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I highly recommend for you to get to this park early because they do have a limit on how many people are allowed to attend this park. I came on Saturday and I was not allowed to come in because it was at full capacity. However, I came back on Monday in the morning and I was able to drive right through without a line. The entrance fee is $6 per vehicle. They have a boat tour, kayak rentals, gift shop, a nice big cold spring pool to swim in and a really cool restaurant. They don't have a lifeguard on duty but I didn't find the water deep in the area that I was at. This park even has a really nice hiking area. This park is really nice and I want to come back to eat the restaurant and take a boat tour.
Crazy that we have been here almost 9 years and this was the first time we have driven up here. It's very peaceful & I guess it's just the time of year where it isn't busy because there wasn't more then 30 or so here most of the day.
What a great place to visit. The spring is beautiful and widely used to swim in. They have multiple BBQ's that you can spark up to feed the family. It's a great place for couples too. There's lots of history to learn about. I took the boat tour down the lake. It was fascinating we saw crocodiles unique birds and trees that had roots that grew above the water. There's kayaking, paddle boats extra large boards there's also a boardwalk at the end of the trail and you'll find the oldest tree in the world called Methuselah you can add your name to a boardwalk plank for a small fee.
The water is a cool 72° but perfect for the summer heat. In spite of how many people were there, it did not feel crowded. There is a diving area, a shallow area cordoned off, and plenty of stairs for access. The bathrooms were clean and there was plenty of parking.
A little heads up about the Persimmon Trail - once you get to about 1 mile (where the trail splits into a mile loop) both directions on the trail has obstacles. To the right is a tree which appeared to have been rough cut to make the trail passable without having to climb over. To the left appears to be clear, however when you get about .25 miles in the path is blocked by the upper branching portion of a fallen tree. We managed to get in a 3 mile hike by taking some of the shorter trails and boardwalks, and a loop around the swimming area. DeLeon Springs SP is a very pretty park. Aside from the longer trail needing some additional clearing work, all the other areas are being meticulously maintained. Oh, and we did come upon bear scat so stay alert and stay on the trails.
Definitely worth the price of admission! Get on the wait list and experience pancake making at least once. Paddle boats and kayaking is a must after enjoying swimming in the beautiful spring head. Don't forget your floaties or noodles to relax in the water. Plenty of shallow areas in which to just wade. Very well maintained park with so much to explore! Nature trails, pavillions with tables and grills you can rent for groups, optional times for guided boat tours up until 1pm (50 minute intervals), excellent and knowledgeable local staff especially with the boat and kayak rentals (bring your ID and credit card and go see Kole and Cody!!!), plenty of wildlife and photo ops and super easy parking. I can go on and on about how amazing and magical this place is, but just go and see for yourself and then come talk to me... The earlier....the better!!! Seriously. Park closes at sunset 8:45pm at the time of writing this review. Went on a Wednesday and park fills up early. I repeat: Get there EARLY especially if you are traveling for more than an hour away. If it rains, just wait half an hour. It will clear up. Don't leave. And please be respectful to the wildlife, environment and to each other. This place is why I absolutely love Florida!!! Trust me. This place is HEAVEN!
Love visiting this natural spring! Entry fee is reasonable, they charge per car with some exceptions depending on how many people are in the vehicle-about $8-10. You can stay as long as you want and there are different areas to explore. My friend and I mainly swam in the spring. We got there when they opened to avoid the crowds (it can get VERY busy, especially on the weekend). When the park is at capacity, they don't allow more vehicles to enter, sometimes as people leave they will reopen entry-so come on a weekday if possible, in the morning. The first hour before people started coming in was relaxing and enjoyable. As people came it was still nice, but I would recommend arriving early if you want to enjoy the quiet, serene, atmosphere. I've been to a few different springs, this one was the most calm-no strong current, some can be like a lazy river. I saw a lot of children in the water and they had no trouble as long as they can swim (the water is deep and you can't stand in most areas, you can use floats/tubes). There is a fenced off area for smaller children to be in the water without having to swim. The water is clear and refreshing. The water is very cold, as most are in this area, but once you get in and swim for a bit, your body adjusts. I would avoid going during the colder months. You can spend an entire day here if you like-a lot of people bring food and eat on the open grass area. They do also have a restaurant that's famous for make your own pancakes-check for reservations. I've come just to walk the trails and look around, then other times to swim for a few hours. Some people do scuba dive into the opening of the spring, but there isn't a lot to see-I believe most people use it for practice.
