De Leon Springs State Park, De Leon Springs, Florida

Directions:

Description

The park covers 611 acres (2.4 km²) of Volusia County, built around a natural sulfur spring, flowing at a rate of about 20 million gallons a day, that remains 72 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and reaches a depth of 30 feet at the spring boil.

DeLeon Springs was first occupied as early as 6000 BC (a dugout canoe dating back to at least 6000 BC was found on the site) by local Native American tribes. In the 1500s, Spanish forces, possibly including Juan Ponce de León, passed through. The Spanish would return in 1783 after regaining the land from England (who had held it since 1763), granting land near the springs to settlers to establish a plantation called “Spring Garden” where corn, cotton, and sugar cane were grown. Sometime around this time the Seminole began to settle in the area. The area came under American ownership some time after Florida became a territory in 1821; Colonel Orlando Rees built a mill to grind the corn and sugar. Most of the facilities were destroyed by Union troops during the American Civil War; however, the waterwheel and building remain on the site to this day, now housing a pancake restaurant called “The Old Spanish Sugar Mill”, owned and operated by local residents.

More info here: http://www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/default.cfm

Nearest Address

601 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Directions from Nearest Address

From De Leon Springs town, go west on Reynolds Rd toward FL-15 N/US-17 N Take the 1st right onto FL-15 N/US-17 N

Vital Information

  • Fee: $4.00 vehicle $2.00 Pedistrain
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: N/A
  • Temp: 72° F
  • pH: N/A

Hours Spring is Open:

8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

GPS:

29°08′24″N 81°22′08″W / 29.14°N 81.36889°W / 29.14; -81.36889

Map Link: De Leon Springs State Park Map

Submitted by: Janet Patterson

Responses

  1. I called the spring to verify there is a spring there available for me to bottle my own water and they said “no.” They said it is not allowed and the only spring area is the one used as a public pool. Can someone explain what is going on?

    1. It is a natural spring but the containment area is man made. The probable reason for not allowing visitor to bottle water is to prevent people from drinking water possibly contaminated with urine, fecal matter or other bodily fluids swimmers may leave behind. You might have better luck by going to Alexander Springs dive down a mere 10′-12′ and covertly fill up a few plastic bottles. Both of these Springs have similar mineral content. At Alexander Springs you can insert your bottle directly into the spring openings

    2. De Leon is a man made “bowl” in a natural setting which I would guess is approximately 300′ across… To get ‘pure’ spring water you’ll have to dive to the head which is 31-32′ down and try to bottle it that way.

      In other words, it’s not realistic for drinking water but is a nice park to enjoy and swim in.

      Blue springs is less populated, slightly more remote and I’d guess a water depth of 10′ with a big head that goes down 95-96′ before it opens up into a cave. Definitely a nice place to visit.

  2. I wonder if you can just drink right from the spring w/o bottling it from the spring head 31-32 ft down. Maybe it wouldn’t be so polluted in the winter when there are no swimmers in it. Does anyone have any solid reason not to drink the water this way? Are there pollutants that get into the spring pools that I’m unaware of?

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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