Rock Springs at Kelly Park

What to expect

Rock Springs is cold water, not hot. Orange County lists it at about 68°F20°C all year, which is a few degrees cooler than most Florida springs. That first plunge on a hot day takes your breath away. If you are hoping for a warm soak, Florida’s springs will not provide one.

What Rock Springs does offer is one of the most fun short floats in central Florida. The spring flows out of a cave at the foot of a limestone bluff, and the water rushes off through a clear, sandy, shaded channel called Rock Springs Run. You climb on a tube near the top, the current carries you along through the trees for about 25 minutes, and then you get out at the bottom and walk about 10 minutes back up a paved path to do it again. There are also swimming spots along the run where people stand, splash and sit on the banks.

The spring sits inside Kelly Park, a county park of about 355 acres north of Apopka. The park has picnic areas, pavilions, nature trails, a concession stand that is open from spring break to early October, and a campground. The cave itself is off limits.

The land has a long story. It was a Timucua settlement site, and in the 1850s Rock Springs Run powered a grist mill, a sawmill and a cotton gin. Dr. Howard A. Kelly, a Johns Hopkins physician, first visited in 1910, bought the land as a bird and wildlife preserve, and in 1927 gave 200 acres to Orange County on the condition it stay a public park. The park received a state historical marker in 2016.

Getting there

Kelly Park is at 400 East Kelly Park Road, Apopka, in the northwest corner of Orange County. From Orlando, head to Apopka and then north on Rock Springs Road until it meets Kelly Park Road, and follow signs to the gate. All roads are paved.

Staff check your online ticket at the gate, so have it ready on your phone or printed. Rent any tube before you arrive, because there is no re-entry once you are in. Lockers are few and first come, first served; locks are rented from the concessionaire.

When to go

Because the temperature barely changes, you can swim any day the park is open, but most people come from spring break to early fall. Summer is extremely busy. Before the ticket system, people lined up outside the gate from 4 or 5 a.m. and the park reached capacity most days, which caused traffic problems in the surrounding neighborhood.

That is the reason for the change. From Oct. 1, 2026, Orange County switched Kelly Park to online-only entry tickets, sold up to 30 days ahead, with a daily limit of 280. Buy as soon as you know your date for summer weekends and holidays. If you miss out, check the booking site in the afternoon: county officials said tickets may be released online when visitors leave.

In winter (roughly November to March) the park closes at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., and the air can be cool enough that the 68°F20°C water feels very cold.

Rules and fees

• Admission: $5 per vehicle and $10 per bus, effective Aug. 11, 2026. Paid online only; cash is no longer accepted.
• Tickets: online at ocportal.net, up to 30 days ahead, 280 a day. The county’s PORTAL call center (407-836-6799, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) can help with accounts.
• Hours: about March to early November 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; about November to March 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The waterfront and trails close an hour before the park does.
• Tubes and floats: bring your own, no larger than 5 feet in length or width. Water wings are not allowed; life jackets and puddle jumpers are. Bring a small pump.
• No alcohol anywhere in the park. Violations can get you removed.
• No pets, except ADA service animals.
• Grills only at picnic areas, not near the water, and never on tables or the ground. Pop-up canopies up to 10 by 10 feet are fine in picnic areas but not at the waterfront.
• Drones only from the designated area near the main picnic drop-off, with no low passes over the water.
• Storms: the swim area closes when a storm brings lightning.

Canoes and kayaks are not used on the tubing run. The park’s Camp Joy area has a launch onto the wider run downstream, open 8 a.m. to noon with boats back by 5 p.m.; there are no rentals.

Where to stay nearby

Kelly Park campground has tent and RV sites. A 2025 county release counted 26 sites, each with a fire ring, grill, picnic table, water and electricity, at $23 a night for non-county visitors ($17.25 for seniors 55 and over) and $18 for Orange County residents ($13.50 for seniors). Prices may have changed with the 2026 fee update. Book through ocportal.net. Group sites and the Camp Joy dormitories are booked by email at KellyCamping@ocfl.net. Pets are not allowed in the campground.

Apopka has hotels and restaurants a short drive south, and the Orlando area has every type of lodging.

Safety notes

• Cold water: 68°F20°C saps body heat faster than most people expect. Keep small children in life jackets and take breaks in the sun.
• No lifeguard all year: the county says lifeguards are not on duty year round, so supervise children closely, especially at the busy entry points.
• Current and crowds: the run is fast in places and busy on weekends. Feet first if you come off your tube, and watch for people standing in the channel.
• Lightning: central Florida summer storms are frequent in the afternoon, and the swim area closes when there is lightning.
• Wildlife: this is a natural spring in a wooded park. Leave any snakes or alligators alone and keep food away from wildlife.

Nearby stops worth adding

Wekiwa Springs State Park, a short drive away in Apopka, is another cold spring with a swimming area and canoe rentals. Rock Springs Run continues downstream from Kelly Park through state land to the Wekiva River, a longer paddle for those who launch from Camp Joy.