De Leon Springs State Park

The Mayaca people called it Acuera — Healing Waters — and lived alongside it for at least six thousand years. Two dugout canoes pulled from the spring in 1985 and 1990 are the oldest canoes ever recovered in the Western Hemisphere. By the late 1800s the spring had a new identity: a Florida tourist novelty, renamed for Juan Ponce de Leon to capitalize on the "Fountain of Youth" myth. The Schwarze family bought the property in 1961, restored the 1800s sugar mill ruins into a restaurant, and put cast-iron griddles on every table.

The original Sugar Mill closed in 2022. But the spring, the pancakes (in a new operator's hands), the canoes, and the boardwalk to Lake Woodruff are all still here.

• Location: De Leon Springs (Volusia County), 6 miles north of DeLand
• Address: 601 Ponce De Leon Blvd., De Leon Springs, FL 32130
• Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, 365 days a year
• Vehicle entry: $6 per vehicle (up to 8 people); $4 single-occupant
• Water temperature: 72°F year-round
• Magnitude: Second-magnitude (~19M gallons/day)
• Swimming: Concrete-enclosed spring pool, 18" to 30 ft deep
• Phone: 386-985-4212
• Camping: Not permitted; nearest is Blue Spring SP (~12 miles south)

• Orlando: 55 minutes (I-4 east to Exit 114, US-17 north)
• Daytona Beach: 50 minutes (I-4 west to Exit 114)
• Jacksonville: 2 hours (I-95 south to I-4 west)
• Tampa: 1 hour 30 minutes (I-4 east to Exit 114)

The park sits on US-17, about 6 miles north of downtown DeLand. From I-4 Exit 114, head north through DeLand approximately 12 miles, then left onto Ponce De Leon Blvd.

The spring boil reaches 30 feet at its deepest, ringed by a concrete bulkhead that creates a swimming pool roughly 500 feet around — nine laps equals about a mile. Indigenous shell middens dating back six millennia are still visible near the spring; behind the restaurant, the limestone ruins of Colonel Orlando Rees's water-powered sugar mill (destroyed by Seminoles in 1835, then again by Union troops in 1864, then reconstructed in the early 1900s) frame the picnic area. The visitor center walks through all of it on an interpretive timeline.

For 61 years, the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House was one of the most distinctive family experiences in Florida — guests cooked their own pancakes at table-top cast iron griddles using stone-ground buttermilk and 5-grain batter. The original Schwarze family operation closed permanently on September 12, 2022. Florida State Parks currently lists a "Sugar Mill Restaurant" operating in the same building under a new concessionaire, but the offering has changed. Call the park (386-985-4212) before your visit to confirm current dining status.

The historic mill ruins behind the restaurant building remain accessible regardless of restaurant operation.

• Swimming and snorkeling in the spring pool (concrete enclosure; lifeguarded swim area; no swimming in the spring run beyond the wall).
• Scuba diving — instructional only, not recreational. Free-diving the spring cave is prohibited.
• Kayak, canoe, and SUP rentals from De Leon Springs Adventures (in-park concessionaire). Paddle Spring Garden Run into Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge (22,000 acres) — about 5 miles round-trip to the lake.
• Sunshine Sally Eco-Cruise — 50-minute narrated boat tour into Lake Woodruff NWR, ADA-accessible, four departures daily. Watch for osprey, anhinga, alligators.
• Wild Persimmon Hiking Trail — 4.2-mile loop through hardwood hammock, swamp, and old agricultural fields. Bears, deer, and wild turkey territory.
• Half-mile paved nature trail with interpretive signs and a 600-year-old bald cypress called Old Methuselah.
• Volleyball, playground, fishing pier rounding out the day-use facilities.

• Designated swim area with diving platform (no lifeguards on duty year-round)
• Restrooms and changing facilities
• Visitor Center with the 6,000-year history timeline
• Gift shop and concession
• Kayak/canoe/SUP/pedal boat rentals (De Leon Springs Adventures)
• Four reservable picnic pavilions plus one complimentary north-side pavilion
• Sugar Mill Restaurant (under new operator — verify status)
• Playground

• Blue Spring State Park (Orange City, ~12 miles south) — closest camping; combine with a De Leon Springs day trip
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites DeLand South — 3 miles from downtown DeLand, indoor pool, free breakfast
• Historic downtown DeLand B&Bs — boutique inns walking distance to restaurants and the Stetson University area
• Hontoon Landing Resort & Marina — waterfront, near Blue Spring

DeLand's downtown is six miles south and is one of the best small-city food districts in Florida:

• Cress Restaurant — fine dining, Wine Spectator awards
• Persimmon Hollow Brewing — craft taproom in the historic district
• Bake Chop Artisan Kitchen — pasture-raised meats
• Hunters and Gatherers — scratch kitchen, brunch and late-night
• Chica's Cuban Cafe — authentic Cuban sandwiches
• Forno Bello — wood-fired pizza

• Arrive early in summer. The park hits capacity by mid-morning on summer weekends.
• Confirm restaurant status by phone. The historic pancake operation closed in 2022; current concessionaire and menu vary.
• Add your name to the restaurant waitlist before swimming. Historically the wait was 1–2 hours on weekends. The eco-cruise concessionaire notes you won't lose your place on the list while you do the boat tour.
• No camping at this park. Plan to base out of Blue Spring (manatees in winter) or DeLand.
• Alligators in Spring Garden Run. The roped swim area is alligator-free; do not swim outside the wall.
• No alcohol anywhere in the park.
• Snorkel in the swim area only. Boat traffic and alligators make snorkeling the spring run unsafe.
• The Wild Persimmon Trail can be wet. Long pants and bug spray June–September.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. The original Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant closed September 12, 2022; confirm current restaurant operation by calling 386-985-4212 before visiting. Verify hours, fees, and trail status at floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/de-leon-springs-state-park. Photos via Wikimedia Commons.