I have officially lived in Florida for nine years now and of course, I’m still adjusting. With all of the beautiful beaches, the food, the traffic, the mosquitoes, and an almost endless list of cool things to do and see, Florida never fails to amaze me! Still, as interesting as Florida can be, there are times that traveling this state absolutely exceeds my expectations and Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka is one of them.
For years now, we have driven past the Ravine Gardens State Park sign on Highway 95 and ignored it. We literally knew it was there, but not interested enough to take a peek. However, creating travel content forces us to go to places we would normally not go and that’s why we love what we do and once we visited Ravine Gardens State Park, we realized we had been missing out!
Ravine Gardens State Park is nestled in the back of Palatka, a cute little town known for its festivals, numerous cultural and historic murals, the oldest diner in Florida, and the start of Reverend Billy Graham’s ministry. Ravine Gardens State Park is one of the 9 parks in Florida created during the New Deal Era. The park itself is laid out quite nicely. When entering the park, you first see the limestone and wood pillars of the Court of States and the 60-foot obelisk dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt. On holiday weekends these pillars proudly display the 48 flags of the states that were in the Union at the time the park was established. Along with its open field and fountains, my kids enjoyed running wildly and were in awe of the sheer size of the obelisk.
The park is called Ravine Gardens State Park for a reason. With hundreds of thousands of azaleas blooming when a lot of the country is covered in snow, this park is truly stunning. This place is a photographer’s dream. From the flowers to the landscaping, this is a perfect place to relax, hike, jog, or hold an event like a wedding.
Speaking of hiking and jogging, one thing that really blew us away was the trails. We hiked the Azalea Trail which is a somewhat challenging and beautiful 2.5 miles of fun. It winds through the natural ravine systems showing off its historic suspension bridges and stone staircases, spring-fed creek, and wildlife. Be warned that the staircases are “historic staircases” which means they have cracks and are uneven with no handrails so they’re no fun to fall on. It’s best to wear shoes suitable for hiking and perhaps bring a walking stick as well. We loved our hike and visited during the azalea blooming season which makes views of the ravine system unbelievable!
If you’re looking for something a little less challenging, there is also a 1.8-mile paved loop. It wraps around the boundaries of the ravine systems and provides wonderful views of it from above. The Ravine Loop Trail also provides an access point to stairs that will take you to the crystal clear springs. The park is in bloom between late January to March so hikers that come during the blooming season will be surrounded by azaleas, native trees, and flowers, as well as the occasional orange tree.
As I stated before this park has been here since 1933. It has been used to entertain some of the richest people in the U.S. back in the day and was, at one point, one of the top tourist attractions in Florida. However, we had no idea what it was, we didn’t know what Palatka was either, therefore checking out the park wasn’t really a priority. Wrapping up, we had a fantastic time exploring Ravine Gardens State Park. It’s a shame that we overlooked this beautiful place, but I’m glad we’ve managed to make it this year. Ravine Gardens State Park was a very interesting and fun trip that definitely exceeded all of our expectations. It is truly one of Florida’s hidden gems.
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