Wekiwa Springs Takes Reservations Now, So a Markham Woods River Day Starts Downstream

On September 2, 2025, Wekiwa Springs State Park started requiring a reservation for every day visitor. Annual-pass holders need one too. Bookings open up to 60 days out, and the number available each day depends on how many visitors the park can hold. Before that, the spring at the head of the Wekiva River was a place you could decide to visit over breakfast. Today it works like a restaurant booking.

The river itself is still open. Below the spring, on the stretch closest to the Markham Woods Road corridor, there are three places to put in that sit outside the state park's reservation system: Wekiva Island in Longwood, Wilson's Landing Park in Sanford, and Katie's Landing in Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park. They aren't three versions of the same thing. Each one fits a different kind of morning, and fall is when all three are easiest to plan around.

The Spring Turned Into a Booking

Entry to Wekiwa Springs costs $6 per vehicle, and the fee is collected when you book. There's no separate reservation charge. The state's swimming page says the park hits capacity on both weekdays and weekends in summer, and it states plainly that arriving early doesn't guarantee entry. Since June 26, 2026, the park page has also warned that construction may be underway in the campground during business hours. The state says the bathhouse and other facilities shouldn't be affected.

The spring is still worth a booking. Wekiwa Springs Adventures runs the in-park rentals and lists canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals starting at 8 a.m., with the last boat going out at 5 p.m. The difference is that a spring day now gets planned days or weeks ahead. Anything decided that morning goes downstream.

Three Launches Below the Spring

Here's the order you'd reach them going downstream. Wekiva Island is about a mile below Wekiwa Springs, according to the Wekiva Wild & Scenic River paddle brochure. Next comes Wilson's Landing, and then Katie's Landing, roughly at the river's halfway point. Each is run by a different operator, and that shapes what kind of day you get.

Wekiva Island is the full-service option. The county's Wilson's Landing Park is the quiet one: the county describes it as a passive park on the "Wild and Scenic" Wekiva, with open pasture and hammock shaded by southern magnolias. Katie's Landing asks the most of you and costs the least. Wekiva Island also launches personal boats of 25 horsepower or less, at $10 on weekdays and $50 on weekends. Katie's Landing takes only canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Wilson's to Katie's Covers the Lower River

Florida State Parks lists the paddle from Katie's Landing south to Wilson's Landing Park at 1.5 miles. That's short enough to fit before lunch, and it's on a part of the river that a day at the spring never reaches.

The state's own description of Katie's Landing explains the trade-offs. Paddling upstream toward the State Road 46 bridge means working against the current on a wide, mostly unshaded stretch. Paddling downstream, the river narrows and the current does the work. Going upstream from Katie's toward Wilson's puts the effort at the start of the trip. Heading downstream from Katie's toward the St. Johns is the easier ride. The Wild & Scenic brochure lists the trip from Katie's Landing to Highbanks on the St. Johns at 8 miles, which is a full-day commitment rather than a morning paddle.

Katie's Landing has no rentals, so the state's note about equipment applies: you bring your own boat or you don't launch. The site also has no drinking water, so the state recommends bringing water, food and insect repellent. The same page calls Lower Wekiva a calmer alternative to Wekiwa Springs on busy weekends. It also says Katie's Landing itself can get very busy in summer and suggests launching early that time of year. Both crowding warnings, here and at the spring, are written about summer. In October that pressure is mostly gone.

Wilson's Landing adds what Katie's lacks on land. The pavilion overlooks the river, has four large grills, and can be rented online through Seminole County or by calling 407-665-2180. A group can paddle the 1.5 miles and end at a reserved table instead of a tailgate.

Wekiva Island Runs the River's Fall Calendar

Wekiva Island is the one launch with a public schedule, and from now through Christmas the events calendar is full. The site also posts a real-time capacity meter and recommends arriving early and carpooling. On a booked-up weekend, checking the meter before you leave makes sense. Dates currently on the schedule:

• October 9: Sounds of Wekiva with Carlos DeSoto
• October 10: Sounds of Wekiva with Sandy Back Porch, plus Tarot Card Reading
• October 13: Ghosts of the Wekiva Stories, 6 to 7 p.m.
• October 17: Florida Springs Council Riverside Revelry
• October 24: The Tooting Otter Trick or Treat and a Halloween Costume Contest & Party
• October 31: Wekiva Island and PBO's Halloween Costume Parade Paddle, plus Sounds of Wekiva with Bill Olvey
• November 7: Annual Seafood Boil, 4 to 7 p.m., benefiting the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
• November 29: Holiday Market, Holiday Stilt Walkers, and a Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa Claus
• November 30 through December 24: Christmas Tree Forest & Snow Flurries, daily
• December 6: Donuts with Santa and an outdoor screening of The Polar Express
• December 13: The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who and the Whoville Elves visit
• December 20: Outdoor screening of A Christmas Carol
• December 25: Open on Christmas Day

Gallery C.E.R.O. also hosts Wine & Paint on November 4 and December 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. Outside the dated listings, Sounds of Wekiva brings live music to the island every Friday and Saturday night.

For anyone interested in the spring's health, the Friends of the Wekiva River hold Wekiwa Springs Watch at Wekiva Island on October 15, November 19 and December 17. Registration is required.

Coming Down From Rock Springs Run

The fourth option starts in Orange County and ends at Wekiva Island. King's Landing runs Rock Springs Run as an 8.5-mile trip down to Wekiva Island. The shuttle requires a reservation and costs $30 per adult and $25 per child for people launching their own boats. Without a shuttle booking, you arrange your own ride back. Four-hour self-guided rentals are $54 for a single kayak, $64 for a canoe, and $74 for a double kayak or paddleboard, before tax and booking fees. Boats are capped at 42 inches wide and 16 feet long. Pets aren't allowed, children under 2 aren't permitted, and every paddler needs a life jacket. Orange County charges a separate $5 per vehicle for Kelly Park admission, effective August 11, 2026.

Done this way, Wekiva Island is the finish line. You pull out near a cafe and a bar and skip the spring's reservation system entirely. Whichever launch you use, the river stays quiet in one specific way: Florida Statute 369.309 bans airboats on the Wekiva River System, with exceptions for emergencies and official government business.

For a weekday paddle with your own kayak, Katie's Landing costs $3 and opens at 8 a.m. On a Saturday with family in town, Wekiva Island's Seafood Boil runs November 7 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Knowing a place well means knowing which launch fits which weekend, and that kind of local knowledge carries over when you're weighing a move along the corridor. If you'd like to know what your Markham Woods home is worth this fall, Jen King can start with an instant home valuation and walk you through what the number means.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.