Vortex Spring
Location – Lat.30° 46’ 13.99” N, Long. 85° 56’ 54.51” W (SE1⁄4 SW1⁄4 NW1⁄4 sec. 9, T. 4 N, R. 17 W).
Address: 1517 Vortex Springs Ln, Ponce De Leon, FL 32455
Directions: From the intersection of US 90 and SR 81 in Ponce de Leon drive north on SR 81 approximately 3.8 miles (6.1 km) to the intersection with Vortex Spring Road. Turn east (right) on Vortex Spring Road and travel approximately 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the private park entrance.
Description – Vortex Spring pool is nearly circular and measures 225 ft (68.6 m) in diameter.
The depth near the pool center is 48 ft (14.6 m).
Vortex spring is located approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of the town of Ponce de Leon in a privately operated park. The park is developed into a swimming and scuba diving recreational area. There is an extensive cave system associated with this spring whch is frequented by cave divers.
There are multiple wooden swimming and diving platforms around the pool edge. The surrounding land is grassy and slopes upward to approximately 10 ft (3.1 m) above the spring pool.
Clear, sky-blue water fills the large bowl-shaped depression. No spring boil was observed November 2002. The bottom is generally sandy with limestone near the vent.
A relatively small spring run, called Blue Creek, exits on the east side of the pool and flows generally southward into Sandy Creek, which in turn flows into the Choctawhatchee River.
