There and Back Again | A Hiking Blog

23 Feb, 2025

“With emerald springs feeding the Wekiwa River and lush tropical hammocks, this unique park just minutes from downtown Orlando is perfect for observing abundant wildlife or cooling off on a summer day.”[1]

Yesterday, the 22nd of February, my partner and I went to Wekiwa Springs State Park Trail. Being only 20km away from our apartment in central Florida, it was a short drive to the park.

It was a cool, overcast day at about 20c with 50% humidity. My partner was looking at the local state parks and chose Wekiwa because of the high review ratings. We didn’t wear anything special, just some basic athletic clothing, sneakers, and sun visor.

We spent a bit under 1.5 hours and made a total of 4.8km round trip. Elevation gain always about 30m with a beginner to average difficulty. The trail was visibly obvious with tree markers and posts.

My first impression of the area was pleasantly surprised. It was clean and quiet, and the trails were kept clear from garbage. The only issue was the deep sand that intermittently covered the trail and posed a slight tripping risk.

Despite being in the middle of Florida, the forest was beautiful. Large trees, dense bushes, and lichen covered logs abound. We did not see any large wildlife but did spot a couple Red Headed Woodpecks and common grey squirrels. I did however spot a faerie trap about 10 meters from the path.

There were many hikers scattered about on the trails. Most were friendly and exchanged greetings as we passed each other.

We didn’t go the full length of the trail, only about 2.5 km. When we reached our limit there was a massive fallen tree with its root base exposed. It was interesting to see something that not a lot of people will experience in their lifetime.

The trek back seemed a lot easier as we were going downhill this time. However, towards the last stretch I may have stepped wrong or the strain left my hip in a good amount of pain for the rest of the day. There were also less people passing by so I’m assuming they left or had taken a different path.

Except for the hip pain, I felt refreshed yet exhausted as we were ending our hike; and I hope that we can go again sometime in the near future. It’s great for a day trip or hiking for multiple days if you’re so inclined. I encourage readers to try Wekiwa Springs if they happen to be in the area.

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