FLORIDA · DE LEON SPRINGS · OCTOBER
October is when De Leon Springs trades the thick heat of late summer for afternoons you can spend outdoors without planning around them. The spring-fed swim area at De Leon Springs State Park is still the reason to come. The paddle down Spring Garden Run toward Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge is still open water. And the average afternoon high drops to 84.4°F, a full 5.1 degrees below September.
What October keeps from summer is the Atlantic hurricane season, open until November 30 by NOAA’s calendar (our Florida overview has the dates). What it gives up to November is the drier sky: the wet-day count falls from 4.7 in October to 3.0 the month after, and the average low slips to 60.1°F.
THE MONTH AT A GLANCE · DE LEON SPRINGS · OCTOBER
October keeps the spring swim in warm-weather range, with an 84.4°F average high and half of September’s rain, as long as you book refundable while hurricane season runs.
NOAA 1991-2020 NORMALS · ORLANDO EXECUTIVE GAUGE · HURRICANE SEASON TO NOV 30
Go for: midday swims under mid-80s highs, a paddle on Spring Garden Run, and a two-night trip in a month that averages 4.7 wet days.
Think twice before: booking nonrefundable, since hurricane season runs to November 30, and we could not verify the spring’s water temperature or the park’s fees.
Climate: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020, station USW00012841 · Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org · full sources at the end
On this page
- De Leon Springs weather in October84.4°F highs, 68.3°F lows, 4.7 rain days
- How warm it gets, morning to afternoonA 16.1°F daily swing and what to wear
- Crowds and prices in OctoberHurricane season, refundable rates, lodging tax
- Things to do in OctoberThe state park swim area, Spring Garden Run, Lake Woodruff
- A two-day itinerary for OctoberTwo days built around a 7:25 am sunrise
- October vs September and NovemberHow the three months compare on heat and rain
- Is October a good time to visit?Who should go in October, and who should wait for November
For the wider Florida picture, things to do in Florida and where to stay in Florida cover the state, and the best time to visit Florida sets out all twelve months side by side.
De Leon Springs weather in October: average highs, lows and rain days
| October normal | Value |
|---|---|
| Average high | 84.4°F |
| Average low | 68.3°F |
| Precipitation | 3.24 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 4.7 |
| Days with 1 in or more | 0.7 |
| Daylight, October 15 | 11 h 31 min |
| Sunrise / sunset, October 15 | 7:25 am / 6:56 pm EDT |
Every figure here comes from NOAA NCEI’s official 1991-2020 monthly normals for station USW00012841, the Orlando Executive gauge. That is a real thermometer at an official station, not a reanalysis grid cell, and it does not stand at the spring: the same gauge serves as the reference for Blue Spring, in the same DeLand country. On it, October averages a high of 84.4°F, a low of 68.3°F and 3.24 inches of rain. Read the normals below as the regional reference, since the air over the swim area on a given morning can differ.
Measurable rain (0.10 inch or more) falls on 4.7 days of an average October, about one day in seven. A soaking of an inch or more averages 0.7 day, less than one a year. For a weekend, the odds lean dry: 26.3 of October’s 31 days average under a tenth of an inch at the gauge.
The average day swings 16.1°F, from 68.3°F at dawn to 84.4°F by afternoon. Pack for both ends: a light long-sleeve layer for an early start on the water, a swimsuit and quick-dry shorts for the afternoon, and a packable rain shell for the wet days. A dry bag keeps a phone safe on the paddle.
On October 15 the sun rises at 7:25 am and sets at 6:56 pm Eastern Daylight Time, for 11 hours 31 minutes of daylight (sunrise-sunset.org, converted from 11:25 and 22:56 UTC). Paddlers heading out late should aim to be off the water by about 6:30 pm (est.) to pack up in daylight. Sunset comes a little earlier each day after the 15th.
How warm is De Leon Springs in October?
The warmest part of an average October day reaches 84.4°F and the coolest drops to 68.3°F, a spread of 16.1 degrees at the Orlando Executive gauge. We could not verify a water temperature for the spring, so we give none. Sea-temperature figures in our Florida series are averages of daily maxima, a little warmer than a 24-hour mean, and our sources carried no such reading for this spring.
Mornings start in the upper 60s, cool enough for a long-sleeve shirt at the boat launch or on the Lake Woodruff trails. By early afternoon the air is in the 80s, and that is swim-and-shade weather: a hat, sunscreen and a refillable bottle for the picnic tables by the water.
We could not read a frost-day count for October at this station. The average low of 68.3°F sits about 36 degrees above freezing, and even November’s average low of 60.1°F stays well clear of it, so a winter coat stays at home.
How busy is De Leon Springs in October: crowds and prices
We found no occupancy series and no monthly room-rate data, so we place October on no price ladder. The calendar we can place: October falls inside the Atlantic hurricane season, open June 1 to November 30 according to NOAA, and just before the November-to-April dry season that our Florida overview treats as the state’s main season. For budgets across three tiers, see what a Florida trip costs.
We have no booking-curve data, so we give no lead time in weeks. The parts of the trip that do need planning are the flight and the car: the interior springs are rental-car country in our overview, and our Florida flights guide matches airports to regions. Getting around Florida covers rentals and electronic-only tolls.
