Bella Vista Trail, Washington Oaks Gardens – Florida Hikes

Constructed by Florida Path Affiliation volunteers greater than 4 a long time in the past, the Bella Vista Path lies instantly north of the park’s historic gardens.

A separate trailhead permits instant entry to the loop, or use the principle parking space to get pleasure from a ramble by the formal gardens first.

Alongside the outdated Jungle Street

It’s an immersion right into a cross-section of habitats on the slender excessive floor of this slender barrier island.

At each ends, the loop crosses a central backbone of outdated A1A, constructed in 1926, deserted in 1955 on the request of landowner Owen D. Younger.

Chairman of Basic Electrical, he and his spouse settled into the small house now serving as a museum close to the river, crafting these gardens in retirement.

A view of the Matanzas River

Sources

Overview

Location: HammockLength: 1.9 milesTrailhead: 29.632822, -81.208246Address: 6400 N Oceanshore Blvd, Palm CoastFees: $5 per vehicleRestroom: Transportable rest room at trailheadLand Supervisor: Florida State ParksPhone: 386-446-6780

Open 8 AM to sundown. Leashed canine welcome; choose up after your pet. Path open to cyclists. Take precautions for mosquitoes and ticks.

Instructions

The park is alongside the west aspect of A1A south of Marineland, 4.1 miles north of the Hammock Dunes Bridge at Palm Coast. After the doorway highway makes a pointy left onto the straightaway of Previous A1A, make a proper into the grime parking space for the Bella Vista Path.

Hike

Beginning north from the small parking space, verify the kiosk. A map is posted and there could also be maps within the field.

Comply with the blue blaze and hiker image signal due north on a broad footpath into the coastal hammock.

Trailhead kiosk

Reaching a path junction with a double blue blaze and an FT signal, flip left to begin the loop.

The FT signal denotes this path as a part of the Florida Path System. Often blazed in orange, the west aspect of the loop is named the Jungle Street Path.

FT signal junction

On broad however mild meanders by the palms and oaks, move beds of ferns and tangles of grapevines. Reaching a Nature Path signal, flip proper.

Now the path appears like a highway, and certainly was a north-south route by this hammock, in all probability previous to A1A being constructed.

Nature Path signal

It is rather evocative of what the earliest wagon roads by Florida had been like, totally enveloped by the forest.

Inside 1 / 4 mile, the dense understory of the hammock is an impenetrable thicket. In tiny leaf-strewn clearings underneath the palms, coontie grows.

Wagon path really feel

Large dwell oaks arch their windblown branches away from the ocean and over the pathway. Palm fronds sparkle within the solar.

Earlier than a half mile, the mild jogs give option to a pair of straightaways separated by a slight curve. Attain an unmarked spur path at 0.6 miles.

Spur to left

Take this turnoff, tunneling by the palms and yaupon holly to a small bluff above the Matanzas River the place a bench previously stood.

The slight excessive floor nonetheless gives a scenic view of this saltwater river, framed by younger black mangroves.

Mangroves alongside the Matanzas

Persevering with alongside the Jungle Street Path, the pathway narrows a bit because it curves away from the river by the hammock.

Cedars turn out to be extra prevalent as the trail turns east, winding underneath tall dwell oaks and palms.

Curving east

At 0.8 miles, attain a fern-topped pair of stone pillars and move between them. It is a Thirties classic entrance gate.

It marks the north finish of Jungle Street Path, an authentic entrance to the Younger’s house. A bench adjoins alongside Previous A1A.

Exiting the doorway gate

This canopied paved highway can be utilized as an alternate return path to the trailhead for a barely shorter loop.

For the total loop, cross the outdated freeway into the woods to begin the Timucuan Path for the return journey.

Higher crossing of outdated A1A

Climb out of the hammock in a tenth of a mile to emerge into an enormous expanse of coastal scrub blanketing the Atlantic Coastal Ridge.

The pathway turns south between partitions of scrubby vegetation. Cross by a broad patch of palmetto prairie, getting into a forest of diminutive oaks

Person walking towards viewer between low saw palmetto

Palmetto prairie

As soon as canopied by stunning windswept sand dwell oaks, this habitat was eternally altered when Hurricane Matthew blew sea spray inland.

The salt spray killed many of the oaks. The park service opted to take away them.

Sand dwell oaks previously canopied this panorama

By 1.1 miles, descend on a sandy path from the heights of the scrub again into the shady coastal hammock.

Wind between clumps of noticed palmetto whereas navigating a much-thinned portion of the forest, hurricanes having stripped many higher branches.

Thinned cover

Till current years, when mechanical means had been used to clear hurricane injury, this east aspect of the loop was a slender footpath.

Now it’s a broad alley. Welcome shade returns because the path burrows deeper into the hammock.

Alley amid the palms

Inside 1 / 4 mile, curve previous an infinite slash pine rising from a hillside of pine duff.

Proceed an immersion within the lush hammock, palm fronds creating showy patterns beneath the oaks and cedars and occasional towering cabbage palms.

Tall slash pine

Emerge briefly into the solar on an ecotone with the coastal ridge.

Descend by a collection of curves to achieve the excessive cover of the hammock once more.

At 1.5 miles, a bench sits within the shade beneath a stand of cabbage palms and slash pines.

park bench beside footpath under tall palms

Bench underneath the palms

Past it, comply with a curve previous a number of oaks of great measurement. One towering palm reaches by the criminal of an infinite oak’s excessive branches.

At 1.8 miles, emerge onto Previous A1A for a second time. Right here, it’s fenced to forestall automobile entrance.

Second crossing of Previous A1A

An interpretive signal give background on Previous Freeway A1A. Cross the signal to re-enter the hammock on the west aspect.

Curving left, stroll by dappled shade to seal the loop in entrance of the outdated FT signal. Proceed straight forward to the parking space to complete this 1.9 mile hike.

Remaining stretch

Path Map

Red: Bella Vista Trail. Blue: Old A1A. Purple: Mala Compra Trail. Green: Gardens. Brown: Coquina Beach. — Washington Oaks Gardens Path Map

Discover Extra!

Be taught extra about Washington Oaks Gardens

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park Notable for its historic landscaped gardens underneath a cover of historic dwell oaks, Washington Oaks Gardens State Park can also be the house of one in every of Florida’s uncommon rocky shorelines.