3 Can’t-Miss Parks to Explore Near Palm Coast, FL

Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to spend some time in the great outdoors again. If you live near Palm Coast, Florida, there are many gorgeous parks that you can visit that offer stunning landscapes and convenient amenities. Here are a few examples.

1. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is a Florida State Park that lies just outside of Palm Coast. The park offers 425 acres of coastal scenery that features diverse landscapes, including the tidal marshes of the Matanzas River, coastal shrubs areas, a hammock consisting of lush oak trees, as well as boulder-strewn beaches caused by the prolific outcroppings of coquina rock in the area. It is for its formal gardens, however, that this park is best known.

The 20 acres of formal gardens, which surround a massive, roughly 300-year-old oak tree, can be found within the hammock. These gardens feature both native and exotic plants from the far-flung corners of the world. At the park, visitors can amuse themselves with various activities, such as birding, wildlife viewing, and cycling or hiking along the various trails on offer. To view the maritime hammock, as well as a coastal-shrub landscape, take a hike along the 1.7-mile Bella Vista trails. Visitors can also enjoy some recreational fishing in the waters of the Matanzas River.

2. Princess Place Preserve

Princess Place Reserve boasts 1,500 acres of pristine landscape that’s located at the junction of Pellicer Creek and the Matanzas River. Apart from its beautiful landscapes and a prolific wildlife community that consists of bobcats, white-tailed deer, raccoons, barred owls, armadillos, and many more, the preserve also features one of the oldest homesteads in the county, namely Cherokee Grove. The homestead consists of a hunting lodge that was constructed from local materials like cedar and cabbage palm trunks, as well as stables, a tennis court, and the first in-ground swimming pool in the state.

At the preserve, visitors can explore the natural surroundings, as well as the cultivated grounds, through various hiking trails. As the preserve also offers miles of equestrian trails, it is a popular destination for horse-enthusiasts. In addition, the salt marshes along the Matanzas River allow for various water activities, including fishing, canoeing, and kayaking.

3. MalaCompra Road Beachfront Park

The 36-acre MalaCompra Road Beachfront Park is located along the beachfront of Palm Coast and, like Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, boasts an expansive outcropping of coquina rock. Various trails wind through the diverse landscapes of this park that include an ocean-shrub community, a gorgeous stretch of beach, and a maritime oak hammock. Although visitors cannot swim at this park, they are allowed to fish or go out for a paddle. Other activities include hiking and bird or dolphin watching. Or, you could opt to just spend a few hours bathing in the sun.

Palm Coast and the surrounding areas are home to stunning natural parks that offer diverse landscapes, an abundance of wildlife, and convenient amenities. Dust off the winter blues this spring by visiting these lovely and easily-accessible parks in the area.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Posted in Beaches in Palm Coast | No Comments »