Lake Beresford Park Walking Tour — History, Trails & the Spring-to-Spring Connection
Quick answer: Lake Beresford Park in DeLand, Florida is a 211-acre Volusia County park with 8+ miles of paved hiking/biking trail, 4 miles of nature trail, and a direct connection to the Spring-to-Spring Trail that runs three miles to Blue Spring State Park. It preserves the site of the 19th-century Deerfoot Landing steamboat stop.
Tour details
- Distance
- 1.8 mi loop · 8+ mi paved · 3 mi to Blue Spring
- Time
- 45 min – half day
- Difficulty
- Easy (paved) / Moderate (nature)
- Address
- 2100 Fatio Road, DeLand FL 32720
- Cost
- Free (no entry fee)
What Lake Beresford Park is
The park sits within the 211-acre Lake Beresford Greenway, acquired with assistance from the Florida Communities Trust in 1991 [S48]. It is a flagship Volusia County ecological-nature park [S46].
The history underfoot
Pre-American history
Lake Beresford was originally the site of the settlement of Beresford, first established by Europeans during the British occupation of Florida (1763–1783). In the late 1700s, the area of the park formed part of a 22,000-acre plantation granted by the English to William Beresford. The plantation was worked by enslaved Africans and remained in use until the mid-1800s [S48].
The Deerfoot Landing steamboat era
One trail is of historic interest because it once gave residents of DeLand and Orange City access to what was then called Deerfoot Landing — a stop for steam-powered paddleboats that were a vital form of transportation connecting the region to the outside world in the late 1800s when Stetson University was still in its infancy. Little evidence remains of the lake's rich past apart from a few remaining pieces of the steamship dock and of a spring-water bottling plant that once operated here [S48].
"Before rail, the only practical way to DeLand was steamboat — and Lake Beresford's Deerfoot Landing was the dock."
The trails, one by one
| Trail | Length | Surface | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perimeter Loop (signature) | 1.8 mi | Paved | Follows the perimeter of the parcel [S48] |
| Paved hiking/biking network | 8+ mi total | Paved | Connects throughout the park [S46] |
| Nature trails | ~4 mi | Natural | Primitive; pristine woods; northern portion [S46, S49] |
| Spring-to-Spring Trail connector | 3 mi to Blue Spring | Paved | Walk, run, skate, or bike to Blue Spring State Park [S48] |
Suggested walks
Easy 1.8-mile loop
Perimeter, flat, stroller-friendly.
History-focused 2.5-mile walk
Lakefront trail to the Deerfoot Landing interpretive area.
Half-day 6-mile round trip
Lake Beresford → Spring-to-Spring Trail → Blue Spring State Park → back. (Blue Spring charges a state-park fee.)
Why Lake Beresford belongs on a heritage tour
- The British-era plantation history predates the founding of DeLand by a century. [S48]
- Deerfoot Landing was the transportation gateway to the Stetson-era DeLand. [S48]
- The spring-water bottling plant remnants document Florida's turn-of-the-20th-century water-bottling boom. [S48]
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Lake Beresford Park?
- 2100 Fatio Road, DeLand, FL 32720. [S46]
- Is there an entry fee?
- No, Lake Beresford Park is a free Volusia County ecological-nature park. [S46]
- How long is the main trail at Lake Beresford Park?
- The signature paved perimeter loop is 1.8 miles; the park has 8+ miles of paved trail and 4 miles of nature trail. [S46, S48]
- Can I walk from Lake Beresford Park to Blue Spring State Park?
- Yes. The paved Spring-to-Spring Trail runs 3 miles from Lake Beresford Park to Blue Spring State Park. [S48]
- What is the history of Lake Beresford?
- It was the site of the 18th-century settlement of Beresford, part of a 22,000-acre English plantation granted to William Beresford. In the late 1800s it hosted the Deerfoot Landing steamboat stop that connected DeLand to the outside world. [S48]
- Are there historic markers at the park?
- There are a few remaining pieces of the steamship dock and the spring-water bottling plant. [S48]