FLORIDA HIDDEN GEM JUST 30 MINUTES FROM ORLANDO - KELLY PARK ROCK SPRINGS

Did you know that this beautiful natural spring is located just 20 miles north of Orlando! Kelly Park is home to Rock Springs which surfaces from underground rivers at a rate of 26,000 gallons a minute. This crystal clear water maintains a constant temperature of 68 degrees almost year round. For as low as $3 a person you can enter this protected park to swim, float, snorkel, camp and hike! Further downstream and outside of the park you even even kayak and canoe!

On our most recent trip to Disney we decided to take a day off and visit Kelly Park. I had seen pictures of it for years and wanted to see the stunning blue water for myself and let me tell you it did not disappoint. The water really is that blue! We only brought our snorkels and hotel towels as we only had enough time for a few hours but you can absolutely make a day of it. There are plenty of picnic tables and beautiful grassy areas to set up for the day.

To get to the start of the spring (pictured below for desktop view and above for mobile) walk pass the restaurant and follow the trail to the right. Do not cross over the bridge as it goes a different direction. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to explore this part of the park. Continue along the trail and you'll find multiple entry points into the water. We found that the easiest one to get into was at the very end. There are multiple flat rocks that you can sit on before fully submerging. Be careful getting in the current can be fairly fast, it won't take you very far though and you can stand in most places. We snorkeled from the start of the springs all the way to the large open natural pool (pictured below). The springs continue on past the open pool if you choose to float longer.

What to bring:

• Sunscreen

• Float (the park does not sell or rent out any floats)

• Snorkel

• Underwater Camera

• Snacks & Water

• Towel

• Change of clothes so you're not cold and wet on the drive back to Orlando

• Credit card or cash to pay entry fee

✨TIP: During the summer be sure to arrive early as the park has a limit to the number of visitors per day. However, in the fall it is nearly empty and a perfect time to visit!

✨Other info:

• There are mens and womens bathrooms that you can change in they were surprisingly clean and had enough room for us to change and not feel cramped

• Park hours: From March until early November the park is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. From November until March the park is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m

• This is not a pet friendly park so make sure to leave Fido at home!

• Alligators are uncommon but not unheard of, report any sightings to park staff

• The concession stand is open daily from spring break until early October and is cash only

• Orange County ordinances do not allow alcoholic beverages on park property. Violation of this ordinance may be grounds for expulsion from the park.

@allisonsheffieck

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