Better get your pancake on before it's too late, they're set to close again this September 12th and I think it's going to by (syrupy) sticky permanent this time and turn into another stamped out corporate vendor "priced for your convenience" kinda thing from what I've read; hopefully not. It's too bad they're maybe going to lose that part of their identity but this special place's been many things over the years. Just think it's going to be sad for those who've come to love this place for the pancakes in the last 60 years. I don't know what to say that's already been said but doing the pancakes here at Deleon Springs is sort of a legendary thing. I don't know how many times I've done them with mostly visiting friends and family, guests, and visitors over the years. It's just a fun thing. Especially when the weather's nice and cool and the springs seem warm. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been on Junior High School day camp summer trips so many years ago. Wepa Mrs. Chico (our bus driver)!!! They've already cleaned up and cleaned out some of the quasi museum. Miss the handmade articles once sold for charity on the honor system. Sigh. Still lots of fun to be had. Bring water shoes if yer' swimmin'. We didn't have them back in the day and boy, they're a must here!
I'd love to know how the first explorers felt when they first came upon some of these beautiful Florida springs. I can imagine exploring the woods and happening upon a delightful clear blue pond full of icy cold water must seem simply magical. This park is easily accessible and has plenty of parking for the crowds. On the day we visited, it wasn't all that crowded at all. We went on a weekday. I've heard that on the weekends it fills up fast and you need to get there as soon as the park opens. One thing we didn't do that I truly regret is visit the Old Sugar Mill for make-your-own pancakes. I know the kids would have loved that, but we were dodging rain storms on our vacation, and the timing didn't work out for us with one canceled trip and one delayed trip. Next time! The swimming hole (head spring) is beautiful and frigid. It is perfect for a hot summer day, but even then you may find your teeth chattering after a bit. They have several stairs with rails to access the swimming area. I also noticed they have a handicapped-accessible entrance. We brought snorkels and masks to explore, but this spring was one of the "murkiest" we visited. The water clarity was not fantastic, so I could barely see anything. I'm not sure if that was related to the amount of rain the area had or another factor, but other springs we visited were clearer. Regardless, this park is shaded by huge oaks draped in Spanish moss and is home to many species of birds as well. There is actually a lot to see and do here, and many amenities to make your stay more enjoyable. I appreciated with changing room outside to change out of my wet suit when we were ready to go home. All in all, a fantastic park that appears to be run well and kept clean.
Exactly what it is. We had a great time. Found a shady spot under a tree and then slowly got into the coooooold water. Small little state park but you get what you pay for The water is cold The space was scenic You can rent a tube for the spring and you can also get kayaks and conoes for the lake. They are about $20 for the water boats and $5 for the tube They also have a 50 minute boat tour for about $15 per person
We had a really great time here! It's a quiet secluded area with tons of seating and swimming space. Parking was ample, but it did take a while to get in with the crowds for the restaurant. Parking was 6 dollars per car for the entire day which is very reasonable for the area. The hiking trails are beautiful and a great way to get some shade in the middle of a hot day. Kayak and canoe rentals are available and boat tours as well! Definitely recommend this for the family or for a getaway day in central Florida. read more
2 years ago
Just about an hour from downtown Orlando, DeLeon Springs is a smaller swimming hole but tends to be much less congested than the neighboring springs. My boyfriend and I first discovered DeLeon springs when we checked out SugarMill for make your own pancakes. Heck yes! We also just learned sugar mill is open for breakfast on the weekends too. You should bring some beach chairs and a picnic at this park. It's a calm environment and family orientated. We brought our own tubes rather than renting them from the park. We brought a cooler of water, snacks, and lunch. We even brought a snorkel but were too lazy to go for a swim. We lounged in our tubes for hours and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and the crystal clear, cool water. Most days the boat tours are being offered. The ride per person is a little expensive but it's a nice way to spend part of your day. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable about the vegetation and it's inhabitants. I recommend going at least once. read more
8 years ago
What a wonderful little park~ you can fill a day with great adventures here! You can scuba dive the spring, go kayaking, canoeing, rent tubes & swim. You can go on a pontoon boat tour for 50 minutes. There is a historic restaurant on site, Hiking trails to take you out and about- even a 500+ year old great cypress off one of those trails! We rented a tandem kayak and paddled out to the lake- enjoyed the glorious sun and views! Saw tons of birds too! After kayaking we dipped into the spring to cool off- the spring has been walled up around it- it almost looks like a big bowl where you can swim. We enjoyed lunch at the restaurant and then went to hike the smaller trails! You can literally spend all day here and keep doing different activities! This was my second visit to the park- I went years ago and dived the spring! Get out and enjoy Florida State Parks! read more
DeLeon Springs State Park is a beautiful state park located just north of DeLand. Come here to enjoy Florida nature and the natural springs. There's also a lot of history behind the park. A relaxing day for sure! There is a small entrance fee to be paid upon entering (credit cards accepted). The parking lot is not far from many activities to enjoy. We put our names down on the waiting list to eat at the Pancake House and wandered the park. It was a cooler Florida day, which was perfect for hiking the trails. We found a 500 year old tree and walked the Monkey Trail (darn, no real monkeys). Honestly there was not that much else to see on the trail except for the trees. We started to walk the 4 mile hike but turned around 10 minutes in. Thankfully it was a cooler day so we didn't get attacked by too many bugs, but I can imagine it would get buggy in the summer. The natural springs here are a great way to cool off in the Florida heat. There weren't many swimmers today since the temperature was in the 60-70s (don't laugh, non-Floridians). We did see some people renting kayaks and participating in the boat tour during the day. It's fun to sit by the water and people watch or read about the history behind the park. We waited over two hours to eat at the Pancake House, so we explored most of the park! There were quite a few birds in this area for any fellow bird lovers - anhingas, blackbirds, and lots of herons. Facility wise, they have bathrooms and water fountains. There are pavilions for picnicking. There is also a convenient snack bar available for bites to eat and drink. Lots to do here at DeLeon Springs! A great day trip! read more
9 years ago
My friends and I spent the day at DeLeon Springs. It's a great park! Parking is $6.00 and once you are in everything is free (except the restaurant of course.) when we arrived we put our name in at the Sugar Mill pancake restaurant (separate review on that.) It was an almost two hour wait so we walked around a bit and explored the spring area and visitor center. After eating we got into the spring to swim. The area is really nice. It's quite large and enclosed by concrete walls. There are several steps around the spring to enter the water. You can either walk into the chilly water slowly at the steps or if you are brave just jump right in at one of the deeper areas. Some parts of the spring are pretty deep and there are other areas where you can touch the bottom with your feet. Once you are in it's very refreshing especially with how hot it gets in Florida! We rented some tubes and floated and swam around for about an hour. After swimming some of us took a walk on the trail. The main trail is paved and about a half mile loop. We did that and also went on the boardwalk to see the 500 year old cypress tree called Old Methuselah. There are other trails you can branch off to including one that's over four miles. I'd like to go back and explore those. On the river side of the springs you can rent canoes and kayaks. I will definitely try that in the future. The park is clean and there is a lot of shade around for pale gingers like me to escape the sun haha. You can definitely have a full day of fun at DeLeon Springs! read more
This is a nice park! Plenty of grills and gazebos to host a nice barbeque get together. There is a small play ground for the children if they're not in the freezing springs. There are some steps and netting for the shallow area, and then a 30 foot drop for the strong swimmers (not me). Bring your towels and lounge chairs since seats can be limited. There is also 50 minute boat tours available that show Florida's nature! Or take a kayak and stroll down the water and relax! Definitely a great location for the weekend or holiday, especially on a hot day! read more
GATE ATTENDANT WAS UNBELIEVABLY HOSTILE Unfortunately, the elderly lady (Garcia) was the rudest State Park employee we have ever encountered. My husband missed the entrance sign and stopped about a foot past the gate before we saw her. He immediately backed up and apologized, once he realized it. However, his sincere apology was not good enough for Ms. Garcia. She yelled him about the sign, she yelled at him about how big the sign was while she abrasively banged on the sign, and she yelled at him about the fact that she "had to walk a foot away just to get his entrance fee". So when I explained to her that he genuinely did not see the sign and that this was our first time visiting here, that was also not enough to console her. It was truly unbelievable. It was worse than he average visit to the DMV. So I asked her if she could be nicer; especially when he apologized and her, but her horrid attitude grew increasingly worse. So I told her that I would be contacting the corporate office and communicate with whoever is in charge of the park. I cannot imagine her speaking to all of the visitors like this. There are good reviews for this place, so did she single us out? It makes no sense. What gave her the impression that it was okay to treat any human being in this manner? Personal responsibility, customer care, a little compassion and understanding goes a long way. I wish that we could say that we enjoyed our stay there, but Garcia's disregard for any tact left us feeling shocked and under-appreciated. What is the standard policy on this issue? And what will be done to prevent this from happening to another patron? read more
3 years ago
So I finally got to visit Deleon springs!! I seriously have been wanting to come here (and the old Spanish sugar mill) for a while. I really wanted to go to the sugar mill then enjoy the park. Everyone I've spoken to has told me how I need to arrive early to get seated. I did a bunch of research and read a bunch of reviews and realized the park opens at 9, so coming on the crack of dawn like I had planned wasn't happening haha. We left around 7:45 and arrived at the park at 8:30. Luckily we saw a car entering so we went up to the front gate worker and paid our money and went in. YES, went in 30 min early!! Not sure if that's something that doesn't always happen or just a little secrecy we've discovered that only locals know about hehe. There are some reviews I read on here that people had a lot of issues with the woman or a workers rudeness at the front of the park. I CANT STAND rude people it literally ruins my day, so I was dreading coming up to the worker. To my surprise she was so pleasant and kind. The car before us actually was very rude to her so she was a little upset but was happy to see our smiling faces. After paying our $6 entry fee we went in to park. Parking: there's really just one general area to park everything else is walking distance to it. Because we had arrived 30 min early we got one of the best front spots at the park. A friend told me she's been there before around 11ish-12 on a weekend and couldn't find spots and had to turn around. (I went on a Tuesday so that might be why, but it was also spring break so who knows) there is a bathroom right next to the parking lot and another one across the way a little past the spring itself. Things to do: there are so much things to do we went into the old sugar mill restaurant, then we hiked. There is also paddle boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming in the beautiful spring, playing volleyball, and just enjoying the beautiful nature. My fiancé and I went on a hike after we ate. There are different trails, a nature trail, the monkey trail 1/4 of a mile, and the wild permission trail. We went to go do the wild permission which is 4 miles but before the hike you see a sign that says you have to let the park ranger know, there may be venomous snakes etc so my fiancé got a little ( a lot) scared. We went down the trail for two min but turned around and ended up doing the monkey trail. Overall we had an AMAZING and relaxing time at this state park and cannot wait to visit again and bring our friends and family! read more
