The Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve is an exceptional place. Springs, large and small, bubble up from deep within the limestone labyrinth that underlies central Florida, forming creeks and rivers that wind for miles through forested floodplains and swamps, where birds and bears, alligators and manatees live.

Wekiwa Spring, at the southern end of the preserve, is famous for its clear, cool water, enjoyed by swimmers and snorkelers, canoeists and kayakers, who explore the spring run as it flows to the Wekiva River. The Wekiva River begins at the confluence of Wekiwa Spring Run and Rock Springs Run; its fifteen-mile northerly course alternates between wide, sunny stretches of slow-moving water and narrow, shady passages of swiftly-moving current. The Little Wekiva River, Blackwater Creek and more than thirty springs contribute their waters to the Wekiva as it winds its way north.

When the Wekiva joins the St. Johns River, the character of the aquatic preserve changes noticeably. Everything gets bigger: the waves, the boats, the gators. Though this part of the aquatic preserve brushes against civilization, it is actually a twenty-two mile corridor of aquatic beauty that ambles through thousands of acres of swamp, marshland and forest. Within this stretch of the Middle St. Johns lies the 600-acre Lake Beresford; Blue Spring, the winter home of hundreds of manatees; and Hontoon Island, the site of ancient Timucuan middens. Pristine water, natural beauty, abundant wildlife and archaeological intrigue all contribute to weave the rich tapestry that is the Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve.