Williford Spring on Econfina Creek a cool family destination

July 26, 2016

A hot summer day creates a mist over the cool water of Williford Spring. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors
A hot summer day creates a mist over the cool water of Williford Spring. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Park features include swimming area, picnic pavilions, grills, boardwalks, and restrooms

The Northwest Florida Water Management District has completed restorations of Williford Spring in southern Washington County, Florida.

The $1.52 million project improved water quality and protected the shoreline of Williford Spring. Recreational enhancements include spring entry steps, patio terrace, spring view deck, canoe dock, boardwalks, composting toilets, picnic pavilions, parking area, a connector trail to Pitt and Sylvan springs, as well as interpretative trails and native landscaping throughout the site.

Picnic pavilions at Williford Spring include bbq grills. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Click here to download PDF of site development illustration

Williford Spring is located in the Econfina Creek Water Management Area between SR 77 and U.S. 231 off of Herman Strickland/Porter Pond Road. ::MAP::

Boardwalk to canoe/kayak dock. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors
Boardwalk to canoe/kayak dock. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

About Williford spring:
Williford Spring has a circular spring pool in a conical depression whose sand bottom is rippled by issuing spring currents. The pool measures 57 ft. in diameter. The vent is under a limestone ledge roughly in the center of the pool, and the depth measured over the vent is 10.1 ft. There is a sizable boil over the vent, and the color of the water is light blue-green. There is no aquatic vegetation in the pool, and a thin layer of algae covers less than half of the limestone and sand substrates. Williford Spring discharges through a swiftly flowing spring run that travels south for approximately 443 ft.into Econfina Creek.

There are numerous other smaller springs that feed into Williford Spring run immediately downstream. Some of these springs are small trickles from limestone fissures exposed along the banks of the run. To the north and west of Williford Spring, high ground rises to approximately 15 feet above the water surface. A lowland forest of hardwoods, cypress and palms hug the spring and its run. The surrounding rolling sand hills terrain supports mixed hardwood and pine uplands.