Wekiwa Springs State Park

Brown-headed Nuthatch
Wekiwa Springs State Park

I first visited the park shortly after moving  here so our family could go swimming at the springs. At the time, I had no idea at the time that this would become one of my favorite birding locations in Orange County. Now when I visit this park, I feel like I'm seeing Central Florida as it once was, and that keeps me coming back for more.

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Trails and Kayaking
There are over 13 miles of trails, and the western portion has some great trails for birding.  The western portion of the park has some great trails in Pine flatwoods and even some scrub habitat.  For this, I like to park at the Sand Lake parking lot and walk west and south towards the campgrounds. There are some wonderful place along these trails for some nice pine flatwood species.

The eastern portion gives you access to the Wekiva River, which is one of the two “National Wild & Scenic Rivers” in Florida.  During the summer months, kayaking this river can provide many breeding bird species otherwise difficult to find in Central Florida.  You could theoretically kayak down the Wekiva River all the way to the St. Johns, or you could also head up Rock Springs Run--the confluence is at the eastern border of the park.

Yellow-throated Vireo
These can be heard and seen along the Wekiva River (and throughout the park)

Wildlife
The trails on the western side of the park are some my favorite places to look for Bachman's Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Summer Tanagers, Eastern Towhees, Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Bluebirds, and Brown-headed Nuthatches. Swallow-tailed Kites and even an occasional Short-tailed Hawk may be seen here as well. And of course, you're likely to find other fun wildlife along the trails, including many White-tailed Deer, Gopher Tortoises and butterflies.

Red-headed Woodpecker
Wekiwa Springs State Park

Bachman's Sparrow
Wekiwa Springs State Park

Summer Tanager
Wekiwa Springs State Park

Eastern Towhee
Wekiwa Springs State Park

The Wekiva River area has its own wonders.  Prothonotary Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers and Night-Herons breed along the river, and it's just a beautiful place to be alone with nature, provided it's not crowded with other kayaks.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Amenities
Wekiwa Springs State Park is a fairly big tourist attraction for locals in Central Florida.  During the summer months especially, people flock here for swimming in the springs on the weekends.  If you don't get here early, the park may well fill to capacity and close.  I must admit, it's a fun place to visit for swimming, kayaking, and other recreational activities. It's a full service park with a concession stand, restrooms, and even canoe and kayak rentals.  But because of its popularity, I prefer to go during the week in the mornings (the park opens at 8:00am), so that I can have a quiet time to look at wildlife.

Zebra Swallowtail
Wekiwa Springs State Park