We could not verify the local lodging-tax rate, so we give no percentage. Check the total, taxes included, on the booking screen before you confirm a room.
The one line where spending more changes an October trip is the cancellation clause. A refundable room rate usually costs more than a prepaid one (est.). In a month still inside hurricane season, it lets you move your dates if the National Hurricane Center flags a storm the week you fly.
Things to do in De Leon Springs in October
October lets you swim at midday under a normal high of 84.4°F while facing roughly half of September’s wet days, 4.7 against 9.8. November trims the rain further but lowers the high to 77.8°F. A swim followed by a paddle, in mid-80s air with most of the wet season behind you, is the October combination.
The anchor is De Leon Springs State Park, with its spring-fed swimming area and a launch onto Spring Garden Run. The run leads toward Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, where birders walk the levee trails along the marsh. Check Florida State Parks for the current entrance fee, hours, parking capacity, and the spring’s water temperature.
A Florida spring holds a steady temperature through the year, and the air around it is what moves. From September to October the average low at the gauge drops 5.6°F, from 73.9°F to 68.3°F, so climbing out after an early swim feels cooler than it did a month earlier. Our manatee guide covers the springs where the cooler months bring wildlife in.
We could not verify any free-entry day at the park in October, and our sources carry no dated event for the month, so we list none. We also could not confirm whether the Lake Woodruff trails charge a fee: check with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before you go.
De Leon Springs two-day itinerary for October
Day one: be at the park gate at opening, after the 7:25 am sunrise (the hours are on the Florida State Parks site). Swim first, while the air sits near its 68.3°F low and the swim area is at its quietest (est.). Launch a kayak on Spring Garden Run by late morning, break for lunch at midday, and save a second swim for mid-afternoon near the 84.4°F peak. Leave the water by about 6:30 pm (est.) to be packed up before the 6:56 pm sunset.
Spend day two at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge: walk the levee trails in the cool hours after sunrise, then return to the spring for an afternoon swim. If the weather turns, the averages are on your side: 4.7 wet days in 31 means most two-day stays keep at least one dry window (est.). Swap the days so the paddle lands on the drier one, and give a wet morning to the drive to St. Augustine’s Spanish old town.
De Leon Springs in October vs September and November
| Normal (1991-2020) | September | October | November |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 89.5°F | 84.4°F | 77.8°F |
| Average low | 73.9°F | 68.3°F | 60.1°F |
| Day-night swing | 15.6°F | 16.1°F | 17.7°F |
| Precipitation | 6.55 in | 3.24 in | 1.73 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 9.8 | 4.7 | 3.0 |
From September to October the average high drops 5.1°F and the average low 5.6°F, and rain falls from 6.55 to 3.24 inches, about half. November continues the slide: highs down another 6.6°F to 77.8°F, lows to 60.1°F, rain to 1.73 inches over 3.0 wet days. We could not read a water temperature for any of the three months, so the swim comparison rests on air alone.
Moving four weeks earlier into September buys 5.1 degrees of afternoon warmth and costs 5.1 extra wet days (9.8 against 4.7). Moving four weeks later into November trades the swim-friendly afternoon for highs at 77.8°F and dawns at 60.1°F that call for a fleece on the water, and gains the driest of the three months. Our Florida best-time guide ranks the full year.
Is October a good time to visit De Leon Springs?
Yes, for swimmers and paddlers who want warm afternoons without September’s wet-day count: October delivers an 84.4°F average high and 4.7 wet days. It is a weaker pick for anyone who wants the driest possible sky or cool hiking weather, or who cannot book a refundable rate while hurricane season is still open.
If that second group is you, go in November. With 3.0 wet days, 1.73 inches of rain and a 77.8°F high, it is the driest and coolest of the three months, and it opens the dry season described in our Florida overview.
Of the three months, October is the only one with an average high above 80°F and fewer than five wet days.
The last word
Book October if the swim is the point of the trip, and book it refundable. The hurricane season’s statistical peak falls around September 10, according to the NOAA figures in our Florida overview, and October comes after that date with the season still open to November 30. Pack the swimsuit, a long-sleeve layer for the 68.3°F dawns and a rain shell, then set the paddle on Spring Garden Run for the drier of your two days.
Sources & data for this guide
- October normals (84.4°F high, 68.3°F low, 3.24 in) · NOAA NCEI monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00012841, Orlando Executive gauge · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Rain days (4.7 at 0.10 in or more, 0.7 at 1 in or more) · NOAA NCEI, same station and period · checked Sep 24, 2026
- September and November normals · NOAA NCEI, same station and period, official normals rather than estimates · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Station scope · the Orlando Executive gauge also serves as the reference for Blue Spring in the same DeLand country, and it does not stand at the spring · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on October 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to EDT · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates and Sept 10 peak · NOAA National Hurricane Center, via our Florida overview · checked Sep 24, 2026
- We could not verify the spring’s water temperature, the park’s fees, hours or parking, the lodging-tax rate or any October event date · check Florida State Parks and your booking screen before you go.
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit De Leon Springs, Month by Month: Highs, Rain and the Quiet Weeks
- De Leon Springs in September: Weather, Rain Days, Crowds and Things to Do
- De Leon Springs in November: Weather, Rain Days, Crowds and October vs December
- De Leon Springs in August: Weather, Rain Days, Crowds and How It Compares to July and September