Green Springs Park

Green Springs Park covers 36 acres of pristine nature and has one of Florida's few green sulfur springs. Visitors can enjoy paved and natural trails, scenic overlooks, a playground and picnic pavilions. Green Springs has been an important landmark throghout the history of Volusia County from the time of early Native American settlements to the steamboat era when Enterprise was the final destination on the St. Johns River. Native Americans, including the Mayaca and Seminoles, considered the land sacred because they thought the sulfur water in the springs was healing. In 1841, Cornelius Taylor built a hotel on top of a once-massive shell mound at the end of the spring run where it enters Lake Monroe. The spring was the main attraction of Taylor's "hotel for invalids" on the lakefront - one of Florida's first health spas. The hotel attracted tourists in the mid-1800s who wanted to enjoy the St. Johns River and recuperate from various illnesses.

By 1883, Green Springs was part of the large estate of wine importer and steamboat baron Frederick Debary, who used it to entertain guests from DeBary Hall. Well into the 20th century, the site still attracted tourists who were struck by what one observer called the spring's "delicate green waters." Swimming and fishing are not permitted. Nature trails, Green Springs Park offers nature trails and scenic overlooks. This park is also a trailhead to both the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail. The East Central Regional Rail Trail begins at Green Springs at travels 5.7 miles to State Road 415 in Osteen. More segments of this trail are in the works. Open daily: Sunrise to sunset. Admission is free.