Skip to Content

Exploring the St. Johns River: Springs, kayaking, hiking near Welaka

Bass fisherman probably know about the upper St. Johns River and Welaka as a destination.  But we discovered on a recent visit that it is also an appealing destination for paddlers, hikers and lovers of small-town old Florida.

Welaka, about 20 miles south of Palatka, is a perfect base to kayak St. Johns River.

We paddled north from Welaka Fl along the eastern shore of the St. Johns from Welaka and enjoyed the view of boat houses and residences but the really beautiful part is the undeveloped shoreline, lined with large cypress trees, live oak trees, tall longleaf pines and lots and lots of Spanish moss draping everything.
The shoreline of the St. Johns River along Welaka Fl is most beautiful where it is undeveloped. It’s lined with large cypress trees, live oak trees, tall longleaf pines and Spanish moss draping everything. (Photo: David Blasco)

We stayed at the Welaka Lodge and Cabins on the recommendation of another outdoors writer. It has a beautiful waterfront location with pool and comfortable cabins with hot tubs.

Welaka provided us with several excellent outdoor adventures:

Welaka Lodge and Cabins waterfront dock and deck on the St. Johns River.
We stayed at the Welaka Lodge and Cabins with a beautiful waterfront location on the St. Johns River. (Photo: David Blasco)
  • We rented a canoe from the lodge and paddled along the shore of the St. Johns River to pretty little Welaka Springs.
  • Nearly across the river from the lodge is the point at which the Ocklawaha River joins the St. John’s, and paddling up the Ocklawaha from here is a scenic trip.
  • A 10 minute drive from the lodge is Welaka State Forest with extensive hiking through longleaf pine forests.
  • About 20 minutes away is Dunn’s Creek, a state-designated paddle trail that looks promising. Unfortunately the outfitter was closed the day we had hoped to explore Dunn’s Creek.
Historic wharf in Welaka Fl on St. Johns River.
Historic wharf in Welaka Fl on St. Johns River. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Kayaking and canoeing from Welaka along the St. Johns River

Welaka is the native American word for the St. Johns River and roughly translates to mean river of lakes. It’s not surprising then, that this is a wide river, popular with powerboaters and less so with kayakers.

We did enjoy paddling here, though care is recommended. Stay near the shore to avoid powerboat traffic. Be very cautious crossing the wide river, where winds can be surprisingly strong.  This is a river where you want to wear your life jacket (if that is not your usual habit), and it is not recommended for beginning paddlers.

Welaka Springs is a small (third magnitude) spring surrounded by private property. The only man-made element in the pretty cove with the spring is a simple houseboat. It’s a lovely spot It’s a lovely spot not far from Welaka Fl.. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Welaka Springs is a small (third magnitude) spring surrounded by private property. The only man-made element in the pretty cove with the spring is a simple houseboat. It’s a lovely spot not far from Welaka Fl. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

We paddled north along the eastern shore of the St. Johns from Welaka and enjoyed the view of boat houses and residences along the way. But the really beautiful part is the undeveloped shoreline, lined with large cypress trees, live oak trees, tall longleaf pines  and lots of Spanish moss draping everything.

All along the river, you see osprey nests, great blue herons and wading birds.

Our destination was Welaka Springs, which is a small (third magnitude) spring surrounded by private property. The only man-made element in the pretty cove with the spring is a simple houseboat. It’s a lovely spot.

Paddling north beyond the spring we found a sandy shore with a forest clearing that was not labeled “no trespassing“ and had a picnic.  Across the river from the springs are several islands that were full of nesting wading birds.

On our return trip we enjoyed the undeveloped western shore before crossing back to Welaka Lodge

A bridge across a private lagoon along the St. Johns River near Welaka. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
A bridge across a private lagoon along the St. Johns River near Welaka Fl. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

I also highly recommend paddling up the wild and undeveloped Ocklawaha River. The hard part is crossing the St. Johns River, because it is so wide and at least on the day we did it, windy.

Once on the Ocklawaha, however, conditions were great for kayakers and canoeists. The forest that lines the river is thick and wild with beautiful cypress trees. On our late afternoon paddle, we were serenaded by several barred owls hooting to each other.

The third good kayaking destination is Dunn’s Creek, a 6-mile long river connecting St. Johns River to Crescent Lake. There are two public access points, one at Georgia Boys Fish Camp and another at Brown’s Landing. Most of the western shore of the river is Dunn’s Creek State Park

We were traveling without our boat and could not paddle this trail because the outfitter was closed that day. I’d recommend you call ahead to McGhee’s Boat Rental, which has kayaks and powerboats for rent.

In the summer, monitor the spread of blue green algae. We were there the last weekend of April and a minor algae bloom was underway. It could get worse as the weather warms up. Here’s a report on where algal blooms are occurring.

