Just when you thought you had seen every clear, liquid gem in central Florida, another one appears on the map. If excursions like Juniper and Ichetucknee are your preference, you need to see this one.
This river is about 2 hours from Gainesville.
The cost is $39 for "Wanna Go" members ($50 for non-members). For those with your own boat, it's $29 for members and $39 for others. * There's also a $5 per boat launch fee. This trip takes about 4.5 - 5 hours.
* Please note - there are no disposables allowed on this river (see "what to bring" below)
For tour dates, please check our website calendar at: www.adventureoutpost.net
Description
From the moment it springs to life, gushing from the throat of a horizontal, above water-line cavern at the base of a 20 ft. limestone bluff, to it's confluence with Wekiva River 7 miles later, it's apparent that Rock Springs Run is like no other. But, if I had to make a comparison, I'd say it most closely resembles Juniper.
Like Juniper Run, this stream's cool, clear flow meanders through a lush, semi-tropical forest of cabbage palm, cypress, maple and other bottomland species that don't mind having there feet wet once in a while. In many sections, the towering overstory provides a loosely closed canopy allowing just enough light for photography while blocking out mid-day heat. Intermittent areas of open sunshine spawn dense groves of showy aquatic plants that provide home and groceries for myriad wildlings.
Ranked a second magnitude spring, the flow of Rock Springs Run is comparable to that at the end of Juniper, ranging from about 50 - 80 cu.ft./ second. And, the comparison doesn't stop there. Both of these little streams are born amid the the gently rolling highlands that form the spine of central Florida, and descend into the ancient coastline and near-shore lagoon that is now St. Johns River. For Rock Spring Run and it's distributary, the Wekiva River, this descent in elevation is one of the most abrupt of any Florida waterway - a whopping (by Florida standards) 1.6 ft. per mile.
Near the end of our trip, we enter into the Wekiva River. From here, we'll make a short side excursion upstream to the Wekiwa River. And no, the "w" in this name isn't a typo. The names of the river and the spring from which it flows, are spelled differently. An inquiry into this riddle produces many "answers" and theories - most relating to Indian vocabulary. My guess is that early maps of this river show a variety of spellings, just as they do for all of Florida's other rivers. The only difference here is that no one ever agreed on which was correct. Instead, they simply allotted a "w" to the spring and gave "v" to the river.
In the Wekiva, the flow increases considerably. However, it's not nearly what it was only a few decades ago. This sad reality is just another of the not-so-subtle warnings that the Big Girl (momma nature) is sending us about the fragility of our water supply. In the late 1800's this stretch of the river saw the passing of a twice - weekly steam boat called the Mayflower, as she made her way to a landing called Clay Springs, at the Wekiwa spring head. Today, you might see an occasional little motor boat, but they are few and far between.
Most of the low forest flanking the river and adjacent uplands are protected under a group of preserves, together referred to as the Wekiva Basin GeoPark. The stars of this geopark's rich wildlife are the 50 - 60 resident black bears. As always, seeing one of these shy creatures is very unlikely. You're far more likely to spot some of the other wild residents, like water birds, otters, deer, bobcat, wild hogs and water birds. Limpkins are especially prevalent along this waterway, which says good things about the quality of water and integrity of the system. Not only is their diet largely dependent on pollution sensitive apple snails, but they they avoid dredged, channelized and redirected waterways. A trained ear might hear yellow-billed cuckoo's in the swamp forest or the honk of sandhill cranes feeding nearby.
River Lore
Prehistoric Indians made good use of Rock Springs Run and Wekiva River. Several large shell middens are perched alongside the banks of both. There have also been some reports of monkeys in the Wekiva Basin! Where they hail from has prompted a lot of head scratching on the part of their higher primate cousins. To date, none of our species finest have found the answer. A quick look at the map shows quite a bit of civilization (not to mention distance) between Silver River and here. For the record, we haven't seen any on our Adventure Outpost explorations of this run, but you never know.
Difficulty
Thankfully, the comparisons to Juniper River don't apply to difficulty. Rock Springs follows a less twisted route as it flows through the forest. The main consideration will be the duration of the trip, usually taking us 4 - 4.5 hours. There are several good spots to get out and take a break if necessary, including a nice lunch area.
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