11 years ago
Beautiful park - the closest springs I could find to my house so this was the one we chose for today's adventure. You have the option to swim, sunbathe, or float on your own inflatables (or rent a tube) in the springs area. The water is SUPER cold - a constant 72F - but is very refreshing when it's this hot out. You also have the rental hut offering boat tours of the park, paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes with oars and life jackets included. We opted to kayak. Tandems are $18 per hour (versus $12 per hour for a single). It's a tough go, since there's no current and direct sun exposure, but the still surface of the water makes for a very pretty and quiet experience. Lastly, there's the old sugar mill restaurant. I've reviewed that separately but we loved it, as well. I would love to experience this park when there aren't a ton of different summer camps in session - the springs were pretty loud and crowded today (but still manageable). read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
We stayed at this park 2 weeks ago. We have stayed in many state parks. This park is immaculate. The sites are Large and have a well maintained gravel base. Sites are not too close together. It was very peaceful and relaxing. We didn't do too much exploring but it was fun. Very Very clean bathrooms. read more
4 years ago
Water felt and looked amazing and the nature trail was nice and enjoyable to walk would definitely recommend. read more
4 years ago
What a terrific little park, wish we had more time to spend here. We came for the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant; and, stayed for a boat ride, which was terrific. There are hiking trails, which we would love to walk; and, canoes and kayaks for rent, which I would love to do. For my wife and daughter, they may brave the 72-degree water in the springs, although I doubt it. The park is picture-perfect; and, the staff at the gatehouse are helpful and friendly. This has got to be one of the best state parks in Florida... beautiful. read more
18 years ago
De Leon Springs State Park is a very nice natural spring near DeLand. The springs is home to tons of natural wildlife including fish, manatees, and of course, gators! But don't worry, the swimming area is enclosed, so no worries about wildlife getting "too friendly" The Good: Crystal Clear waters: I go to De Leon Springs State Park, and every time I go the water is so pure and clean. It's pretty amazing, and I love how this place has steps that go into the water. The only thing that I would caution swimmers about is the underwater rocks. They're actually really mossy and really slippery, so be careful! Wonderful walking trails: Although you might get caught up swimming in the beautiful waters, there are plenty of nice trails to walk along, and you may even see a gator or two! Go Canoing: DeLeon has some seriously long Canoe trails. It feels like you could go on these forever. Just make sure not to stay out too late, or the rangers will come to get you..and that's no fun! The Bad: N/a Overall: 10/10 = DeLeon is DeBest! read more
3 years ago
11 years ago
Because of diving we ended up at Ponce De Leon State Park recently (or Ponzie the Lion as we affectionately call him). While my travel buddy was undergoing some dives at this spring for her open water certification, I had a chance to get intimately acquainted with the lawn and do some very important things like getting a tan and reading a good book (My sunshine away by M.O Walsh - greatly recommended). Right across the fencing is the river which is beautiful, and near the pancake place you can often find manatees or so I was told. At concessions you're able to rent canoes and kayaks by the hour, which sounds like heaven to me. The color of the spring is a beautiful turquoise, which also happens to be very chilly and very deep. It's deep enough to scuba dive in, and apparently there are even caves underneath (but you're not allowed to go in them). Watching my stepdaughter shiver in her wetsuit, it wasn't a hard decision to continue bathing in the sun as opposed to bathing in the water. Many others were braver than I, making the small water area a little full anyways. Because of the way it is fenced off, this spring really gives off a swimming pool feel - it's actually easy to forget that you're in the middle of nature. Overall this park is very popular with families, so if over crowding and loud kids are your thing.. then you'd be perfectly happy. I chose to close my eyes and plug into some The Weeknd on my earphones, instead. Since we were part of an organized diving group we didn't stay after the dives, but under any normal circumstances I'd be all over kayaking ~ that shit's my "thing". And under normal circumstances I'd also be all over those pancakes - obviously. This park has food, water and kayaks, you can't really go wrong. read more
7 years ago
Very beautiful place. Great place to swim!! We didn't do much more showed up late in day but want to explore more of what they have to offer next time!! read more
