The St. Johns River Water Management District offers day-use access and boat launches on some public lands that require a permit and/or reservation. Two types of permits are available: daily advance-reservation boat launch permits and annual day-use access permits.
Daily advance-reservation boat launch permits
Advance reservations are required for gate access to launch a boat at Buck Lake Conservation Area and Eustis Sand Mine Lake (within the Lake Norris Conservation Area). Daily boat launch permits are reserved through the District’s camping reservation system.
- Reservations must be made before 6 a.m. at least one day prior to the desired reservation date. Reservations may be made up to 90 days in advance.
- Users are allowed one permit per week and two weekend days per month (per person, vehicle and boat/boat trailer).
- Each reservation requires vehicle description, license plate number, boat registration number and trailer license plate number. The vehicle permit associated with the reservation must be visible on the dashboard of the vehicle while visiting the property.
- Permits do not grant permission to drive anywhere else on the properties, and the permitholder is responsible for closing and locking the gate each time they enter or exit.
Buck Lake boat launch
This launch is an unimproved launch area with two permits available each day. Permits are not available during hunt season, as Buck Lake Conservation Area is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Only permitted hunters are allowed on the property on hunt or scout dates (see MyFWC.com for hunting details).
- A maximum of one day a week and two weekend days per month is allowed per person/vehicle/boat trailer.
- Airboats, use of outboard motors larger than 40 horsepower, and swamp buggies are prohibited.
- When making a reservation, choose the Buck Lake Boat Access permit; the Buck Lake Conservation Area link is for camping reservations.
- See property map and trail guide.
Eustis Sand Mine Lake boat launch
This boat launch is located on the Lake Norris Conservation Area. Public access is located at 37000 Hart Ranch Road, Eustis. This is an improved boat ramp with three permits available each day.
- A maximum of one day a week and two weekend days per month is allowed per person/vehicle/boat trailer.
- The use of any gas boat motor greater than 10 horsepower is prohibited. A trolling motor is allowed.
- See the property map and trail guide.
Annual day-use permits
Annual day-use permits offer year-round access to the Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area Horseshoe Lake and Lake Jesup Marl Bed Flats parking areas, Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park pond and Orange Creek Restoration Area South Tract boat launch. Annual day-use permits are issued through the District’s online recreation permit system
Fort Drum Marsh Horseshoe Lake parking
The Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area day-use permit allows the permitholder to access the locked gate at Lake Cara to drive to the Horseshoe Lake parking area during daylight hours for the purpose of hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, nature viewing, photography, picnicking or fishing.
- The permit must be printed and displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle listed on it. It does not grant access to any other vehicle or any location other than the Horseshoe Lake parking area.
- The permit holder is responsible for closing and locking the Lake Cara gate each time they enter or exit.
- Day-use access to the property is not allowed on any special opportunity hunt or scout day. Hunt dates are listed on the permit or available through MyFWC.com.
- A day-use permit does not grant permission to camp. While Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area has three reservable tent-only campsites on the property, camping reservations must be made through the camp reservation system.
- See the property map and trail guide.
Lake Jesup Marl Bed Flats parking
The permit allows daytime access to the gated parking area on the Marl Bed Flats tract at Lake Jesup Conservation Area, located at 1725 Oakway, in Sanford.
- The permit grants access to the first gate to park a vehicle in the parking area during daylight hours and/or to ride a horse through the parking area to access the trails beyond it. The permit holder is responsible for closing and locking the gate when entering or exiting.
- The permit does not grant vehicular access through the second gate into the property for any reason.
- The permit must be printed and displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle listed on it. It does not grant access to any other vehicle or to any location other than the gated parking area.
- See property map and trail guide.
Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park pond access
The pond is located off the main parking area at Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park at 4500 Dallas Blvd., Orlando. This small pond is behind a locked gate and has an unimproved ramp.
- The permit must be printed and displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle listed on it. It does not grant access to any other vehicle, and the permitholder is responsible for closing and locking the gate each time when entering or exiting the area.
- Gas motors are prohibited. Trolling motors are allowed.
- Access is permitted from sunrise to sunset.
- The permit does not grant permission to camp, to enter any other gate or to drive anywhere else on the property. Primitive tent-only camping reservations must be made through the camp reservation system.
- See property map and trail guide.
Orange Creek South Tract boat launch access
The boat launch is located on the north side of County Road 318 in Citra at Orange Creek Restoration Area’s South Tract. An annual day-use permit allows the permit holder access beyond the gate closest to the lake.
- Access is permitted a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.
- Airboats, swamp buggies, and use of outboard motors larger than 40 hp are prohibited.
- The boat ramp permit does not grant access to enter any other gate or to drive anywhere else on the property.
- The permit must be printed and displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle listed on it. It does not grant access to any other vehicle, and the permit holder is responsible for closing and locking the gate each time when entering or exiting the area.
- See property map and trail guide.