Location: | U.S. 90, County Road 181A south for 800 m. |
Open: |
All year daily 8-sundown. [2010] |
Fee: |
Adults USD 2, Vehicles (including 8 passengers) USD 4. There is no tickett office, use the honor box to pay fees, correct change is required. [2010] |
Classification: | Karst spring |
Light: | n/a |
Dimension: | T=20 °C, Y=53,000 m³/day. |
Photography: | |
Accessibility: | |
Bibliography: | |
Address: | Ponce de Leon Springs State Park, 2860 Ponce de Leon Springs Road, Ponce de Leon, Florida 32455, Tel: +1-850-836-4281. |
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info. |
Ponce de Leon Springs is named for Juan Ponce de León, who led the first Spanish expedition to Florida in 1513. According to legend he was searching for the fountain of youth, so several springs in the area were named after him. There is another park with the name De Leon Springs.
Ponce de Leon Springs is a karst spring, which means there is an underwater cave feeding the spring. Actually there are two underground water flows converging at the spring.
During the 1920s the spring was owned by the Smithgall family. They developed the spring with a skating rink, an eatery, restrooms, and showers for the swimmers. A wooden retaining wall around the spring was built to prevent erosion. So the place became a recreational destination.