Sanlando Springs is a second magnitude freshwater spring and an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Seminole County, Florida Seminole County (, ) is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 470,856. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford. Seminole County is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee- ...

, United States, just west of

Longwood, Florida Longwood is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,087 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Longwood is located at . According ...

. Originally named Hoosier Springs by early settler Ingram Fletcher, the springs were later renamed for its location between the cities of Sanford and

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

. From the 1930s through 1970, it was a privately owned and operated recreation area and park that was open to the general public for an entrance fee. In 1970, the property was sold for conversion into a private residential development to be known as ''The Springs''. The spring itself is located behind the clubhouse of ''The Springs'', a

gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fence ...

. Although managed by the

St. Johns River Water Management District The St. Johns River Water Management District ("SJRWMD") is one of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in Florida. SJRWMD covers an 18-county region in northeast and eas ...

, it is a private recreation and swimming area for residents of the community and respective guests and is no longer open to the general public. The main swimming area formerly boasted a diving platform over the spring, approximately 6 ft (1.8 m) above the waters' surface until removed by the community board. There is also a floating man-made dock, approximately 40 ft (12.2 m) from the shoreline, to which guests may swim. The waters of the main spring eventually empty into the

Wekiva River The Wekiva River (sometimes spelled Wekiwa, a Creek word meaning "spring of water") is a river in Central Florida, north of Orlando in the United States. It originates in Apopka and joins the St. Johns River, the longest river in the state, i ...

and from there into the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

. Sanlando Springs, along with nearby Rock Springs, Wekiwa Springs and Palm Springs, form the headwaters of the Wekiva River. During times of heavy rain, such as the

2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in history, until the record was broken 15 years later in 2020. The season broke numerous records at the time, with 28 tropical or subtropical storms recorded. ...

, the springs have been known to flood dramatically and certain areas of the spring during these times may be hazardous. Near the main spring are several

sulfur springs Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produces hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage under ...

, which are generally unfit for swimming due to foul odor and possible presence of potentially dangerous wildlife, such as

alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additional ...

References

External links

Springs of the St. Johns Water Management District
Unincorporated communities in Seminole County, Florida Springs of Florida Gated communities in Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida Bodies of water of Seminole County, Florida {{SeminoleCountyFL-geo-stub