De Leon Springs State Park & The Old Spanish Sugar Mill
Distance from Polk County – 112 miles
Have you ever been sitting at a restaurant and thought, ‘I sure wish I could make some fluffy pancakes at this very moment, at this very table… And after that, I want to go camping and take a boat tour and go swimming and maybe birdwatching,’? Have we got the place for you!
According to floridastateparks.org, De Leon Springs was once called Acuera or “Healing Waters” by the Native American Mayaca who lived on the land for at least 6,000 years. The website also notes, “The spring run was once used to turn a sugar cane mill followed by a grist mill to turn corn into flour during the Civil War.”
The Old Spanish Sugar Mill rests beside the spring, another attractant to the park. “Originally constructed in the 1830s to crush sugar cane utilizing the power of the 16 – 18 million gallons of water flowing from the spring daily, the mill features a 30-foot undershot waterwheel. The mill was rebuilt around 1900. A chimney, which remains on the site, was part of the original sugar mill operation…,” according to oldspanishsugarmill.com. After being destroyed twice, once during the Second Seminole War and then again during the Civil War, the mill was saved by fifth-generation grist miller, Peter Schwarze in 1961 from a final scheduled deconstruction. He leased and restored the mill, “once again grinding flour in the mill building,” and eventually started The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House which is still family-operated to this day.
The experience is a very hands-on breakfast with guests served two types of the Mill’s homemade batter, “one containing stone-ground corn, wheat, rye, whole wheat, and buckwheat flours and the other made from unbleached white flour,” according to their website. Guests are the masters of their breakfast destiny as they flip their flapjacks tableside with the electric griddle at the center of the table. The restaurant does have other breakfast and lunch offerings that aren’t made tableside.
Today the spring is part of the Florida State Park system and is well-known and loved for its camping, swimming, birding, hiking, and other aquatic activities from boat tours to scuba diving, snorkeling, and paddling.
The shimmering waters of the spring are perfect for a dip at a constant 72 degrees. The roughly 500 feet circumference of the swimming hole is surrounded by grassy areas, tables and grills (first come, first serve), as well as four picnic pavilions available for rent.
Once you’ve had your fill of fluffy pancakes and cooled off in the spring, hop aboard the M/V Acuera with Captain Frank for the Eco/ Heritage Boat Tour. The 50-minute tours depart four times daily and explore De Leon Springs State Park and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. According to the park’s website, “As we explore nature, we will also talk about the area’s 6,000 years of history and some myths. Was Ponce de Leon really here? Whatever your interest, you are sure to enjoy your time with us.”
Day adventurers can enjoy the park from 8 am – sunset, 365 days a year with a fee of $6 per vehicle to enter. For overnight campers, cabin and campsite reservations can be made from one day to 11 months.
Article Written By: Tara Crutchfield & Amy Sexson Jul 1, 2020. LKLD Haven Magazine