Lake Helen, FL

Lake Helen is a small city of about 3,000 people in west Volusia County, founded in 1888 by Henry DeLand and named for his daughter. It is a quiet residential town with no stoplights, and visitors come to see its historic homes and churches and to visit the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp next door.

Things to do in Lake Helen

The Lake Helen Historic District includes dozens of historic buildings, many of them wood-frame homes from the town’s early citrus and railroad years. Landmarks include Hopkins Hall from 1897, Blake Baptist Church from 1894 and the First Congregational Church from 1887. Blake Park and Asa Gray Park are the town’s gathering spots for events and picnics. Just outside town, the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp is a community of mediums and spiritualists founded in the 1890s, with a bookstore, historic cottages and walkable streets. Blue Spring State Park in Orange City is about 15 minutes away.

Where is Lake Helen?

Lake Helen sits just east of DeLand and north of Deltona in Daytona and the Space Coast, a few minutes from Interstate 4. The town itself is easy to explore on foot, by bike or by golf cart. Daytona Beach International and Orlando Sanford International are each about 30 to 35 minutes away. Cooler months, roughly November through April, are best for walking the historic streets.