The largest spring on the St. Johns River, Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home (mid-November through March) to a growing population of West Indian Manatees.

For centuries, the spring area was home for Native Americans. In 1766 it was visited by Colonial American botanist John Bartram, but it wasn´t until 1856 that it was settled by Louis Thursby and his family. The Thursby house, built in 1872, remains standing.

The spring´s crystal clear, 73 degree water can be enjoyed by swimmers, snorkelers, and certified scuba divers with a partner. Swimming or diving with manatees is not permitted and is strictly enforced. The river is popular for fishing, canoeing, and boating.

River boat tours are available; for reservations, call St. Johns River Cruises at (386) 917-0724. The park has plenty of picnic areas and a hiking trail. For overnight stays, air-conditioned cabins, a full-facility campground, and primitive campsites are available.

Located west of Orange City. Take U.S. 17/92 to Orange City, go west two miles on French Avenue to the entrance.

2100 W French Ave Orange City, FL

386-775-3663

Native Americans visited and used these springs as long as 6,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, settlers built sugar and cotton plantations that were sacked by Seminole Indians during the Second Seminole War. By the 1880s the springs had become a winter resort, and tourists were promised "a fountain of youth impregnated with a deliciously healthy combination of soda and sulphur." The swimming area is adjacent to a beautiful, shady picnic ground. Canoe, kayak and paddleboat rentals are available for a paddling tour of the spring and spring run. De Leon Springs flows into the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge where canoeists and kayakers can explore 18,000 acres of lakes, creeks, and marshes. At The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant, guests can make their own pancakes at the table. Located at the corner of Ponce de Leon and Burt Parks Road, west of U.S. 17.

601 Ponce DeLeon Blvd.
DeLeon Springs, Florida 32130
Phone: 386-985-4212

The 210-acre Gemini Springs was purchased in 1994 through the combined efforts of Volusia County, the Trust for Public Lands, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Communities Trust. Approximately 6.5 million gallons of sparkling fresh water bubble up from the two springs each day.

Gemini Springs is located between the town of Enterprise, which was a busy center of commerce and government in the early days of the Florida frontier, and the city of DeBary. The land passed through several hands before it was purchased by its last private owners, Saundra and Charles Gray, in 1969.

Farming operations at Gemini Springs in the 1800's included timber, citrus and tapping longleaf pine trees for turpentine. John H. Padgett, who bought the land around the turn of the century, is believed to have built the two story farmhouse and barn we see today. The Padgett family raised cattle and grew sugar cane, operating a cane press and selling sugar juice to passengers on the trains as they passed by on the railroad to Enterprise.

This is a map of my favorite county, state and national parks in Central Florida.

http://volusia.org/parks/links.htm

http://www.floridastateparks.org/FindaParkRegion.cfm?Dist=Central