• Teams of five (limited to 16 teams) build and race a cardboard and duct tape canoe on Saturday, October 12 (registration closed Friday, October 4). Teams race their canoes in the clear, chilly 68-degree waters of Rock Springs beginning at 1 p.m., with prizes awarded to Race Winner, Crowd Favorite and the hilarious Most Spectacular Sinking!

FREE Movie in the Park: Coco!

• Bring your family and friends to the following parks for the FREE Movie in the Park: Coco! This fun animated movie (rated PG, 109 mins.) starts at 7 p.m., shortly after dark. Bring lawn chairs and snacks, or purchase from food trucks (if available). No alcohol allowed in the park; no pets allowed in the viewing area. Questions? Email parks@ocfl.net or call Parks Marketing 407-836-6257.
  • Friday, October 18: Cypress Grove Park, 290 Holden Avenue, Orlando
  • Saturday, October 19: Bithlo Community Park, 18501 Washington Avenue, Orlando
  • Friday, October 25: Kelly Park's Camp Joy, 5303 Baptist Camp Road, Apopka
  • Saturday, October 26: Barnett Park, 4801 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando

To make a pavilion reservation, please call the park directly at 407-254-1902 or email KellyCamping@ocfl.net; please include your name, date requested for your pavilion reservation, phone number and the number of people expected to attend your event.

Kelly Park Information Line: 407-254-1906.

With the exception of ADA service animals, no pets are permitted in Kelly Park.

Park Admission Fee: $3 per vehicle for 1-2 people; $5 per vehicle for 3-8 people; and $1 for additional person/walk-ins/motorcycles/bikes. No pets and no alcohol.

Tent and RV Camping

• Outside of hours of operation, common areas and waterfront are closed, campers must remain in campground.
• To reserve an individual campsite, please visit Camping & Environmental Education and click "Online Camping Reservations."
• Kelly Park's group campsites and dormitory at Camp Joy can be reserved by emailing KellyCamping@ocfl.net. Please include your name, phone number and dates for your reservation and someone from our office will contact you within 24 hours of your request. Please remember campsites and pavilions are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis and full payment is required.

Kayak/Canoe/Paddle Board Launch at Kelly Park's Camp Joy: $3 for 1-2 people; $5 for 3-8 people; and $1 for additional person. Launching hours are between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.; guests must return no later than 5 p.m.

Commercial activity is prohibited from the launch at Camp Joy. No person shall use any public boat ramp for activities including, but not limited to: picking up or dropping off passengers; soliciting or advertising commercial activity for hire; designating physical address of public boat ramp as physical address of commercial business; collecting, receiving or attempting to collect or receive compensation for any service; organizing or launching of a tournament or other group function for which a fee or membership is charged; O.C. Code of Laws Section 29-58.

Tubing on Rock Springs
Kelly Park features a free-flowing natural spring (68 degrees year round), full-service concession, picnic pavilions and playground. Tube rentals are available from vendors outside the park; guests may bring their own pool noodles or floats that must be less than five feet in length or width. The swimming area closes one hour prior to park closing. During the summer, inclement weather can affect park operations; for the safety of our guests, the swim area will be closed if a storm produces lightning.

Helpful Information: FAQs

• Q. How much is it to get into the park?
• A. 1 - 2 people is $3, 3 - 8 people is $5. Busses are $10 for the bus plus $1 per person. Entrance fee is cash, or Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit card with a valid photo ID.

• Q. Do you take credit cards?
• A. Yes but only Visa, MasterCard and Discover with a valid photo ID.

• Q. How can we find out if the park has reached capacity?
• A. Once the park reaches capacity, we update our web page to reflect that the park is now full. We also have an Information Line that we update when the park is full: call 407-254-1906.

• Q. Once the park is full, what time do you reopen?
• A. Each morning, 280 vehicles will be allowed entry, and an additional 50 vehicles are allowed in after 1 p.m. with afternoon parking pass. These 330 vehicles equate to an average of 1,350 visitors each day. You must get a pass in the morning once the park hits the initial capacity to be able to gain access at the 1 p.m. re-open time. Only one pass will be given per car, on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Q. Where can I get a re-entry pass?
• A. If the park is full, we typically do not allow re-entry. In the event that the park is not at capacity, your entry receipt can be used to get back in.

• Q. How much is camping?
• A. For camping information, please see the camping brochure on the County webpage.

• Q. Do you offer any canoe, kayak or paddleboard rentals?
• A. We offer a primitive canoe/kayak launch at our sister site next door, Camp Joy; however, no rentals are offered at Camp Joy or Kelly Park, nor do we offer any shuttle service. If you wish to rent a vessel, please see Wekiwa Springs State Park, Kings Landing or Wekiva Island.

• Q. I paid to get into Rock Springs Run State Reserve; can I get into your site with that admission?
• A. No, that is a State-operated facility and Kelly Park is run by Orange County.

