Wekiva Island

Very cool place to visit. Nature trails, kayak rental, bike trail, camping, park and more! Be prepared to walk into very cold selling waters but it is a nice way to cool off from the hot weather. Bring a blanket and refreshment and go early for good parking !

Nice spot by the water, really good food but the staff was not friendly at all. Bartender was almost rude and the cooks didn’t seem happy. I made sure to be extra polite and only got hostility back. Paid and had my hand out for my card and it was thrown down on the counter. No thank you or nothing. Being in the service industry this was disappointing. Also asked for extra slice of jalapeño on my tacos and they wanted to charge me for a extremely thin slice, thought that was wild.

Came here awhile back for a little weekend getaway with friends and family. We rented canoes for half a day, which were extremely affordable, enjoyed the corn hole games, had drinks at the bar by the river, and soaked up some perfect Florida weather. This has been a childhood hang for me and many of my friends since I grew up close-​by and Wekiva Island has definitely taken on many different forms over the years. It’s good to see that the place is being constantly improved and is visited by both locals and tourists alike. They also have a few cabanas that can be rented for private events or parties.
Be sure to check out the little hidden, rope swing located upstream and if you’re adventurous enough give it a go! Hang on tight and hurl yourself over the ledge and into the river! This part is always a good time for all participating, but keep an eye out for strange wildlife, since you’re in the country/​swamplands now! Cheers

Love this place! Such a cool spot to hang out. It offers you the opportunity to enjoy beautiful nature and to drink at a neat bar. We rented canoes first and paddled for about an hour. Lots of natural beauty in the area– gorgeous trees with Spanish moss, tons of wildlife (mostly birds; we identified a few immature ibises), and multiple routes you can take through the rivers and springs.
The bar is also super nice. Lots of beautiful wood all around the bar, unique taxidermied animals wearing Wekiva Island t-​shirts and sunglasses, and great beers on tap. I was pleasantly surprised to notice 2 Southern Tiers on draft! I tried an Elvis beer by Tomoka– it was peanut butter and banana sandwich flavored. Strange but delish!
Bathrooms were very clean too
Would def come back here again! Awesome spot.

We were in Orlando for a long weekend and so happily surprised to find this place.
We parked in the main lot, which cost $ 1 I believe. You want to get there on the early side on a hot day to get parking and a nice waterside Adirondack chair. Bring your own towels, etc.
The waterside is build with a seawall and pool steps so you can get in and out to take a dip. Beware, the water is freezing!
Plenty of dogs are allowed in the area and enjoyed hanging out with their owners.
We rented a kayak and paddled up to the state park and back. What an adventure! Once you get a little away from the crowd, you get into a very natural setting where alligators are present along with birds and wildlife. We saw a mid size alligator about 10 feet away hanging out in the water as we went by. Scarrrry!
Once we returned our kayak, we had a couple snacks from the foodtruck which surprisingly had quite a few choices. They also had live music (a local singer playing guitar) and we hung out at the bar for a cold beer and listened and left mid afternoon.
We both said the place was a great find and we would go again next time we are in the area.

If you love the great outdoors this is the place for you! Laid-​back fun place to hang with your friends. Sit comfortably in the Adirondack chairs in front of the fire-​pits overlooking Wekiva Springs river. Enjoy wine and beer and a different food trucks!

I have grown up playing in the springs and then rediscovered this place a few years ago. Passing by it seems like a fun place to hang out with family and friends. They have cabanas for rent, others simply pull up a blanket. They have a small marina which rents canoes and kayaks. The newly renovated facilities include a full bar and some food. If you aren’t renting a cabana you can dine in the picnic area or pull up some grass. Maybe even play some cornhole.
Overall, this is a fun stop along the river.

Plenty of parking, kind of private, has good drinks for a really good price. everyone seems to be having fun and enjoying themselves, safe-don’t see any alligators! Friendly staff, walked right up and got a drink with in one minute! Cool spot!

