The park property was acquired in 1970 to provide outdoor recreation and opportunities for relaxation and reflection for Florida’s residents and visitors. It had been used for social gatherings of all sorts since the mid 1920’s. The property was once owned by the Smithgall family who built a wooden retaining wall around the spring in 1926 to prevent erosion. It was replaced by a concrete wall in 1953 and eventually with the existing wall in 1983.

The terrain is mostly rolling hills, floodplain forest and swamp which follow the basic patterns of Sandy Creek, Mill Creek and Blue Creek. They connect with the spring run and then flow into the Choctawhatchee River and on into the Gulf of Mexico. Although Ponce De Leon himself may not have actually set foot in these waters nor became any younger, a refreshing feeling of youth will undoubtedly follow a dip into the spring.