Mud Springs turns out not to be muddy at all, and instead is an circle of clear blue-green water with clouds of white sand bubbling from the spring. (Photo: David Blasco)
Mud Springs turns out not to be muddy at all, and instead is a circle of clear blue-green water with clouds of white sand bubbling from the spring. (Photo: David Blasco)

Hiking in Welaka State Forest 

There are many miles of marked trails in Welaka State Forest, but our absolute favorite and maybe the top experience of our visit to the area was the trail to Mud Springs.

The trail itself is an easy, shaded forest walk on a 1.75 mile loop trail. There’s lots of parking and this trail is well-marked.

Mud Springs turns out not to be muddy at all, and instead is a circle of clear blue-green water with clouds of white sand bubbling from the spring. I intended only to wade into the 72-degree spring but it was so pleasant I edged deeper and deeper until I was up to my shoulders and my clothing was soaked. But it was so worth it! (There are no signs banning swimming.)

A bridge and boardwalk leads to a dock on the spring run that we are told is accessible by kayak from the St. Johns River. (Here’s the trail via Putnam Blueways.)

The clearing for the spring in the forest is a delightful spot to linger, including a picnic table, shelter and benches. On a weekday in April, we had it all to ourselves.

Longleaf pine forest on marked trail in Welaka State Forest,
There are many miles of marked trails in Welaka State Forest. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Welaka State Forest has an excellent trail map, well groomed trails with many trees blazed with trail markings. Still we could not follow the blazes and map and took a number of wrong turns.  Unless you are adept at leaving breadcrumbs, consult a map on your phone or you’ll never get out of here.

These trails also lead to two primitive camping sites on the St. Johns River – Orange Point and John’s Landing, which was a beauty.

A final note for hikers: Wear insecticide and protective clothing for both ticks and chiggers. We learned the hard way.

Other things to do near Welaka Fl

It takes all of five minutes to see, but we loved stopping at the small free aquarium of the Welaka National Fish Hatchery, which is walking distance from Welaka Lodge. The 1950s era aquarium has tanks with important native species and good information about them.

If you use Welaka as a base, the eastern side of Ocala National Forest would be an hour away, for a visit to Alexander Spring or Salt Springs, which are good kayaking destinations. St. Augustine is about an hour northeast; Flagler Beach is about an hour east.

Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka is a worthwhile destination for its historic gardens and structures.

The Putnam County Blueways has information on 13 paddling trails in the area.

About 45 minutes away is the little visited Haw Creek Preserve State Park, where Haw Creek, a cypress-lined blackwater creek can be kayaked. (You must bring your own boat.)

Welaka National Fish Hatchery aquarium with striped bass
The small free aquarium of the Welaka National Fish Hatchery. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Resources for planning a trip to Welaka

Welaka Lodge and Cabins, located in Welaka on the St. Johns River, offers cabins as well as RV camping sites.

There aren’t a lot of commercial establishments in this off-the-beaten-path area. We enjoyed dinner at Shrimps R Us. It was, however, the only place within a half hour to eat on a weeknight. It’s an unadorned local spot, painted bright yellow inside and out.

I would recommend you bring your own kayak – the lodge only has one kayak and one canoe to rent.  There is a public dock and kayak launch two blocks north of the lodge.

This region was explored by botanist/explorers John and William Bartram in 1775-76 and and Putnam County, where Welaka is located, has lots of resources about where the Bartrams visited and what they saw. Here’s the Putnam county website on the Bartram Trail. Theirs is a remarkable story worth exploring if you’re in the area.


All articles on FloridaRambler.com are original, produced exclusively for our readers and protected by U.S. Copyright law. Any use or re-publication without written permission is against the law.

This page contains affiliate links from which Florida Rambler may earn a sall commission when a purchase is made. This revenue supports our mission to produce quality stories about Florida at no cost to you.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Mike

Tuesday 5th of May 2020

Welaka is a beautiful little town that is also a great place to live as well. If you are visiting this area, the Ocklawaha is one of the most beautiful stretches of river with plenty to see. I really wouldn't recommend paddling across the St. Johns, but you can launch at the Ocklawaha bridge on Hwy 19, south of Palatka on the other side of the river. There is a parking area with a small boat launch for canoes and kayaks. This is a beautiful stretch with lots and lots of wildlife to view. Just be prepared and don't forget the insect repellent.

Jack Morton

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

I'm with Charlie - love the Rambler, and have visited a number of your featured Florida gems. Thanks for what you do.

bob langley

Saturday 2nd of November 2019

just up the road from welaka on rte 17 is memaws another great place to eat good food really nice folks

Mary Jane Kolassa

Monday 13th of May 2019

Hi Bonnie, Loved your article. Love the Wekiva...you really do it justice!

Charlie Floyd

Sunday 12th of May 2019

Editors, just a note to tell you how much I enjoy reading the Florida Rambler. I look forward to the Florida Rambler every issue. Thank you for publishing.

Bonnie Gross

Sunday 12th of May 2019

Charlie: Thank you so much for your kind words!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.