Kelly Park / Rock Springs Run

The Write-Up

The full story

The spring run is the draw at Kelly Park: clear, cold water pouring out of Rock Springs into a lazy channel made for tubing, with the Emerald Cut paddle offering a quieter, jungle-walled stretch. Guests call it a chill, shaded piece of old Florida, well kept and easy to love, with turtles and otters along the banks. The catch is popularity: on warm weekends the park fills to capacity early, and regulars line up well ahead of the gate.

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Similar Feel

More places with this feel

Matched by vibe, not by neighborhood: the places across Greater Orlando closest in spirit to Kelly Park / Rock Springs Run.

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Parks & outdoors · Apopka · $

The old-Florida counterpoint to the theme parks, an emerald Apopka spring feeding the Wekiva River with clear, cold water guests call magical.

1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka, FL 32712

Mead Botanical Garden

Parks & outdoors · Winter Park · $

Winter Park's wilder, shadier green space, peaceful and a little untamed.

1300 S Denning Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789

Orlando Watersports Complex

Attractions · Orlando · $$

Laid-back cable park where beginners and pros share the water, with an inflatable Aqua Park for bouncing between runs.

8615 Florida Rock Rd, Orlando, FL 32824

Nona Adventure Park

Attractions · Lake Nona · $$

Lake Nona lake turned playground: inflatable aqua park, cable wakeboarding for every level, and a 60-foot climbing tower.

14086 Centerline Drive, Orlando, FL 32827

Aquatica Orlando

Attractions · International Drive · $$$

At SeaWorld's water park, the Dolphin Plunge clear tube passes Commerson's dolphins, and Roa's Rapids runs faster than a lazy river should.

5800 Water Play Way, Orlando, FL 32821

Disney Springs

Markets & shops · Disney Springs · $$$

Disney's open-air waterfront promenade, no park ticket and no turnstile, just an evening on the water.

1486 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Keep Going

More in Day Trips

Other places in Day Trips, closest to Kelly Park / Rock Springs Run first.

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Parks & outdoors · Park · $

The old-Florida counterpoint to the theme parks, an emerald Apopka spring feeding the Wekiva River with clear, cold water guests call magical.

1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka, FL 32712

1921 Mount Dora

Restaurants · Restaurant · $$$

Modern Florida cooking in a historic 1921 house, and the meal feels personal rather than formal.

1921 Mount Dora, 142 E 4th Ave, Mt Dora, FL 32757-5584

Fun-Ko's Poke Bowls and Asian Snacks

Japanese & sushi · Poke · $$

Tucked inside Mount Dora Marketplace on Donnelly Street, a cheerful, low-key poke counter regulars call their go-to.

Fun-Ko's Poke Bowls and Asian Snacks, 334 N Donnelly St, Mt Dora, FL 32757-5525, United States

The Goblin Market Restaurant

American · Gastropub · $$

Mount Dora's storybook gastropub, a cozy book-lined hideaway on Dora Drawdy Way where guests love being surrounded by books.

The Goblin Market Restaurant, 330 Dora Drawdy Way, Mt Dora, FL 32757-5593, United States

Salt & Ember

Fine dining & steak · Steakhouse · $$$

A wood-fired steakhouse on Alexander Street in Mount Dora, relaxed and warm with a polished finish.

322 N Alexander St, Mount Dora, FL 32757

BTW Burgers Tacos Waffles

Burgers & sandwiches · Burgers · $$

On Main Street in Tavares, playful and unpretentious, doing exactly what its name promises with real imagination in each lane.

115 E Main St, Tavares, FL 32778