While not obvious at first glance, Rock Springs Run State Reserve was once home to a railroad stop on the historic Sanford – Lake Eustis Railway. Known as Ethel, this pioneer settlement had a store, school, and a post office. Established in the 1860’s, the town started to drift into obscurity by the 1920’s, until remnants of the cemetery were accidentally discovered by a park service volunteer in 2008.

With the help of researchers and volunteers, the park now features a 1.4-mile loop trail with dozens of interpretive signs describing the long-gone community and people who lived there. The trail follows wide access roads for the most part, passing the cemetery and picnic benches along the way. Admission is $3.00 a vehicle, and while seasonal hunting occurs in this park, it is not allowed in the section this trail traverses. Each year in October, the Wekiva Wilderness Trust puts together an event known as Haunted Historic Ethel. This year, it will be on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th.