Yes, that Ponce de Leon, the Fountain of Youth guy.
Late April found the photographer and I back in the Florida Panhandle. I had recently seen mentioned on Walton County’s social media pages that Morrison Springs Park is one of Northwest Florida’s most popular scuba diving sites and was interested in seeing it. There was conflicting information about the extent of hiking trails at the 161 acre park so I thought that it was worth investigating. In addition, approximately 16 years ago we had visited the nearby Ponce de Leon Springs State Park and planned on stopping there again as we knew that they had hiking trails.
Morrison Springs is a relatively new park. The property was acquired by the state in 2004, but is leased to Walton County who operates the park.
From the parking area one immediately enters an extensive boardwalk and shelter structure that is suspended above a old growth Bald Cypress swamp.
Along the way one has good visibility onto the swamp. In the background you notice the crystal clear, blue waters of the spring.
As we walked further out, to our left we had nice views onto the Bald Cypress woodland along the eastern margin of the spring.
The boardwalk ends at a swimming platform that was somewhat crowded on the day of our visit. The spring is massive, with a pool that is 250 feet in diameter. The main pool is 27 feet deep and sand lined, but three caverns arise from the base and extend down 300 feet into the Florida Aquafer. It produces 48 million gallons of water daily, which exits to the Choctawhatchee River.
Unfortunately the boardwalk was the extent of the “trail” at Morrison Springs, so we headed to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park.
The park had changed a lot since our last visit, with the addition of a bath house and a more extensive picnic area. Last time we were here we felt that we had time traveled to the 1920s with very basic pool like walls incorporated into the spring pool.
Now there were extensive patio areas, metal ladders, and a “beach”.
From the formalized area the spring extends into a more naturalized setting with the waters exiting to Spring Run Creek, as seen in the title photo and below.
It is in this location that the two short trails in the 387 acre state park originate.
We crossed the bridge from the pool area to the peninsula that was bordered by two creeks and hosted the Sandy Run Trail. There we came upon this sign.
What was interesting is that near this sign, is an inviting stair that leads down to a naturalized lazy river experience – for real thrill-seekers.
The trail was mostly bare, compacted sand. Although it is not appreciated in this photo, there were many exposed roots and trip hazards.
The understory was generally open and featured palmettos.
The trail ran parallel to the tannin-rich Sandy Run Creek.
As the trail turned back it ran along Spring Run.
It was in this area that we came upon a log that was covered in poison ivy and encroached on the trail. We had to wonder how many visitors were afflicted with the rash after visiting this trail. Can you identify poison ivy with 100% confidence? If not, please read our Footpaths article on poison ivy identification that is linked at the end of this essay.
We recrossed the bridge as noted on the previous map and then completed the short Sandy Run Trail. The habitat was unchanged and the experience was similar.
Odds and Ends:
When we head to the Panhandle we can be confident of seeing three things – lichens, lizards, and damsel flies.
Lichens – due to the subtropical humidity of the panhandle, lichens thrive here. Below we have photos of Script Lichen and Christmas Lichen.
Lizards – the Five-lined Skink is found throughout the eastern U.S. with the Panhandle being the southern extent of its range. They are typically a ground-dwelling species although here we found it on a tree trunk. They mate in May and typically lay 15-18 eggs in a cavity beneath a rotting log. It is also called the Blue-tailed Skink at times, but several other species also go by that name, so the five-lined name is more specific. They range from 5 to 9 inches in length and this one was closer to 9.
Broad-headed Skink – the photographer found it peering out from beneath the leaf litter. These are semi-arboreal, spending much of their time in trees, especially Live Oaks. This is a male based on the red coloration to its head. Compared to most lizards they are quite stout and can grow up to 13 inches in length.
Damselflies – they are our friends as they feed on insects, particularly mosquitoes. They are smaller than dragonflies and hold their wings above their body when at rest, while dragonflies hold their wings perpendicular to their body. We are fascinated by the color variations noted, even on this short hike. Often the males and females of a species will look dramatically different. It is the photography that allows one to really appreciate them.
Eastern Forktail (male) – the blue tipped abdomen is the identifying feature. Females sport a variety of colors including greens and oranges.
Fragile Forktail – the female of the species can be cannibalistic.
Partridgeberry – we have seen this in many habitats, from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Florida Panhandle. As the name implies, its fruit is a favorite food source for game birds like quail and grouse. The fuzziness of the flower petals is interesting. The flower head is about the size of a garbanzo bean, as is its red fruit.
Another fruiting plant that we saw along the trail was Swamp Dewberry. It is a cousin of the Blackberry and Raspberry but is low growing, typically only 8 inches above the forest floor. In contrast to blackberries, it appeared to thrive in the shade of the understory. The fruit will blacken as it ripens.
One of our favorite sightings in the South is Resurrection Fern. It has an affinity for Live Oaks and that is were we found it, as we headed back to our vehicle on the Spring Run Trail. It is the literal “just add water” situation, as a little rain will bring the desiccated plant back to a green, vibrant life overnight – “resurrected” so to speak.
Lastly, a photo of some interesting Hairy Oyster Mushrooms that we found on a decaying log along the trail. The hairy, funnel-shape of the cap is the identifying feature. In addition, frequently the stalk is off-center as seen in the upper specimen. They are considered edible but may have a bitter taste. When in the Panhandle we get our mushrooms from Publix.
In summary, the many springs of the Florida Panhandle are ecological gems but they may be getting loved to death due to their popularity. Of the two we visited, Morrison Springs appeared to be the more ecologically rich. I would relish the opportunity to put a kayak in at the boat launch and follow the spring waters as they make their way through the old growth Bald Cypress swamp to the Choctawhatchee River. I suspect that the crowds thin out once you are away from the spring. During our short time there we saw flocks of egrets and other birds of Florida wetlands gracing the banks of the efferent waterway. That said, the two short trails at Ponce de Leon State Park are wildlife rich, and, as the Florida State Parks say, allows one to “Experience the Real Florida”.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns, with the exception of the spring photo at Morrison Springs, which was an unaccredited photo from Reddit.
Overview
Location – Morrison Springs Park – 874 Morrison Springs Rd, Ponce De Leon, FL 32455. Ponce de Leon State Park – 2860 Ponce De Leon Springs Rd, Ponce De Leon, FL
Parking – large gravel lot at both locations.
Facilities – toilets at parking areas.
Trail Conditions – boardwalk at Morrison Springs and compacted sand at Ponce de Leon. Terrain is easy but the many surface roots could be trip hazards at Ponce de Leon.
Benches – several noted.
Kids – should do fine.
Dogs – welcomed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – none.
Links:
https://www.mywaltonfl.gov/523/Morrison-Springs
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/ponce-de-leon-springs-state-park
https://footpathsblog.com/2021/09/28/poison-ivy-leaves-of-three-let-it-be/