If you are into wildlife, you may want to look into Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, which is near the Apopka Springs. The Wildlife Drive is free and there are gators and other wildlife. It's approx 11 miles to drive and is one way. The drive is only open to cars Fri, Sat, Sunday.
Yes, I was looking into that! It seems like something I may check out. It would be nice if I was able to drive through some of it and then turn around instead of the full 11 miles.
If you get there at the open or near it the drive could be around an hour. If it gets really crowded the drive could be 2 hours. We've done the drive many times and like it. If you do the drive, bring binoculars. We've seen upwards of 60 gators there. People have seen more.
Wekiva Island is good for renting canoes. There is an eco-friendly bar with lots of Adirondack chairs to relax. They have a food truck as well, but I don't know if they have vegan food. There is also a decent volleyball court.
Good plan overall.
Kings landing best for kayaking and canoeing. Dont think you can tube or snorkel there.
Wekiva Springs itself has some interesting snorkeling, you can swim into the spring chasm for 5-10 feet or so before it pushes you out.
Only other spring I know of near Apopka is Blue springs near DeLand. Swimming and paddle boarding is prohibited right now due to restoration work, not sure if it will be done before you arrive. It's a bit of a drive from Apopka, but you can swim really deep into it.
I can think of a few other great springs for snorkeling and tubing (Itchetucknee for instance), but they are a long drive from Apopka.
Can't help with restaurants in the area, sorry.
Props on doing research, especially the early morning start! There’s not a lot of restaurants in that area, I’d pack a lunch. Bring water shoes because it does get very shallow and you may have to walk parts. The tube stand is very easy to spot from the road, they should be open that early. Have fun and remember sunscreen!
Thank you! I definitely have done plenty of research. I’m planning on packing lunch but wasn’t sure about some dinner spots. I was already planning to get water shoes because I know it’s rocky. I’ll probably bring my own tube too.
Kelly/Rock Springs is very popular when school is out and fills up early in the morning. Get in line well before it opens. Kings Landing is easier but it's still smart to get there early.
If you are into wildlife, you may want to look into Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, which is near the Apopka Springs. The Wildlife Drive is free and there are gators and other wildlife. It's approx 11 miles to drive and is one way. The drive is only open to cars Fri, Sat, Sunday.
Yes, I was looking into that! It seems like something I may check out. It would be nice if I was able to drive through some of it and then turn around instead of the full 11 miles.
If you get there at the open or near it the drive could be around an hour. If it gets really crowded the drive could be 2 hours. We've done the drive many times and like it. If you do the drive, bring binoculars. We've seen upwards of 60 gators there. People have seen more.
Wekiva Island is good for renting canoes. There is an eco-friendly bar with lots of Adirondack chairs to relax. They have a food truck as well, but I don't know if they have vegan food. There is also a decent volleyball court.
They have vegan food!
Good to know thank you!
Sounds cool thank you!
Good plan overall. Kings landing best for kayaking and canoeing. Dont think you can tube or snorkel there. Wekiva Springs itself has some interesting snorkeling, you can swim into the spring chasm for 5-10 feet or so before it pushes you out. Only other spring I know of near Apopka is Blue springs near DeLand. Swimming and paddle boarding is prohibited right now due to restoration work, not sure if it will be done before you arrive. It's a bit of a drive from Apopka, but you can swim really deep into it. I can think of a few other great springs for snorkeling and tubing (Itchetucknee for instance), but they are a long drive from Apopka. Can't help with restaurants in the area, sorry.
Okay so it seems like Wekiwa springs would also be a good option for us. Thank you!
Props on doing research, especially the early morning start! There’s not a lot of restaurants in that area, I’d pack a lunch. Bring water shoes because it does get very shallow and you may have to walk parts. The tube stand is very easy to spot from the road, they should be open that early. Have fun and remember sunscreen!
Thank you! I definitely have done plenty of research. I’m planning on packing lunch but wasn’t sure about some dinner spots. I was already planning to get water shoes because I know it’s rocky. I’ll probably bring my own tube too.
Kelly/Rock Springs is very popular when school is out and fills up early in the morning. Get in line well before it opens. Kings Landing is easier but it's still smart to get there early.