Ponce de Leon Springs State Park — Attraction in Ponce de Leon

Hidden Gem in the Panhandle – A Refreshing Family Day at Ponce de Leon Springs State Park

Visited on July 30, 2025, with my family and had a fantastic time. Living just one county over, this park has been on our list for a while—and it did not disappoint!

Admission is just $4 per vehicle, and there was plenty of parking available, which made unpacking a breeze. The park is well-equipped with picnic tables, grills, and covered pavilion areas, making it a great spot for a full day outdoors.

The spring itself is beautiful and clear, surrounded by a stone man-made pool structure. The water is crystal clear—you can see straight to the bottom! But don’t let the clarity fool you. It starts at about 4 feet deep, quickly drops to around 6 feet, and gets even deeper in the center. I’m 6’1” and couldn’t touch the bottom at the deepest point. The water stays a chilly 68°F year-round—definitely a shock at first but super refreshing once you’re in.

There’s a designated spot for jumping or diving into the spring, and if you follow the trail, you’ll reach a shallow 2-foot area that leads into a natural lazy river where the spring merges with a more murky waterway. It’s perfect for tubing and floating.

The park also has a small store on-site that sells tubes (similar to what you’d find at Dollar General or Family Dollar)—just expect to pay a bit more for convenience. There’s also a food trailer that offers drinks, meals, and snow cones. Keep in mind the prices are on the higher side: water is $3 per bottle, and canned sodas from the vending machines run $2 each. However, there is a water fountain with a bottle filler option if you bring your own.

Bathrooms are decent and include indoor water spouts for rinsing feet, complete with drains—super convenient. There are showers on-site as well, which is great for rinsing off after swimming.

All in all, this park offers a surprising number of amenities for a smaller state park. It’s clean, family-friendly, and a peaceful place to enjoy nature. We’ll definitely be back to this hidden gem in the...

Was very “meh”. Got there around 1 PM expecting there to be a wait to get in, that’s nothing new to us. Once denied at the gate because of it being at capacity, we realized there was a “wait line” about a quarter mile away. Parked kind of near the end of the line and waited maybe 20 min until a sheriff came to escort the group to the gate. Well, we were the third car to get denied… so we had to return back to the lot to wait, but this time we were the first car in line. Waited till about 2:30 for the next opening.

Finally got in around 3 PM so honestly, I wasn’t too disappointed as I’m a very patient person. Basically, the place was pretty gross. It was very gorgeous and the water was refreshing and cold, but the people there ruined it. It was nothing but large groups blasting music with obnoxious beats on repeat with no consideration to the people around them and the smell of weed all over the place.

We left the “main area” and found a cozy little spot by the bank further down but only stayed for an hour, so we waited longer to get in than the time we spent in the place. Word of advice.. go super early, during the week OR when school is back in because it’s not worth the wait and the people make it miserable. It’s a shame that our Florida parks are ruined like this. We may go again later in the year when it’s slower to hopefully...

This was the first natural spring I have ever been to. My family of 4 went. We found it with very little expectations because neither my hubby or I knew what to expect. Please, let me tell you that the water is 68°F. I am not from the area I am from Northern Kentucky/ Ohio/Indiana. We get pretty decent winters and snow, and sleet. I also love cool weather. So the 68° water was incredible. My son and I stayed in the longest. My daughter and hubby got out and warmed up. If you are thicker like me you may handle it better than if you are thinking, unless you have done ice bath therapy. That's what this felt like to me. It felt therapeutic, meditational. I had clogged lymph nodes on the left side of my neck, after swimming in this cold water my body felt refreshed, I felt happy, stress free, and my lymphatic system on my neck was drained. I am not saying this will heal your health issues but there has been study of cold water therapy being good for the body system. Also, check out the history of Juan Pocso De Leon! My children are homeschooled so they read about him, and then they're experience at this amazing, "Fountain of Youth", as what Juan Pocso De Leon called it. Come, bring your family and enjoy this...