precipitation for the central area averages anywhere from 56 inches to less than 52 inches per year. The region offers a great warm escape for outdoor recreation during the cold northern months. August and September are peak months of the hurricane season that lasts from June 1 through November 30. Location -
Rock Springs Run State Preserve is approximately 30 miles north of Orlando off Interstate 41, Exit 51. Travel west about 8 - 10 miles along State Route 46 to reach the park entrance located on the southside of SR 46.
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