This is a great place to hang out no matter the day or the time. The bar has good craft beer with friendly bar tenders. They also have a variety of wine if you are not a beer person. There is a food truck as well that has meat dishes as well as vegetarian choices. I’ve yet to have anything I didn’t like from the food truck.
Along the river they have setup adirondack chairs to sit back in and enjoy the scenery. In front of the dock you can swim or just wade in. The water is not deep, but children may need some assistance. If you want to sit in one of their chairs, get there early.
Every Wednesday they are now offering a different event.
1^st Wednesday — Wine and Paint for $ 35
2^nd Wednesday — Wekiva Brew and Review
3^rd Wednesday — Wine Down Wednesday
4^th Wednesday — Wilderness Wednesday
I was just there for Wilderness Wednesday and had a chance to hear a lecture on spiders. For $ 10 it was all you can drink select beer and wine. The person giving the lecture was animated and great to listen to while keeping the audience engaged.
They do have canoe, kayak and paddle board rentals. I haven’t used any of them, but on the weekends you MUST get to the Island very early if you want to secure any of these rentals. This place fills up FAST. Often they are at capacity by 10:30am — 11:00am on the weekends.
If you have a family function or a get together with friends, rent a cabana. The cabanas have comfortable seating and a cooler.
In the evenings, they have live performances. Sometimes they have a fire as well. All in all, this is a great place to relax and have a good time.

:) it makes me happy to think about my time at Wekiva Island. You will want to book your cabana early because they go quickly. If you didn’t pack your lunch, it’s ok since they have a food truck that serves everything from chicken tenders to bang bang shrimp! It can get crowded here so don’t plan on coming on a Saturday if you can’t handle a crowd. Renting a kayak is easy and they will help you get it in and out of the water. Bring your bathing suit, dog and spf and you are all set!

Look elsewhere for a good time. This place use to be a local gem, now it’s nothing but where all the trash on the river floats too. Most People that come here have zero respect for the environment or others. Very sad what this place has become. Nothing but a bunch of drunk trash ruining it for others. wekiva island has jumped the shark and is no longer a fun local destination of choice. Look elsewhere if you have a family and are looking for some fun in natural Florida. This place officially sucks now. Just a daytime, nightclub. Pretty heartbreaking to experience the decline of what once was a true joy for all. 30years living in this area and this place is no longer what it appears to be. Great potential but to many trashy people ruining it for everyone. I’d be hard pressed to bring our kids there anymore. :(sad!

I appreciate the rivers beauty, this is a great place to explore and experience our natural environment. Thank you Wekiva Island!

This is a great place to hang out and have a drink. The food is great too. You can bring your dog, play corn hole and swim, what else do you need?

Nice little spot on the lake. Gets crowded, so get there early to claim a spot. There are picnic tables, but very few, so if you want one, get there early! Same with shaded areas. Beer deals aren’t bad, just your basics in bottles though. Food truck there has pretty good food, but pricey. But since it’s the only option, they can do that.

I’ve been going to wekiva state park for years and never knew that you could just hang out at the island. It’s nice to have a little spot to drink and eat while you partake in water activity. In the past, I just canoes up the river. This island gives you a chance to take a break and grab a brew. I was here for Memorial Day and it wasn’t that packed! Shocking! They’re good at keeping a good capacity!

