Wekiwa Springs State Park is a 7000acre Florida State Park in Apopka, Florida. It is located 20 minutes north of Orlando, off Interstate 4 at exit 94, near Altamonte Springs and Longwood. The park also contains the head water of the Wekiva River. It also serves as the headquarters of one of the state's five AmeriCorps Florida State Parks chapters.Although the springs are spelled Wekiwa Springs, the river and most subdivisions and streets in Seminole County use the Wekiva spelling. Wekiwa is the Creek word for a spring, but contrary to popular belief that Wekiva means "flowing water", it was actually an alternate spelling used by developers.HistoryIn the 1800s, Central Florida was primarily agricultural; however, with the end of the Civil War, a tourist trade started to take advantage of Florida’s temperate winters, long summers and natural environment, and out of that growth came Wekiwa Springs. In 1941, the Apopka Sportsmen’s Club purchased the property from the Wilson Cypress Company, which had maintained a small turpentine camp in what is now the park, maintaining the area for recreational use. John H. Land, Mayor of Apopka, Florida, and co-owner of the Apopka Sportsmen's Club campaigned the Florida State Legislature for three years to preserve the land. By 1969 the state of Florida expressed interest in the property for use as a state park, and, starting in 1970, visitors have come for the natural spring, crystal clear water, and the area's wildlife. The spring maintains a year-round water temperature of 72F.
