Williford Spring

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Location: 5647 Porter Pond Road; Youngstown, Florida 32466

County: Washington

Nearby Town: Youngstown

Latitude/Longitude: 30.439702, -85.547447

Notice of Temporary Closure

Williford Spring will be closed beginning March 11 while the District completes improvements to the swimming area. Visitors can visit the adjacent Pitt/Sylvan Spring Recreation Area, which is located approximately 1 mile south of Williford Spring and can be accessed from Highway 20. Visitors may also visit Blue Spring Recreation area, which is located approximately 2.5 miles east of Pitt Spring and can be access from Blue Spring North Road off Highway 20.

Overview

Located approximately 1.5 miles north of State Road 20 and accessed via Porter Pond Road, Williford Spring is one of the most popular recreations sites managed by the Northwest Water Management District.

Visitors to Williford Spring will turn north off State Road 20 on Porter Pond Road (also referred to on older maps as Strickland Road) approximately 7 miles west of U.S. Highway 231.

Once at Williford, visitors will have access to three picnic pavilions, two composting toilets, a boardwalk system that takes users around the spring and to Econfina Creek, and a nature trail that leads users to the nearby Pitt and Sylvan Springs recreation area.

Swimmers and snorkelers make frequent use of Williford Spring; their experience is enhanced with steps (with hand rails) into the spring to help protect the banks from erosion.

A canoe/kayak launch is located at the end of the boardwalk system and allows paddlers to tie up their vessels while they enjoy a dip in the spring. The District prohibits any vessels in the spring area.

Williford Spring is classified as a second magnitude spring. It is one of 11 springs or spring groups along Econfina Creek, which also features as many as 39 individual spring vents.

Flow from Williford Spring and the other springs along Econfina Creek ultimately discharge into Deer Point Lake, which is the primary source of drinking water for residents in Bay County.

To help protect Econfina Creek and its contribution zone, the Northwest Florida Water Management District manages 41,532.31 acres of public lands in the Econfina Creek Water Management Area. (This acreage total includes the Sand Hill Lakes Mitigation Bank, also known as the Fitzhugh Carter Tract.)

Recreation Opportunities

  • Picnicking, restrooms, mobility, fishing, canoe launch, canoeing, hiking, wildlife viewing.

Restrictions

Open from 8 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week.

No ATV’s allowed.

Motorized vehicles allowed on designated roads only.

Alcoholic beverages prohibited.