If it wasn’t for the fun time I had with the group of friends I met here, I would have given 1 star.
First and foremost, showing up at noon on a Saturday will likely result in being turned away by the parking attendant. This attendant does not care whatsoever about who you are meeting or if you’ve rented a cabana. If they are at capacity, you will be told to leave and told you cannot wait on the side of the road for any one inside to leave. They also do not permit any walk-​ins so you can forget about parking elsewhere and walking down the street. It seems this attendant makes the same excuse about everyone giving him a hard time and in return he’s rude to all who approach him. If you plan on showing up here, make sure you go early as you’re likely better off showing up before they open the gates. That or rent a cabana to give yourself two reserved parking spaces. If you do get in to their general lot, bring cash because they charge $ 1 per person. I had to get my friend who rented the cabana to allow me to use their reserved parking space in order to be allowed in.
Note that when you rent a cabana, you do not get the entire tent. They are split in half with a wooden wall and you will only get one half. The cabana has seating, a table, a counter and a cooler available. They have gas grills available but this is also shared which means you will likely have to wait for the cabana guests under the other half to finish grilling their food. I believe they only permit you to bring one cooler if you rent a cabana.
Bringing your own alcohol is strictly prohibited. You must buy beer or wine from their bar. Liquor is not available. You may see local sheriff deputies making their rounds to keep the peace. At least the staff was friendly each time they came around our cabana to ask if we wanted anything from the bar.
Lastly, to finish on a good note, this place can be fun. The river provides a perfect opportunity to stay cool on those hot sunny days. Bring your paddle board, floats, rafts and relax or float down the river. They charge a launch fee for boats and kayaks and they also offer kayak and canoe rentals. Another cool fact is they allow dogs in the park as long as they are leashed. I saw someone’s dog proudly standing on a paddle board. Be careful though as we share this river with the native wildlife. I spotted two alligators, a 3 footer and a 5 footer.
Bottom line, you can have fun if you get in. Just show up ridiculously early and that should guarantee your entry for a day of fun in the sun.

I really like the direction this place is headed. My girlfriend and I are very excited about the addition of more craft beer. We had a blonde male bartender who was very knowledgeable about the selection and beer in general so we’ll definitely come back for the friendly service. My only negative comment would be that it seemed like some guests were being overserved and beginning to cause a scene. All in all though we will definitely be returning and recommending to friends.

My department recently had a team appreciation event at Wekiva Island. There was plenty for our large group to do, including fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Or if you prefer less active endeavors, you could lounge around in one of the cabanas (my chosen activity).
After all that (in)activity, you’re bound to get hungry and thirsty. Luckily, there’s a bar and food truck on premise. They had a decent selection of beer and wine at great prices. Most of the draft beers available were only $ 3.50! Since you can’t bring in your own alcohol, it was good to see they don’t price gouge you on the beer. You are allowed to bring in your own food and non-​alcoholic drinks. I saw many reviews stating the staff was rude, but we had nothing but pleasant interactions with the bar staff.
Wekiva Island is a good alternative to the state park, which can reach capacity pretty quickly. Its a nice place to take a group and enjoy the great outdoors.

Weekiva Island is a GEM of Central Florida. It is a park, a bar, a restaurant, and private party place all in one. Located along the river, they have built a beautiful boardwalk and lined it with Adirondack chairs. Their bar sports a great selection of draft and bottled beers that will meet your budget and desires of your palette. They have good food from brisket, fish, burgers to pulled pork and a few vegetarian options.
They also rent kayaks and canoes ($ 20-​$ 30 each), or you can launch your own for very cheap ($ 6). this is my favorite place to drop in the water and you can come back and enjoy some food and a good beer.
They have several cabanas along the water you can rent for private parties.
A couple words of warning:
1)Treat this place as a bar /​restaurant, not a park. You are not welcome to bring your own alcohol in here just as any other bar you would go to.
2) If it is hot out and a weekend, expect it to fill to capacity and you not being able to get into the parking lot. Get there early or plan to park at Publix and walk down.

READ ME!
This is one of my favorite places in the world! We enjoy going for lunch (food truck style) and relaxing by the water in the spring and fall when it’s not crowded. It’s a perfect day!!! People bring dogs & kids and everyone is relaxed and having fun. We also enjoy going in the evening because it feels like hanging out in a friends backyard.
When the weather gets warmer the rowdies tend to show up and blow the relaxing vibe. That happens everywhere.
The parking issues: People need to know and understand that some of the neighbors in the area have been trying to shut the place down as a nuisance for years. They can’t let you line up on the street waiting for someone to leave. They can’t give the neighbors legitimate reason to complain. Go early during the warm weather months and you won’t have a problem. During cooler weather it’s never an issue.
As for reviews commenting about getting in trouble for outside drinks… Don’t be an ass!!! Would you bring outside booze to any other bar??? This is how they make money! There are plenty of other places you can go and bring your own drinks so do the rest of us a favor and go there.