Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, south of Tallahassee, centers on one of the world’s largest and deepest first-order freshwater springs and preserves both a wildlife sanctuary and a major archaeological landscape. People have used the springs for at least 12,000 years, and 54 archaeological sites record occupation from Paleoindian times through later Native cultures into the modern era. The spring, part of the Floridan Aquifer, feeds the Wakulla River and is linked to a broader karst system. Named for Edward Ball, who built the lodge in 1937 and whose trust transferred the land to the state in 1986, the park combines remarkable natural features, a historic hotel, and deep human history.