Kelly Park, County park in Apopka, Florida, US

Kelly Park is a county park covering approximately 355 acres with a spring-fed stream maintaining a constant temperature of around 68 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The park features walking trails, recreational areas, and designated zones for swimming and tubing activities.

Kelly Park takes its name from Dr. Howard Atwood Kelly, a Johns Hopkins University founder, who bought the Rock Springs land to keep it from becoming a limestone quarry and gave it to Orange County in 1927 on condition it stay a public park. Long before that, the Timucua lived in the area, and from 1855 the land around Rock Springs belonged to William S. Delk, who used it for lumbering and powered mills and cotton gins with the river. Orange County added a state historic marker in 2016, unveiled in the presence of Kelly's grandson.

The park lies on land the Timucua inhabited before European settlement; Florida granted the Rock Springs area to William S. Delk in 1855, and lumbering, mills and cotton gins powered by the river followed. Howard Atwood Kelly bought the tract to keep it from becoming a limestone quarry and gave it to Orange County in 1927 on condition it stay a public park. A state historic marker was dedicated in 2016, attended by Kelly's grandson.

The park opens at 8 AM and closes at 8 PM during summer months and at 6 PM in winter. Early morning visits or weekday arrivals offer a quieter experience with fewer crowds.

Rock Springs produces a natural water flow that creates narrow channels through subtropical plants, allowing swimming throughout the year. This constant spring source draws visitors seeking an up-close encounter with natural water.