Central Florida springs: Wekiwa to the Ichetucknee
A spring-hopping trip through inland Florida: manatees at Blue Spring, the Ocala National Forest, glass-bottom boats at Silver Springs and tubing on the Ichetucknee.
- Distance
- 333 km (207 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 42 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 9
- States
- FL
- Updated
- May 1, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 333 km (207 mi) with 9 stops, from Orlando to High Springs. About 3 h 42 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Florida
Route description
Florida’s springs stay at about 72°F all year, so they are for swimming in summer and for manatee watching in winter. Start 30 minutes north of Orlando at Wekiwa Springs, where the spring pool and the river make an easy first stop. Then take I-4 or US-17/92 north to Orange City and Blue Spring State Park; from November to March the manatee count is posted daily, and cold mornings bring the most.
De Leon Springs is 25 minutes north on US-17, with a walled swimming area and canoe trails into Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. From there SR 40 heads west across the Ocala National Forest, a long straight road through sand pine scrub with few services. Stop at Juniper Springs for the stone mill house and the clear pool, or paddle the narrow run downstream; the forest campgrounds suit tents and small RVs.
At the western edge of the forest, Silver Springs State Park sits on the outskirts of Ocala. Take a glass-bottom boat over the main spring or paddle the Silver River, where wild rhesus monkeys and alligators are common. Ocala itself is horse country, with fenced pastures lining the back roads, and makes a handy base with fuel and supplies before you continue north on I-75 or the slower US-441.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park is about 1.5 hours north, near Fort White. In the summer tubing season you float the river from the south entrance, using the park’s shuttle; outside that season it is a calm paddle and the head spring is quiet. Finish in High Springs, a small town with antique shops and more springs close by. The whole route is about 370 km on easy roads that suit RVs.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Orlando
FL - 225 km
Wekiwa Springs State Park
NatureApopka, FLA spring pool at a steady 72°F with swimming just north of Orlando, plus canoe routes down the Wekiwa River and pine-forest trails. The gate closes when the park is full on summer weekends, so arrive early.
- 334 km
Blue Spring State Park
NatureOrange City, FLThe winter refuge of hundreds of West Indian manatees, watched from a boardwalk along the clear spring run from November to March. Swimming is closed in manatee season; the lots fill by mid-morning on cold days.
- 425 km
De Leon Springs State Park
NatureDeLand, FLA walled swimming spring beside the site of an old sugar mill, with a nature trail and canoe access into Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. Park fee per vehicle; weekends in summer are busy.
- 541 km
Juniper Springs Recreation Area
NatureSilver Springs, FLA stone-walled spring pool and mill house built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Ocala National Forest, with a narrow 7-mile canoe run through subtropical forest. Day-use fee; lots fill on summer weekends.
- 640 km
Silver Springs State Park
NatureOcala, FLOne of the largest artesian springs in the world, known for glass-bottom boat rides that began in the 1870s. Wild rhesus monkeys live along the Silver River; kayaks and boat tours start from the main spring.
- 711 km
Ocala
FL - 8129 km
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
NatureFort White, FLA clear, cold spring river known for summer tubing, with a park shuttle from the south entrance. Visitor numbers are capped in summer; outside tubing season the head spring and river are calm and good for paddling.
- 928 km
High Springs
FL
FAQs
How long is Central Florida springs: Wekiwa to the Ichetucknee?
4-day road trip of about 333 km (207 mi) with 9 stops, from Orlando to High Springs. About 3 h 42 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Central Florida springs: Wekiwa to the Ichetucknee?
We suggest 4 days: about 3 h 42 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Central Florida springs: Wekiwa to the Ichetucknee start and end?
It starts in Orlando and ends in High Springs.
Which states does Central Florida springs: Wekiwa to the Ichetucknee pass through?
Florida.
