If you’ve thought about paddleboarding or kayaking in Central Florida, check out King’s Landing

With summer in full blast, I’m reminded that there are no better places to cool off in Central Florida than in our region’s spring-fed rivers. My family purchased our first paddleboard two years ago for that purpose (we now own two), and our go-to spot for kayaking and paddleboarding is King’s Landing on Rock Springs Run in Apoka. King’s Landing is very busy on summer weekends, but it is still a great place to become acquainted with Florida’s spring-fed rivers—especially in the less busy spring, winter, and fall months.

King’s Landing is located in Apopka at the north end of Baptist Camp Road, past the entrance of Kelly Park at Rock Springs, the equally busy county-operated sister park to nearby Wekiwa Springs State Park. Both parks, famous for their spring heads and adjacent swimming spots (but less known for their excellent trails), are notoriously busy on weekends throughout the summer, late spring, and early fall and have long been known for lines stretching down roads before they open.

Unlike Kelly Park and Wekiwa Springs, King’s Landing is a place to go only for canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding—there’s no beach or watering hole on property, so you cannot go there just to swim.  King’s Landing offers four-hour rentals for canoes ($59), paddleboards ($69), and kayaks ($49 for single/$69 for double), or if you have your own, you can launch from their dock and stay for the day for $10 for adults or $5 for children ages 2 through 12.  They also host group kayaking tours.

What makes King’s Landing so special is the access to the aptly named Emerald Cut, a one-mile stretch of crystal clear water comprising the beginning of Rock Springs Run, the spring-fed river that eventually empties into the nearby Wekiva River. Upon leaving the canal connecting Kings Landing to Rock Springs Run, you immediately reach a shallow pool where the Emerald Cut empties into Rock Springs Run, and by turning upriver to the right, you immediately enter a fairy tale jungle of palm and cypress.

A paddle up the Emerald Cut can take about 30 to 45 minutes and can require a bit of paddle-power when the river is shallow, but the payoff is the scenery and wildlife. Passing through tunnels of palm, cypress, and live oak, often through stretches of crystal clear water barely wider than a two-lane road and only several feet deep, you’ll see fish and even otters pass beneath your paddles, while hawks fly overhead and the occasional deer and turkey pass by you beside the river.  Because of its current and the clarity of its water (and the volume of traffic), you’re less like to see any gators on the Emerald Cut, although there are plenty of gators further down Rock Springs Run past King’s Landing.

Eventually your ride up the cut ends with a steel chain crossing the waterway short of Kelly Park, where many paddlers take a rest before turning around for the much easier coast back down the cut with the current pushing you. Along the route are several popular swimming holes, including several favorite spots for kids to climb the limbs of trees hanging over the river or jump into the water from atop cypress knees.

The only real drawback of King’s Landing is the crowds—It’s busy during summer weekends, and the natural ambiance is often disrupted by inconsiderate tourists blasting music from portable speakers. The traffic can also make navigating tighter choke points tricky, and you do need to be wary of logs and roots that can stop your paddleboard without warning (making for unplanned dips in the river).

But you can also escape the crowds by moving past the Emerald Cut into the broader, less traveled Rock Springs Run, paddling the 8.5-mile route downriver around Wekiwa Springs State Park to Wekiva Island.  And if you don’t want to paddle back upriver, you can book a shuttle to take you and your watercraft back to King’s Landing from Wekiva Island for $30 per person.

Even during the busy summer months, King’s Landing is a favorite for my family, especially when we have a weekday off.  And because the spring-fed water stays 72 degrees year-round, the Emerald Cut is particularly enjoyable in the less busy colder months. If you’ve ever thought about paddling in Central Florida, this is a great place to try.