Yulee Sugar Mill

Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park

The remnants of a thriving sugar plantation reveal a complex history of slavery and a country in turmoil

Hours

8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year

Fees

No fee Required

Location

State Road 490
Homosassa FL 34446

Get directions

Contact Info

352-795-3817

Welcome to Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park

This site was once part of a thriving sugar plantation owned by David Levy Yulee.

Yulee was a member of the Territorial Legislative Council, and served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate after Florida statehood. 

The park contains the remnants of the once-thriving 5,100-acre sugar plantation: a forty-foot limestone masonry chimney, iron gears and a cane press. The steam-driven mill operated from 1851 to 1864 and served as a supplier of sugar products for southern troops during the Civil War.

The park is located in the small town of Homosassa, which is located about 3 miles west of the city of Homosassa Springs. Take U.S. Hwy 19 (northbound or southbound) to the town of Homosassa Springs, then turn west onto C.R. 490 West (Yulee Drive). Proceed for approximately 2.5 miles to the park. There are brown and white highway signs that will lead you to the park. The ruins of the mill are situated within five feet of the road and can be easily seen. The site offers a picnic pavillion, restrooms facilities, tables for picnicking and grills.

Plan Your Visit

John Lakich, Park Manager
Learn

Manager's Message

Bring the family and learn about sugar making from the several interpretive panels stationed around the mill. Across the street, a 6-table pavilion is available to groups on a first-come, first-served basis. Grills and picnic tables are located throughout the picnic area.
a picnic pavilion with tables sits in a lot under oak trees.
Learn

Take a Break at the Picnic Area

On one side of the street lay the ruins of the historic sugar mill, abandoned at the end of the Civil War, while on the other is a pleasant, open grassy area with tables and a pavilion.
Explore Florida State Parks
Initiative

Every Stamp Is A Story

We invite you to visit any one of our amazing state parks, and to save your adventures with the Special Edition Real Florida Passport. This travel-sized journal is the perfect place to collect your memories and discover new places to explore! Each Florida State Park has a unique stamp and story.

Amenities

Historic Site
Historic Site
Interpretive Exhibit
Interpretive Exhibit
Parking
Parking
Picnic Pavilion
Picnic Pavilion
Restroom Facilities
Restroom Facilities

a rusted metal boiler set into a stone wall
Yulee Sugar Mill
An open grassy lot with oak trees and parking
Yulee Chimney
a stone building with metal wheels and other parts and a sign
two metal kettle drums are partially submerged in the ground by an old stone wall
a path lined with trees and signs runs alongside a stone structure
Yulee Sugar Mill
Two large metal rusted wheels above a gray stone wall.
Learn

History of Yulee Sugar Mills

Over 1,000 enslaved people worked the 5,000 acre Margarita Plantation and mill, processing sugarcane into syrup, molasses and eventually rum.
a man stands on several wooden scaffolds surrounding an aged stone chimney
Learn

Mill Restoration

Located less than six feet from Yulee Drive, the towering 40-foot lime rock chimney of Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park is hard to miss.

People Make the Parks

A man in a green uniform shirt smiles at the camera

Staff Spotlight

Andy Walsh is a park ranger because he believes that his work to preserve and protect our natural and cultural resources is the best way to give back to his community.
Volunteer

Volunteer with us!

Help fulfill the Florida State Parks' mission. Assist park employees to preserve, interpret and restore ...the Real Florida.
The Friends of the Crystal River State Parks boat tour

The Friends of the Crystal River State Parks

Friends Groups meet the critical needs of individual parks and the system of state parks. They share one thing in common - passion for parks.

Park Map

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