The Wet Wilderness
Where the land ends, the real Florida begins. Standing on the shores of Seminole County’s rivers, lakes and springs, you are moments away from experiencing nature as only Florida can deliver. From romantic riverboat cruises down the St. John’s River…to airboat rides that give you close-up photos of alligators in their natural habitats…to a total (snorkeling) immersion in cool clear Wekiwa Springs, Seminole County offers a variety of fresh water activities that enable you to discover the Florida that Europeans first explored 500 years ago. And when you’re not spending hours of fun on the water, you can choose from a wide variety of
places to stay with a huge selection of amenities that will fit your budget.
Up the Lazy St. Johns River
One of the few American rivers that flows north, the St. Johns is Florida’s largest river and has a direct impact on many other rivers, lakes and springs that shape the Seminole County ecosystem. It earns its “lazy river” status due to its almost imperceptible fall of only 30 feet from its headwaters to its mouth, 310 miles north into the Atlantic Ocean. How would you prefer to explore the St. Johns in Seminole County? You can choose between tours, fishing excursions, kayak adventures, motor boating or a romantic dinner cruise.
Two airboat tours navigate the marshlands that enrich the St. Johns in Seminole County:
Bill’s Airboat Adventures and
Central Florida Airboat Tours each launch from the Sanford area to bring you as close as possible to Florida’s natural inhabitants while maintaining the area’s delicate ecology. If fishing is more your forte, you might want to check out
Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Charters where you’ll receive expert advice to help you land large mouth and sunshine bass, American shad, crappie, and other game fish on the St. Johns River and nearby lakes. If you want to fish or motor about on your own, you can rent a fishing boat or pontoon along with live bait, jigs and tackle when you visit
BoatClub.com. Kayak and nature tours are featured at
St. Johns River Cruises where you can enjoy the St. Johns and its backwaters in the enclosed Native II, with stops for photography and intimate encounters, or you may play the backwaters in kayak tours with experienced U.S. Coast Guard captains or deck hands serving as your guides. And if you prefer a romantic lunch, dinner or brunch riverboat cruise while you experience your Seminole County adventure, you’ll want to investigate
Rivership Romance cruises departing from Sanford with a variety of 3-4 hour tours.
The Lakes of St. Johns
As it meanders through Seminole County, the St. Johns River forms three lakes – Lake Harney, Lake Jesup and Lake Monroe. Each brings you scenic landscapes, great fishing and close encounters with Florida’s wildlife. And each offers unique opportunities to enjoy the natural wonders of Seminole County. On Lake Harney, you’ll find your Kodak moment at the southeast corner of the lake where picturesque stands of palm and other striking trees remind you that you can only be in Florida, and if you look closer, you’ll find unique salt-tolerant vegetation that evolved that way due to nearby salty springs. If you want a guarantee to see alligators, nothing comes closer than Lake Jesup, which boasts the highest concentration of American alligators in the nation, averaging 21 per shoreline mile. Lake Monroe, which is quickly becoming recognized by Florida anglers as a serious bass-catching destination, provides unparalleled scenic views of the lake from an easy stroll along historic Sanford’s river walk.
Airboat rides from
Central Florida Airboat Tours explore Lake Jesup and Lake Harney while
Black Hammock Adventures - Airboat Tours in Oviedo takes you close-up to encounter those famous Lake Jesup alligators. For a much quieter experience on the lakes, you might want to consider an exciting sailing excursion with
U-Sail of Central Florida that presents a variety of sailing courses and lessons, depending upon your prior sailing experience. And for custom kayaking, wildlife observations and fishing outings, be sure to pay a visit to
Captain John Kumiski’s Spotted Tail Outdoor Adventures.
You say Wekiwa, I say Wekiva.
Let’s try to dispel the confusion right out of the box. Wekiwa Springs near Apopka, Florida, feeds the headwaters of the Wekiva River with 42 million gallons of crystal clear water each day, all of which eventually flow the 30-mile length of the river to the St. Johns. (FYI: Wekiwa means “spring of waters”; Wekiva means “flowing water.”)
Since 1970, when Florida made the area around the springs a
state park, thousands of visitors from around the world have come to experience the natural crystal clear water of Wekiwa Springs with its year-round 72º F temperature for a refreshing cool plunge in the summer and comfortable warmth when the weather cools off. The swimming area in the spring is anywhere from one to five feet in depth with a small 15-20 foot cavern at the source of the spring. Snorkeling is permitted, but SCUBA and cave diving are not. In addition to the springs, Wekiwa Springs Park features a nature center, several picnic pavilions with charcoal grills, canoe rentals, campgrounds and four campsites that can only be accessed by canoe or kayak. In addition, the area around the spring is mostly undeveloped, with coyote, deer, gray fox, bobcat, raccoon, black bear and other wildlife making their home there. No matter what your schedule, you’ll want to make room on your itinerary for a day at Wekiwa…and Wekiva.