Blooming Azaleas Hike at Ravine Gardens State Park
Details
This is a visually stunning and moderately difficult hike! Azalea season should be in full bloom! The garden's peak flowering period is azalea season that starts toward the end of January through March. The hundreds of azaleas have a rolling bloom and top out with 50-60% of the plants blooming simultaneously. The season is variable based on weather conditions.
Ravine Gardens State Park is one of the nine New Deal-era state parks in Florida. The park has two ravines up to 120 feet deep with steep banks at 45-degree angles.
Unlike common gullies, trenches or sinkholes caused by temporary flooding, the steephead ravines are a permanent feature with a spring-fed creek that never dries up, called Whitewater Branch. The underground water bubbling up cuts into the bank and carries the sand and soil downstream to the St. Johns River. Over thousands of years, the ravines have widened and deepened to what you see today.
In 1933, the ravines were transformed into a dramatic garden by the federal Works Progress Administration. Some of the original landscaping still exists as formal gardens and a unique system of trails.
The Azalea Trail, a two-and-a-half-mile trail that winds through the park's ravine systems. Rustic and shady, the route treats hikers to historic suspension bridges, stone staircases and when in bloom, views of the park that cannot be matched. Hikers will encounter narrow and steep paths, muddy bottoms, roots and stairs to scramble over and an overall engaging experience with up to 120+ ft. of elevation gain multiple times during the hike.
For those looking for a less challenging, but equally pleasing experience, the park offers the Main Park Drive Loop. This path includes a 1.8-mile paved loop that follows the boundaries of the ravine systems. Hikers choosing this route are treated to views of the ravines from above and as they continue along the path, will ultimately wind through the bottom of the system. During the park's blooming season (January - March), hikers will be surrounded by the park's signature flower, the azalea, along with several native trees and flowers that also bloom during this period.
Ravine Gardens State Park uses an honor box to collect fees. Correct change is required:
$5 per vehicle. Limit 2 to 8 people per vehicle.
$4 single-occupant vehicle.
See Park Brochure Here: https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/rav-brochure.pdf
PLEASE READ:
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We will meet in the parking lot at the park.
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If anyone is interested in carpooling, please leave a message below to begin a conversation. Please share the cost of gas.
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Bring bug spray and water.