5 years ago
This is one of the best Family oriented/friendly water springs in Florida . The entrance fee is 6 dollars per vehicle with a maximum of 5 people, then you have to pay extra for each person. They made a circular pool out of the main source of spring water where guest could swim. The water falls off to cliff making it to a creek for kayaking and other water activities. You can rent covered cottages for group activities. Mostly people is spread out picnic style . The water is fresh of course since it's an underground aquifer. No alligators on this site unless you go swimming on the lake. read more
4 years ago
11 years ago
This is a great place to spend the day enjoying the outdoors and exploring nature if that interests you. $6 per car to get in all day. We rented a canoes and went out on the water for an hour. They also have kayak and paddle boat rentals for $12 and $16 an hour. We got there early and had the all you can eat pancake breakfast which was a nice experience for the kids. They brought the batter out and we got to make them ourselves as they have a griddle built into each table. The wait was an hour because where found eat is small, but get on the list and go enjoy the water until they call your name. I encourage you bring tour kids as there is a lot to see and explore. You can bring your own food and even grill, so for the $6 it is cheap and fun entertainment for the day. They have a small playground and even a volleyball court out front. Get there early if you can, it is first come first serve on parkimg. Once the park is full they stop letting people in. read more
7 years ago
Beautiful park family friendly. Relaxing and peaceful. Birds and water are beautiful sounds in the ears. read more
Went here to do some trail running. There are a lot of roots on the trails, but overall they are clear and very well marked. The trail we ran was a great, flat 4.2 mile there and back. There is also access to the springs, which are 72 degrees year round. Everything is free once you've paid the parking fee. The restaurant here has a long wait and isn't worth checking out. read more
6 years ago
6 years ago
7 years ago
Very nice park. We took my mother here when she was visiting from Indiana. We ate at the pancake house. The food was good but the wait is long. So expect to wait when you go. We rented a canoe for and hour. That was a nice little ride. read more
6 years ago
We've been to DeLeon Springs twice and had a great time both times. The first time was brief because Florida was being Florida and it started to storm shortly after we got there. The natural spring pool is shockingly cold but a very refreshing break from the heat. They have a boat tour that brings you through the waterways behind the springs and apparently if you go in the cooler weather you'll get to see numerous species of wildlife. We took the tour and got to see a couple of gators and a number of different birds but the animals were smarter than we were and sheltered from the heat. The guide was very knowledgeable about the area, the history and the plant and wildlife species native to the area. They do have kayaks and canoes you can rent, which we plan to take advantage of on our next trip there. They have a restaurant on site that was closed on our first visit but open on this last one. There is also a little gift shop inside the restaurant both of which are inside an old sugar mill. We will definitely be returning. read more
Gorgeous natural springs state park, heavily secured by cops, life guard on duty, boat rides, canoes, kayaks, paddle boats rentals and if you forgot a float no worries you can but them there. On-site restaurant serves breakfast and lunch reasonable prices. Grill your own breakfast tables amazing experience a must do. Family oriented they have walking trails, a museum and playground. read more
For only a $6 entrance fee, you can spend all day at De Leon Springs State Park. It is a fantastic park with a 72 deg year around spring pool. There are paddleboats and kayaks available for rent and a 2 hour guided boat tour on the spring run. There are several nature/hiking trails available to get back to the real Florida of the past. The visitor center is very interesting and gives a unique view of the history of the spring and the sugar mill. There are several large covered pavillions available for reservation for groups near the spring pool and an adjacent playground for the kids. This is an awesome place to enjoy the day with family. My girls absolutely loved it. The area and water were clean. The water was freezing but would feel wonderful on a really hot day. We would come back for sure! read more
More info about DeLeon Spring State Park
601 Ponce Deleon Blvd
De Leon Springs, FL 32130
Directions
(386) 985-4212
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https://www.floridastateparks.org
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Ask the Community - DeLeon Spring State Park
Can the gators get inside the swimming area? Any incidents involving gators attacking guests at the springs?
No there hasn't ever been a gator attack in the swimming area, its separated from the rest of the river portion and also too cold for gators to venture into
