Meandering through Orange, Lake, and Seminole Counties, this purest form
of Central Florida nature, as described by one of its champions, is also
bordered by some of the region's most densely populated suburban sprawl.
The Wekiva River makes up some of the best protected waters in the state
with laws designed for its preservation, as it is recognized as a
regional jewel and a resource worth saving in public trust as parks,
preserves, and forests. Today visitors who paddle, boat, and hike here
discover a sanctuary that seems unchanged since its earliest history,
when ancient tribes piled fresh water shells, sand, bone, and pot shards
to create midden mounds, and when Clay Springs and other early
settlements helped draw river traffic and railroads hauled out its
forest products. Its cooling springs have provided recreation for
generation after generation.