Wekiwa Springs park reaches capacity during holiday weekend

Moss Park still closed after alligator attacks girl, 10

APOPKA, Fla. – Wekiwa Springs State Park rangers began turning away cars Sunday when the park reached capacity a few hours after it opened.

Cool springs, picnics and cookouts are all signs of the unofficial start to summer. Many Central Floridians are soaking up the heat and enjoying the Memorial Day weekend at Wekiwa Springs State Park.

"The water is so refreshing. You don't feel like you need a shower after getting out of the water at a spring," parkgoer Amy Jensen said.

"I got hamburgers, hotdogs and ribs," parkgoer Willie Pantoja said.

Some families showed up early to get into the park. There were cars lined up around 6 a.m., two hours before the park opened, as people tried to beat the big crowds expected over the holiday weekend.

"It was a pretty long line out there in the front. We had to wait about an hour just to get in," Pantoja said.

Park officials told News 6 they reached capacity a few hours after the park opened. We saw them turning cars away and telling parkgoers to try again in a couple hours.

"This weekend specifically, you could argue it's the busiest weekend for us and many other parks that have a water access," Phillip Spyckaboer, the assistant park manager at Wekiwa Springs State Park, said.

But that's not the case at Orange County's Moss Park, where the beach is empty, the park is quiet and the water area remains closed since a gator attacked a 10-year-old girl earlier this month.

The county is considering the future of the park. County officials are also working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to determine if swimming at the park is safe.

Families at Wekiwa Springs are getting a jump start to summer. Park officials say if you want to enjoy the springs, pack your patience, along with your floaties and food.

"It's Memorial Day Weekend, you expect it to be pretty busy around then," parkgoer Amanda Keene said. 

"It's getting a little more packed. It's going to be more packed," Pantoja said.

"This weekend kinda kicks off the summer and then we'll see this type of volume all the way up to Labor Day," Spyckaboer said.

Park officials are expecting the park to be just as busy on Memorial Day. They urge parkgoers to use a new text program that can alert you to how crowded the park is and if it has reached capacity. All you have to do is text WEKIWA to 51660 to receive news, events and updates.