By:
Submission
Special Notice
Effective September 13, 2022, the following roads and recreational facilities are closed due to excessive rainfall and unsafe ground conditions:
• Mud Spring
• Mud Spring Trail
• Fire Tower Recreation Area
• Education Trail
• Indian Pond Road
• John’s Landing Campground
• Orange Point Campground
Forest staff will continue to monitor the situation regularly and reopen the roads and facilities once it is safe to do so. Please avoid these areas until the closure is lifted.
Welaka State Forest is located along the east bank of the historic St. Johns River. The Florida Forest Service maintains the integrity of the forest's natural systems while allowing limited outdoor recreation use and environmental education. In 1935, under the Federal Resettlement Administration, the United States government started the Welaka Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Project on a state of Florida fish hatchery site. The Welaka property was later transferred to the University of Florida as the “University of Florida Conservation Reserve, Welaka” for the study of forestry and wildlife. In 1992 the lease was transferred from the University of Florida to the Florida Forest Service to manage as a state forest.
Welaka State Forest is located in northeastern Florida, approximately 17 miles south of Palatka, off of U.S. Highway 17. The forest headquarters and training facilities are on the east side of County Road 309, about 1 mile south of the town of Welaka. The Mud Spring Trailhead is located just across the highway, and the equestrian facilities are located about ½ mile east of the forest headquarters. The John’s Landing Trail is located another mile south on the west side of County Road 309 at the firetower site.
All camp sites, dorm rentals, and horse stall reservations can be placed through Reserve America. For more information, contact forest staff at (386) 292-2478. Please plan ahead; the office is not staffed on nights and weekends.
All horses must have proof of current negative Coggins test results when on state lands. Leashed pets are allowed on the forest but not in any buildings, dorms or offices.
In keeping with its mission to protect and manage Florida's forest resources, the Florida Forest Service has developed rules that apply to all state forest visitors
It's a nice quiet walk to the spring itself but it's definitely beautiful and worth the walk. The ranger that was there doing trash was very pleasant to talk to and gave us some pretty cool info on other springs as well as told us about the camp ground across the street.
What an incredible trip!! Absolutely beautiful trails. It was so clean and peaceful. the springs were amazing!!! So beautiful and cold. My family had a blast in nature. Very long trails and many short cuts too. Word of advise, read the maps properly, we got a bit lost for an hour before we realized that the different color makings on the trees indicate different trails. Definitely keeps your eyes open, we ran into many rattle snakes and bobcat footprints (they seemed recent lol). What an adventure!!
Long walk May say about 1 mile in. But best place to relax in the fresh water
Great place for a picnic or hike. Pavilion, clean restrooms and well marked trails
It's only about a 1 mile walk through the trail to the mud spring. The path is a decent size for 2 people to walk next to each other. I'll definitely be back.
