Ravine Gardens State Park, Palatka, FL

The azaleas are in bloom, and they are so beautiful! Early March is the time of year we love to take a drive to explore the azaleas at Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka, Florida.

If you’re surprised to find a state park in a city, believe me, so were we! The park was actually part of the New Deal era to help Palatka recover from the Great Depression. According to https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/historic-gardens-and-court-states, “Local paving contractor Thomas Byrd Gillespie saw what he described as a “prosperous community transformed by a depression into a section having many actually hungry and in dire distress.” He recognized that tourism was becoming an important economic force in Florida, noting that that several parts of Florida were attracting hundreds of visitors where they “had something worthwhile for them to stop and see.” Out of this observation, the concept of Ravine Gardens was formed. The gardens were officially opened on July 4, 1933. At the time over 270,000 plants were planted in the formal gardens and along the slopes of the ravines.”

This lovely state park has 152 acres with 2 ravines that are approximately 120 feet deep. It also has an amphitheater, picnic pavilions, a playground, and nature trails. Roughly 5 acres of the formal gardens still exist for us to explore and enjoy. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to the landscape architecture and historic importance.

There are 2 different loops to walk on. There is a 1.8 mile paved loop that is an easier walk through the bottom of the ravine. There is also the Azalea Trail, which is 2.5 miles long and meanders through the park with varying levels of difficulty. Although this trail is more rugged, you can enjoy crossing over swinging bridges, climbing old stone staircases, and getting an up close and personal view of the beautiful flowers in bloom. Here is a link to the brochure to help you find your way through the park: https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/rav-brochure.pdf

Video of us having fun on the swinging bridge:

Not going to lie, the Azalea Trail is our favorite! Are the paths perfectly groomed? No. Are there roots to step over? Yes. Do you have to watch where you’re walking? Yep! Is it worth it? You bet! The azaleas were in bloom and we loved exploring everywhere the trails led. Some of the trail areas were closed when we visited, but we thoroughly enjoyed the parts that were still open.

One of our favorite places in the park was a pretty little lake with a picnic area. We took a path along the spring-fed creek and found this beautiful little gem.

We saw some beautiful birds along our walk. There were also squirrels, lizards, and broad-headed skinks to see on our hike. We had fun watching the small fish and minnows in the spring-fed creek, while the song birds serenaded us.

The highlight of our visit was definitely the azaleas. There were light pink, white, red, magenta, and other various colors. Not only were there azaleas, there were also many other flowers in bloom. We found many different varieties of plants to learn about, too.

The cost when we went was $5 per vehicle or $2 a person walking in. Definitely a reasonably priced admission for the beauty you get to explore.

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