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A stream crossing along the trail

Wild Persimmon Trail

At De Leon Springs State Park, the Wild Persimmon Trail is a 4.4 mile wild walk along the edge of habitats in the floodplain forest created by the springs

De Leon Springs State Park  |  De Leon Springs
( 29.136952, -81.361309 )      4.4 miles

363 shares

Was De Leon Springs the Fountain of Youth? History relates that when he sailed to Florida in 1513, Ponce De Leon visited a spring.

To get there, he “ascended a large river, passing through two small rivers and three lakes, whence we came to a great boiling spring which the Indians call ‘Healing Waters’.”

The waters bubbling into Spring Garden Creek have been a centerpiece of history for centuries, and are the starting point for adventure at a park well known for its pancakes.

Built and maintained by volunteers of the Florida Trail Association, the Wild Persimmon Trail gets you into the park’s wildest corner.

For more than half the hike, the trail slips along the edge of a swamp forest with waters that ebb and flow with the St. Johns River.

Dayflowers blooming with trail behind Dayflowers along the Wild Persimmon Trail



Resources

Full details on this hike are in 50 Hikes in Central Florida

50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: De Leon Springs
Trailhead: 29.136952, -81.361309
Address: 601 Ponce de Leon Blvd, De Leon Springs
Fees: $4-6 per vehicle
Restroom: Nearest one is at the swimming area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-985-4212

Open 8 AM to sunset daily. Leashed pets welcome along the trails. Insect repellent is a must. Expect wet feet along this loop.

The Old Spanish Sugar Mill and Griddle House is open 9-5 weekdays, 8-5 weekends (serving until 4), closed Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Marker 11 along the trail

You can leave your name for a reservation before hiking, but if they call you while you’re in the woods you’ll miss your turn. Give yourself at least two hours to complete this hike.


Directions

 
The town of De Leon Springs is just north of DeLand on US 17. From US 17 in De Leon Springs, turn west onto Ponce De Leon Boulevard. Follow it 0.8 mile. The entrance to De Leon Springs State Park is just after the railroad crossing.
 
Once you’re past the ranger station, make the right to drive down to the small parking area behind the changing house at the swimming area. This is the closest place to the trails for hikers to park.

Hike

Getting to the trailhead for the Wild Persimmon Trail means walking in on the park’s paved nature trail, a throwback to its tourist attraction days.

As you walk through this oak hammock with its statuesque live oaks, you might spot a barred owl in the canopy. Planted azaleas bloom in the understory in spring.

Giant cypress with interpretive sign The base of Old Methusalah


A side trail leads to “Old Methuselah,” a bald cypress estimated to be nearly 500 years old, one of the ancients of the forest.

You reach the well-marked trailhead for the blue-blazed Wild Persimmon Trail after 0.3 mile. The dry start of the trail under the oaks is deceiving.

Start of the Wild Persimmon Trail The Wild Persimmon Trail is a rugged day hike


While we could find no current interpretive brochure for this hike, the markers from long ago persist. Marker 5 is at the beginning of a long stretch of bog boardwalks.

The trail reaches a bench at 0.8 mile, with more boardwalks beyond as it enters a hydric hammock dense with cabbage palms.

Bog boardwalk in forest One end of the bog boardwalk


Deep shade and clouds of mosquitoes are normal the deeper the trail continues into the floodplain.

A mile in, the trail crosses a bridge over a picturesque stream with sand banks. The stream vanishes into the forest.

A stream crossing along the trail
A stream crossing along the trail

The loop portion of the hike starts after 1.4 miles at a bench. Continue straight ahead to stay on the floodplain side of the loop.

Habitats shift from swamp to oak hammock and back again as the canopy overhead rises with the height and age of the oaks and palms.

Stream in forest A sluggish stream in the swamp forest


Bromeliads grow thickly on the oaks. Underfoot, the footpath is muddy as as the trail dances in and out of the hydric hammock.

Just past a bench at 1.9 miles, there are puddles across the footpath, the low spot in the forest.

Reddish-orange puddles among palms Puddles in the footpath


Where it is drier, fungi flourishes in the leaf litter and on rotting logs. The thick, arching limbs of live oaks break up the angular feel of the cabbage palm trunks.

A panorama of oak and palm hammock wraps around the trail in every direction, even straight up.

Marker 10 along trail Marker 10 with wild persimmons ahead


Reaching Marker 10, the trail leaves the influence of the swamp, swapping the beauty of the hammock for uplands that were once farmed.

The grove of wild persimmons for which this trail is named is just beyond the marker in the open area. Their small orange fruits are very astringent, but sweeten as they ripen.

Trees growing in an old pasture The forest reclaiming the former pasture


A grassy aisle through the young forest, the trail skirts around older live oaks and along colorful stands of sweetgum.

Watch for blue blazes as the understory opens up. Past an “Exit” marker, there are the remnants of a former primitive campsite, including benches and a picnic table.

Two benches in a clearing Former campsite along the trail


Returning to the floodplain forest, the trail reaches a bench at Marker 13 after 3 miles, completing the loop.

Turn left to backtrack through the palm hammocks and over the bog bridges, reaching the trailhead for the Wild Persimmon Trail at 4 miles, and the parking area by 4.4 miles.

Bog boardwalks in forest Returning along the bog boardwalks


Trail Map

De Leon Springs State Park Trail Map Trails at De Leon Springs



Explore More!

Learn more about De Leon Springs State Park

Swimmers in De Leon Springs

De Leon Springs State Park

While pancakes and De Leon Springs go hand-in-hand thanks to the popular Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant, the natural beauty of De Leon Springs is the reason to visit


Slideshow

See our photos of the Wild Persimmon Trail


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Lake Woodruff NWR

Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge

Six miles of trails meander through wide open spaces preserved for wintering waterfowl at 21,500-acre Lake Woodruff NWR along the St. Johns River.

St Francis Trail

St. Francis Trail

One of Central Florida’s most scenic and easy-to-follow day hikes, the 7.9-mile St. Francis Trail traverses the southeastern corner of the Ocala National Forest

Indian Mound Trail

Indian Mound Nature Trail

On Hontoon Island, the Indian Mound Nature Trail leads you through a ancient forest to an ancient midden on the edge of a vast swamp floodplain.

Path through pines and palms

Pine Island Trail

Showcasing habitat diversity along the St. Johns River basin, the Pine Island Trail treats you to ancient oaks, open scrub, and the bank of the river itself

Park Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, TrailsTag: Big Trees, Birding, Botanical, De Leon Springs, De Leon Springs State Park, Deland, Florida State Parks, Historic Sites, Pitcher Plants, Springs, St. Johns River, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing

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