6,000 years of history. Once promoted as the legendary “Fountain of Youth,” this delightful aquatic realm has been shared by Natives in dugout canoes, enslaved Africans, Seminole warriors, Union Army soldiers, 19th-century tourists, and even circus acrobats.
Visitors to DeLeon Springs State Park can savor its wildly diverse and genuinely ancient history. Human beings have cherished the site’s revitalizing and life-sustaining waters for at least 6,000 years. Apart from cooling off in the refreshing 72 degree spring-fed pool, modern visitors can relax in the shade of sprawling live oaks draped with Spanish moss, view a surprising variety of wildlife by canoe or kayak, and even sample delicious multi-grain pancakes in the restored ruins of a pre-Civil War sugar mill.
An average of 17 million gallons per day flow from an opening in the limestone some 30 feet below the pool surface and then pour over a spillway into waterways that lead to the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge and the slow-moving St. Johns River. The area is not only rich in animal life, but has significant archeological sites, including Tick Island, a cemetery site dating back to 4,000 BCE. Even the ranger’s house in the State Park is built on top of an ancient Native American burial mound. The lavish history of DeLeon Springs gives the park an especially enriched character than can be physically complemented with a swim in its refreshing waters.
An average of 17 million gallons per day flow from an opening in the limestone some 30 feet below the pool surface and then pour over a spillway into waterways that lead to the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge and the slow-moving St. Johns River. The area is not only rich in animal life, but has significant archeological sites, including Tick Island, a cemetery site dating back to 4,000 BCE. Even the ranger’s house in the State Park is built on top of an ancient Native American burial mound. The lavish history of DeLeon Springs gives the park an especially enriched character than can be physically complemented with a swim in its refreshing waters.
Extraordinary Excursions
- Prepare your own pancakes at the table in the Old Sugar Mill Restaurant
- Watch the steam rising from the spring waters on the coldest days of the year
- Marvel at the massive live oaks with branches so large they grow across the ground