Swim through Florida history with a side of pancakes

There are plenty of options to explore at this state park, but where to began? We started with breakfast. 

De Leon Springs State Park houses the Old Sugar Mill Restaurant and Griddle House. This Griddle House is a perfect taste of how rustic Florida used to be. The griddle house offers a unique experience by having a griddle in each table which allows you to make pancakes and eggs your way on your own time. Anyone can make pancakes at home, but this place offers an experience of cooking breakfast with the springs as your backdrop. Note: try to go early, right before park open, otherwise the wait for a table can be 2-3 hours on really nice days. 

Once we overfilled on pancakes we walked the short path over to the springs. It is sectioned off by the walkway offering a cute view beneath you of a built rocky falls that leads into waterways towards Spring Garden Lake and Lake Woodruff. The springs area to sectioned off on the other side of this walkway and is exclusivley for open swimming with a lawn for spreading out blankets and relaxing which is exactly what we did. 

After we relaxed through the morning, we went through the trails in the park. There is a nice half mile trail that leads to an old cypress tree. The trailhead is off through the parking lot. If you walk back towards the entrance you will eventually stumble upon an opening through the trees before you reach the park exit. There are signs further into the trail but not right at the trailhead so we were a little confused at first. Worth the exploring though! It is an typical Florida trail that is mainly dirt but does go up into boardwalk. Florida habitat can get very thick with good overhang of trees and palms so you don't have to venture far to feel completely in the wilderness. Have fun and wear sunscreen!