East Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida campus, more than 100 shops at the open-air Waterford Lakes Town Center and the Little Big Econ State Forest near Oviedo.

The area that makes up and surrounds East Orlando supports a wide variety of wildlife and provides a roaming corridor which connects the southern part of the Econ Basin to the Tosohatchee State Preserve and other public lands along the St. Johns River for approximately 100 miles.

Canoeing along the Econ River is a favorite pastime with many visitors, improved canoe launch areas have been established along the river. Three trailhead parking areas have been established for hiking, horseback and mountain bike riding, with 1 hiking trail (Kolokee) in the Florida Forest Service's Trailwalker and Trailtrotter Programs. Other activities include fishing, bird-watching, picnicking and nature study.