• Q. Do you rent cabins?
• A. We do not have any cabins for rent at Kelly Park. We do offer dorm style accommodations at Camp Joy with minimums that must be met for the group size. For information on Camp Joy rates, see the Orange County camping brochure on the Orange County website.

• Q. What time should we arrive to gain access?
• A. On a typical summer day, the park will be full within one hour of opening and people tell us that they were in line as early as 4:30 a.m. If you do not make it in, we hand out vouchers to the first 50 cars in line that will allow them access starting at 1 p.m.

• Q. My family is already inside, can I get in even though you are at capacity?
• A. Unfortunately no. We recommend families arrive at the same time to make sure that you can all get in.

• Q. Are you in summer or winter hours?
• A. Park hours change when the time changes. From March until early November the park is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. From November until March the park is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Keep in mind that the waterfront area as well as the trails close one hour prior to the park closing so that staff has time to safely get everyone out.

• Q. How cold is the water?
• A. 68 to 72 degrees year round.

• Q. Where can we rent a tube?
• A. The park does not provide tube rentals. Tubes can be rented outside the park from a local business. You may also bring your own "pool noodles" or float as long as it is not over five feet in length or width.

• Q. Do you have an air pump for tubes?
• A. We do not offer this service. We recommend that you bring your own small pump to inflate tubes and floats.

• Q. Are alcoholic beverages permitted?
• A. Orange County ordinances do not allow alcoholic beverages on park property. Violation of this ordinance may be grounds for expulsion from the park.

• Q. Are you pet friendly?
• A. Unfortunately, we do not allow pets at the park or in the campground - only ADA service animals are welcome.

• Q. Are there really alligators and snakes in the water?
• A. It is not a common occurrence but from time to time we do see wildlife such as alligators and snakes in the water. If you see an alligator, notify any staff on site; they will then verify the sighting and activate the protocols that are in place for such instances.

• Q. Do you see manatees at this site?
• A. Not at this site. Blue Springs State Park is known for the manatees.

• Q. Can we bring our own grill?
• A. As long as the grill is at a picnic area you may use it. We do not allow any grills near the water. We also ask that you do not place any hot grills or cooking utensils on the table itself as it damages them. Propane grills are welcome as well. If you bring a charcoal grill please do not dump your hot charcoal on the ground.

• Q. Can we bring a pop up shelter?
• A. We do allow pop up tents no larger than 10x10 feet in the picnic area. You may not set up any tents at the water front area. Camping style tents are not allowed in any area other than the campground. All tents must have full visibility through the tent.

• Q. Can we still get in the water if it is raining?
• A. We have a Thorguard lightning prediction system that will trigger if lightning is in the area; however, staff has the right to shut the water down if conditions warrant it. During peak season lifeguards will be on stand throughout the river and will shut the water down if they lose sight of the bottom of the river even if the Thorguard has not triggered.

• Q. Is the water safe for small children?
• A. Yes. Life jackets and puddle jumpers are allowed, water wings are not allowed as they are not Coast Guard approved flotation devices. Please keep in mind lifeguards are not on stand year round so please help monitor your children to assure their safety.

• Q. Do you have lockers?
• A. A small number of lockers are available to use on a first-come, first-served basis. Locks can be rented from the concessionaire.

• Q. Do you offer a shuttle back?
• A. Our run is fairly small taking you only about 25 minutes to float down. Once you get out there is only about a 10-minute walk on a paved sidewalk back to the main park area.

• Q. Can we go into the cave?
• A. For the safety of the public we keep all people away from the cave area.

• Q. Is there a concession stand?
• A. The concession stand is open daily from spring break until early October. Items sold include hotdogs, hamburgers, snow cones and funnel cakes as well as charcoal, condiments, bug spray and other items; availability is subject to change.

• Q. Do you allow drones to be flown in the park?
• A. Drones are allowed to be flown in the park if they take off and land in the designated take off/landing area. For our site the designated area is the main picnic area that is adjacent to our drop off area. For the safety of the public no low fly overs of the water will be allowed.

• Kelly Park map

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the popularity of Kelly Park, it is normal to service a high volume of visitors during the summer months and on holidays. You may also experience traffic congestion due to the popularity of the park. Frequently, the park is filled to capacity by mid-morning, and unfortunately guests must be turned away at the entry. In order to provide a quality recreational experience while preserving the natural beauty of historic Kelly Park, a daily maximum visitation has been determined: 280 vehicles will be allowed entry each morning, and an additional 50 vehicles are allowed in after 1 p.m. with afternoon parking pass. These 330 vehicles equate to an average of 1,350 visitors each day. You must get a parking pass in the morning once we hit our initial capacity to be able to gain access at the 1 p.m. re-open time. Only one pass will be given per car and they are on a first-come, first-served basis. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for working with us to ensure a sustainably safe and pleasant experience for you and all of our guests. No pets; no alcohol.