The St. Johns River is the longest river in the state of Florida. The river meanders northward, through the central part of the state, toward Jacksonville. This northern flow is caused by an east-west, state-wide sand ridge that reaches its maximum height just south of Melbourne, Florida. Here at Lake Hell 'n Blazes, the river begins. As the river travels 300 miles to the Atlantic Ocean, it forms countless lakes along the way. Early inhabitants, the Timucuan Indians, named the river Welaka, that is translated as the river of many lakes.
When the first Europeans arrived in the early 1500s, the river was named the river of currents, or Rio de Corrientes. In 1862 the French moved into the area and renamed the river, Riviere de Mai, because of their May arrival. When the French established Fort Caroline, the Spanish fought back, took the fort, slaughtered the French and once again renamed the river. The river remained San Mateo for 30 years. The river's name was finally changed to Rio de San Juan, named after the nearby catholic mission, San Juan del Puerto. The English translation, St. Johns River, has endured ever since.