Where's the spring in Boiling Spring Lakes? | MyReporter

Located along N.C. 87 between Southport and Belville is the city of Boiling Spring Lakes.

Visitors and those who have recently moved here often confuse it with two North Carolina towns: Boiling Springs, located in Cleveland County about 50 miles west of Charlotte, and Spring Lake, located in Cumberland County near Fayetteville. To help folks keep it straight, the city of Boiling Spring Lakes website notes that when it comes to the city’s name, remember “that’s one spring, many lakes.”

Here's what you need to know about the city's spring and lakes.

How many lakes are there?

The city’s name is derived from a natural spring and the more than 50 natural and man-made lakes found in its corporate limits. Prior to Hurricane Florence in September 2018, the city’s calling card was Patricia Lake, or “Big Lake” as the local folks call it. Other lakes are Spring Lake, Mirror Lake, Seminole Lake and Tate Lake.

While the lakes — or lake basin, in the case of “Big Lake” -- are easy enough to find, the spring is more elusive.

When was the spring discovered?

According to documents from the Brunswick County Historical Society, the spring has been flowing for centuries. The documents also state that Native Americans would camp around the site and believed those who drank from it would return. In the early days, it was known as “Bouncing Log Spring” due to a piece of petrified wood that was tossed by the water boiling up from the ground.

While the spring was known to those who traveled the land, the developers of the city of Boiling Spring Lakes happened upon it in 1961. According to the city’s website, they constructed a brick wall around the spring to enhance its beauty, but it broke free.

Can I see the spring?

According to city staff, the spring exists today, and very little of the brick wall remains. Folks say without the wall, it's difficult to see the spring as it bubbles up from the ground. The boiling spring is located on private property, so it isn’t available to view. However, visitors can enjoy seeing some of the city’s lakes. Big Lake is currently dry, awaiting the reconstruction of the city’s dams, but Spring Lake, accessible through a city park, remains.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Where's the spring in Boiling Spring Lakes, NC?