Ponce de Leon Springs State Park

Ponce de Leon Springs State Park is located at 2860 Ponce De Leon Springs Rd, Ponce de Leon, FL 32455. The park itself is close to Interstate 10 so easy to access in the northwest Florida region. Features include fishing, a nature trail (Spring Run Trail…not a real hike), picnicking (BBQs are placed around the park as well as a large amount of tables) and of course the main reason to be there is for a great Florida spring that is manicured into a swimming area with a pool deck. Like all Florida State Parks there is an entry fee so have a few dollars in cash or a park pass ready.

The actual spring at Ponce de Leon stays about 68 degrees year round. In the Winter you can generally enjoy having this place to yourself although you might not want to get into the water. The spring itself has been outfitted with a cement deck and diving area but on the backside it gets natural again fast.

Spring Run Trail is a small nature trail inside of Ponce de Leon Springs State Park. It allows you to view the confluence of Spring Run (the output of the springs) and Sandy Creek. This is an interesting sight to behold as the Spring Run water is crystal clear due to the nature of coming out of springs while the Sandy Creek Water is heavily discolored, therefor the confluence reveals how these different waters collide in a scenic fashion. You can literally stand at the confluence in summer with one leg in murky warm water and one leg in cold clear water at the same time. Panfish can be seen in the waters by the confluence on the average day for those looking for some fishing.