Kayakers are likely to see wading birds and alligators. You can continue kayaking along the shores of Lake Woodruff and there are scenic side creeks to explore too. Along the way, Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge is on the river’s north side. Kayaks can launch right near the headspring and you paddle about 4.5 miles on Spring Garden stream to Lake Woodruff. We didn’t get to paddle here but this is a popular kayak trail that I will return to experience. On the water: You can launch kayaks or canoes from the park or rent them from the concessionaire. Depths range from 18 inches to 30 feet at the spring boil and water visibility is near perfect. The pool is surrounded by the park’s lovely grounds and picnic areas. A concrete-rimmed pool with a diving platform was created in the 1920s. In the water: On a hot day, the 19 million gallons of 72-degree water welling up from an underwater cavern beckons to all. There are activities in the water, on the water and on the land. (Photo: David Blasco)Įven without the history, which obviously fascinates me, this would be a swell park. Ponce De Leon Springs State Park: Live oak tree and azaleas in spring. One powerful flyer in the museum describes the 1855 records of the plantation that list all the possessions – Peter, valued at $600, Anna ($800) along with Zack the mule ($125.) While it is shocking enough to see people listed along mahogany tables and mules, the museum includes the saddest item ever: “Blind Sarah: Worthless.” This park has a visitor center that does a good job telling the story of this era, with attention to the labor that made it possible – about 250 slaves. The oldest was carbon dated to about 4050 BC – among the oldest canoes found in America.Įuropean settlers came in the 1820s to build a plantation that produced cotton, corn, rice and eventually sugar cane. It has mounds built by early people and two ancient canoes have been found in the spring. The park actually played a part in Florida’s pre-history too. Her mother was the model for the bathing beauty. Little Candace Berner O’Brien poses with the statue in 1954. In fact, DeLeon Springs has many layers of history, playing notable roles in all the major events that affected Florida history.Ī statue of Ponce De Leon and a bathing beauty were photo opps at the old attraction at Ponce De Leon Springs State Park. The Old Sugar Mill restaurant truly is the site of an old sugar mill, and for me, that’s a big part of its charm. While it’s hard to imagine waiting three hours for pancakes, this place does go on our list of funky Florida finds! The charm and history of Ponce De Leon Springs State Park When you go to the boat dock, there’s a sign that says “Waiting on pancakes? Take the tour boat and you do not lose your place on the waiting list.” (It’s a one-hour nature tour down the Spring Garden River.) When you stop at the park entrance booth, a sign shows how long the wait at the restaurant is. But there were indications everywhere of the place’s popularity. We came on a drizzly winter weekday and half the tables were open. It is immediately adjacent to the swimming area and in summers, families come for the day to swim and have breakfast or lunch. Old time tools decorate the Sugar Mill restaurant in Ponce De Leon Springs State Park. I started as a skeptic: I make pancakes from scratch at home all the time and while they’re yummy, I don’t consider making them a form of entertainment. You are given easy-to-pour pitchers of two kinds of pancake batter, some spray vegetable oil and a spatula, and you can make and eat as many pancakes as you like. Its unique feature is that every table is built with a griddle in the middle. The Old Sugar Mill Pancake House ranks as historic by Florida standards: It was founded in 1961, but it is located in a 100-year-old replica of the 1830s sugar mill. Ponce De Leon Springs State Park pancakes Its spring makes for a refreshing summer swim the river created by the spring is good for kayaking, and the park itself tells some fascinating Florida history.īut first, let’s get some pancakes. For a place with so much history and beauty, it’s funny that Ponce De Leon Springs State Park pancakes are the things for which it is best known.īut the make-them-yourself pancakes are so popular that Ponce De Leon Springs State Park is known as “pancake park” and the wait for a table at the park’s Old Sugar Mill restaurant can be two or three hours long on summer weekends.ĭe Leon Springs is located about an hour north of Orlando in a beautiful rural area sprinkled with natural springs, state parks and terrific opportunities for all sort of outdoors activities.
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