Florida’s Washington Oaks Garden State Park

Last updated: December 31, 2022

As the last part of a road trip to Florida with my mom, we stopped and explored Washington Oaks Garden State Park and my-oh-my was I impressed. I have been to my fair share of Tennessee and Alabama state parks, but this Florida one takes the cake. I mean, just look at this visitor center. 😍

The park’s land has a rich history. Native Americans found the area a productive hunting and fishing area. After the European settlement of Florida, the property had a number of owners and was used for various agricultural purposes. One owner was a surveyor named George Washington, a relative of President George Washington. In 1936, Louise Powis Clark, wife of the industrialist Owen D. Young purchased the property as a winter retirement home. She devised the name “Washington Oaks” for the property and is responsible for developing the park’s formal gardens, citrus groves, and house. Mr. Young died in 1962 and Mrs. Young donated the property to the State of Florida in 1964. Her donation specified that the “gardens be maintained in their present form”, and it’s clear they have honored Mrs. Young’s wishes.

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This state park is so pretty, they book weddings here! With the formally maintained gardens, I can totally see it. There’s bike trails, fishing, and hiking throughout these 21 acres and I wish I could have had a full day to really appreciate it. I pretty much just need to spend about a year in Florida exploring all it has to offer. I really do love the Sunshine State! 💗☀️

If you have any suggestions for what to do in Florida, I’m all ears as I’m not nearly finished galavanting around… I’m not particularly fond of laying around on a beach, but I’m down for anything else!