It has something for hikers and swimmers alike – a well-maintained trail that winds its way through beautiful pine flatwoods and oak hammocks and a small glistening spring at the end for swimming. Mud Springs, located south of the hatchery in the Welaka State Forest, is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon with your family in the Florida wilderness – the parking and day use fee is only $2 per person. If you have little bird watchers in your brood, this is a great place to spend some time.
About a mile from the aquarium you can find the “Beecher Unit”, which houses a bird observation deck and a half-mile loop trail through the nearby woods. As a child I was enthralled by the place, and to this day I make a point to swing by to see what the fish are up to!īetween the aquarium and Mud Springs, you can see the rest of the hatchery facility – medium sized ponds on either side of CR 309. While the facility itself has not changed much in my lifetime, although they rotate out fish and other species, it is still great fun to see and learn about what swims beneath the surface of our spectacular river. Developed in 1926, this 16-tank aquarium houses a wide variety of fish and other aquatic creatures that call the St. daily (no entrance fee), the National Fish Hatchery aquarium is a tiny but entertaining stop at the beginning of your day. Among them, the National Fish Hatchery public aquarium and Mud Spring Trail in the Welaka State Forest are two of my favorites that I regularly visit to this day. Located along CR 309 in Putnam County, there are quite a few gems in this area that enthralled me when I was a little. From the Timucua to William Bartram to today’s anglers and outdoor adventurers, humans have been drawn to this unique spot on the St. Welaka is a small town just south of Palatka (about 30 minutes or so). One of my favorite spots, however, is a place you may have never heard about: Welaka. There are 310 miles of possibilities with springs, museums, hikes, boat trips, and everything in between. Johns River abounds with opportunities for fun and adventure for kids. The area offers some of the most prolific inshore and offshore angling on the west coast of Florida.By Ashleigh Boice, St. It is also just a couple miles from Hernando County’s Bayport Park with deep water Gulf access via Bayport Channel. It is conveniently located only a few miles from the iconic Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Pine Island Beach Park. Between the wetlands lies approximately 18 acres of uplands featuring attractive pine and hardwood forest including a mature stand of slash pine with some specimens approaching two feet in diameter.Īlthough a relic of natural Florida, this property is easily accessed off Cortez Boulevard and Mary’s Fish Camp Road.
The southern portion of the property features frontage on the Mud River and adjoins a small and charming fish camp. Two smaller spring vents are adjacent to the tidal creek near the NW corner of the property. The Western side of the tract marks the edge of the broad marshlands of the Gulf of Mexico. It is not uncommon to see manatee among schools of fish during the winter season in the spring. The spring flows cool, clear water to form the headwaters of Mud Creek, a tributary to the famed Weeki Wachee River. Mud River Spring is situated fully within the parcel boundaries in the NE portion of the property. A beautiful second magnitude spring with a large pool spanning 200-300 feet across marks the focal point of this beautiful property.
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