Rock Springs Run State Reserve
Encyclopedia
Rock Springs Run State Reserve is a 14000 acres (5,665.6 ha) State Park
in the U.S. state
of Florida
, located about 30 miles (48.3 km) north of Orlando in Sorrento
, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the Wekiva River
bridge on State Road 46
. The park contains a number of Indian mounds, pine flatwoods, swamps and artesian springs, and a number of creeks and rivers. Among them are Seminole Creek, Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run, the Wekiva River
, and Blackwater Creek.
Activities include bicycling, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, hunting and wildlife viewing. Among the wildlife of the park are Florida black bear
, Florida scrub jay
, sandhill crane
, indigo snake
, gopher tortoise
. Amenities include a canoe and kayak, rentals, swimming, tubing, about 17 miles (27.4 km) of trails, access to the Rock Springs Run and the Wekiva River, primitive canoe and equestrian camping facilities. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. year round.
Florida State Parks
The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, located about 30 miles (48.3 km) north of Orlando in Sorrento
Sorrento, Florida
Sorrento is a census-designated place and town in Lake County, Florida, USA. The population was 765 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sorrento is located at ....
, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the Wekiva River
Wekiva River
The Wekiva River is a river starting in two separate fresh water springs in central Florida and ending in the St. Johns River. One of the springs is at Kelly Park, otherwise known as Rock Springs, and the other is in Wekiwa Springs State Park. Both springs border the Lower Wekiva River Preserve...
bridge on State Road 46
State Road 46 (Florida)
State Road 46 is an east–west route in central Florida, running from US 441 in Mount Dora to US 1 in Mims. Along the way, it crosses the St...
. The park contains a number of Indian mounds, pine flatwoods, swamps and artesian springs, and a number of creeks and rivers. Among them are Seminole Creek, Wekiwa Springs Run, Rock Springs Run, the Wekiva River
Wekiva River
The Wekiva River is a river starting in two separate fresh water springs in central Florida and ending in the St. Johns River. One of the springs is at Kelly Park, otherwise known as Rock Springs, and the other is in Wekiwa Springs State Park. Both springs border the Lower Wekiva River Preserve...
, and Blackwater Creek.
Activities include bicycling, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, hunting and wildlife viewing. Among the wildlife of the park are Florida black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, Florida scrub jay
Jay
The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex...
, sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, indigo snake
Indigo snake
The eastern indigo snake is a large nonvenomous snake with an even blue-black coloration, with some specimens having a reddish-orange to tan color on the throat, cheek and chin. This smooth- scaled snake is considered to be the largest native snake species in the United States with the longest...
, gopher tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
. Amenities include a canoe and kayak, rentals, swimming, tubing, about 17 miles (27.4 km) of trails, access to the Rock Springs Run and the Wekiva River, primitive canoe and equestrian camping facilities. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. year round.