Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park

Admission: $3 per vehicle at Katie’s Landing. Free admission at other entry points.
Hours: 8 am – sun down
Distance from downtown Orlando: 46.5 miles (54 min)
Lower Wekiva River website
Cover photo credit: GpFlug from Tripadvisor

Lower Wekiva River Preserve is not strictly a spring, but a system of streams and wetlands that are fed by springs. It is rich in wildlife and perfect for kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding and hiking. This is a place to immerse yourself in nature and really get away from it all. You’ll see something different every time you come and the hikes are beautiful and ever changing.

lower-wekiva-river-ianwilsonn — *Morning, Lower Wekiva River Preserve. Photo: IG Ianwilsonn*

lwr-annnikaa — *Horseback Riding, Lower Wekiva River. Photo: IG Annnikaa*

For horseback riders, there is a horse trail and horse-friendly campground with corrals.

The Sand Hill Nature Trail (2.5 miles, 50 mins) has a diverse display of native Florida plants and wildlife. You might see black bears, deer, river otters, alligators, turtles, wood storks, sandhill cranes and a variety of other birds.

lwr-flaharlock-deer — *Deer seen on a hike, Lower Wekiva River Preserve. Photo: FlaHarlock from Tripadvisor*

lwr-floridastateparks — *Gopher tortoise, Lower Wekiva River Preserve. Photo: FloridaStateParks.org*

There are three access points to the Lower Wekiwa River Preserve State Park:

The south Entrance has hiking trails, including the Sand Hill Nature Trail. This entrance has no restrooms.
Katie’s Landing gives you direct access to Wekiva River and has restrooms.
Fechtel Tract entrance has 18 miles of multi-use trails for horseback riders, mountain bikers, and hikers. This entrance has restrooms.