Devil's Den Prehistoric Spring

Aug 02, 2022

Devil's Den Prehistoric Den - Florida Springs Passport

The name Devil’s Den can sound daunting, but in all actuality, it is a hidden cavern filled with historical treasures. Located in Williston, Florida, the name Devil’s Den comes from a story of settlers seeing steam rise from the opening in the ground. This occurs because the spring’s water stays consistently year-round at 72 degrees. So, when the weather is colder, vapors will roll off the water. Devil's Den beholds more history as you can find fossils in the wall of this Prehistoric Spring dating back to the Pleistocene Age.

Did you know that you can see the prehistoric fossils found from inside Devil's Den on display at The University of Florida's Museum of Natural History.

Know Before You Go To Devil's Den

The best way to see the treasures of this spring is through scuba diving. For scuba diving at this location, you need to be at least Open Water certified. And like any scuba diving adventure, you need to have a buddy. If you do not have a dive buddy, you can see if one of the dive masters, that use this site to train, can go with you. Someone at the office will get in contact with one of them and let you know their availability. The office/shop have gear for rent. Make sure you call ahead to check gear availability or if you need to schedule something with a dive master. If you are a certified diver, you will not have to wait for entry. If you are interested in doing one of the night dives, you will need to call ahead and book an appointment.

Before you dive, they will show you a map of the areas you are allowed to explore. They will even point out things to look for, such as a little Devil statue. Any grim reaper signs saying do not enter, should be respected. There are fun swim-throughs among the rocks. The hole at the top of the den lets in sunlight. It is really beautiful to watch the sunlight rays dance through the water. Keep your eyes peeled when looking at the rocky walls for fossils. You also have the chance of seeing fish and a softshell turtle named Nelson.

If you are interested in getting your scuba diving certification, dive masters use this location for training. You can inquire with someone at the office about getting in contact with a dive master in the area. There are other springs near this location that are used for training locations.

If you don't have any scuba certification, you can still snorkel this spring! The office has snorkel gear for rent as well. Unfortunately, there is no general swimming allowed. This space is for divers and snorkelers. Snorkelers are required to make a reservation. Anyone under the age of 18 needs to have a legal guardian present or have a chaperone and a signed permission form found on the website. Whether you are snorkeling or diving, having a 3mm wetsuit will help you enjoy the 72-degree waters longer. 72 may sound warm but after some time you can get chilly quickly. Especially since there is not a lot of sun, it gets cool in the den.

When descending the staircase into the spring, only one person can be on the staircase at a time. The platform is used for people to set up before getting into the water. No jumping off it into the spring. The maximum depth of the spring is 54 feet, and it is 120 feet in diameter.

Know Before You Go

Devil's Den is open to snorkelers and scuba divers ONLY; it is not open for general swimming!
Snorkelers Admission is $15/person Monday-Friday and $20 on weekends and holidays
Scuba Diver Admission is $38/person
If you do not have your own snorkel gear you can rent some for $10
Rental scuba gear is an additional $40.
Devil's Den is open Monday through Thursday from 9am-5pm and Friday-Sunday from 8am-5pm with the last water entry at 4pm.
For more information, click HERE to read Devil's Den Prehistoric Spring FAQs

Make The Most Out Of Your Trip

During the peak season, they will have food trucks there. There are picnic tables to sit at, eat, and replenish.

Cedar Lake Woods Garden is just down the road if you want to explore that before or after. This private botanical garden is lovely and has two walking trails that give you different viewpoints of the garden.

Those wanting to extend their stay for more than just for the day, there are four cabins available to rent. There are RV parking spaces and an area for tent camping. For campers, there are two restrooms and showers and additional porta-potties.

Checklist for your trip: